PBN Diversity and Inclusion Awards 2021
Retail: Ocean State Job Lot
Afghan refugees resettling in Rhode Island are the latest beneficiaries of Ocean State Job Lot’s “Embrace Diversity; Everyone is Welcome” approach.
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The privately held, discount retail chain has been working with local agencies to ensure people recently relocated from Afghanistan have what they need.
The company’s charitable arm donated domestic items, including small household appliances and other supplies, to provide some comforts of an American home. Employees are considering dietary needs and preferences when supplying food and meals. And many are brainstorming how to help refugees find work through job fairs, informational interviews and resume-building help.
This effort is more than a diversity-and-inclusion tactic for the company that began in 1977.
“It’s part of the DNA of our company,” said Bob Selle, chief people officer. “It’s intertwined with who we are.”
In the years since the Perlman family founded the company, it has grown to 5,600 employees who are as diverse as the chain’s merchandise. The company’s North Kingstown headquarters alone boasts employees hailing from more than 40 countries; employees speak seven different languages or dialects; and the number of employees from traditional Asian, African American, Hispanic, Latino, and minority groups of two or more races has increased 4 percentage points to 28.8% since May 2020.
Gender diversity within leadership teams has grown in the past three to five years, which caught Mogul Magazine’s attention, landing the chain on Mogul’s 2018 Top 1,000 Companies Worldwide for Millennial Women list.
That same year, women held 66% of the top leadership positions in retail stores (regional director). In 2020, women took command of 21% of top leadership roles (three of 14 department head positions) and held 38% of supervisor leadership positions.
‘When do we arrive? There is no arrival. There is no destination here. This is a continuous process.’
ALEX ARROYO, Ocean State Job Lot director of organizational effectiveness and learning
But Selle quickly notes diversity encompasses more than color and gender.
From age, to people with disabilities, to vertical integration of frontline employees with management, the company has risen beyond the racial-ethnic component in embracing diversity.
The company follows state and federal laws to welcome qualified minors as young as 16, along with more-seasoned employees.
Younger employees are added through internships. And coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, company recruiters are embracing older workers through a new program called “returnships.”
“It’s strictly to attract seniors,” Selle said, noting the company’s owners are in their 70s. “We know that with COVID and being locked in, people want to get out and socialize again. Seniors have such a huge knowledge. We want to tap into that.”
The chain is a leader in establishing inclusive policies before being mandated. And it has won awards for this work. In 2019, Massachusetts Regional Employment Collaborative distinguished the company with its Exemplary Employer Award for hiring people with disabilities.
The company’s Open Door Policy – a name dating back to the 1899-1900 start of the U.S. foreign policy push for free trade with China and East Asia under President William F. McKinley – aims to give all employees a platform to air issues and concerns.
If an employee wants to speak with someone but is uncomfortable raising a topic with an immediate supervisor, that person can speak with a manager or human resources business partner.
The company is careful to protect against retaliation if an employee raises something that may reflect poorly on another employee.
“You have to build the trust that if you come forward, nothing’s going to happen [to you],” Selle said. “We’re going to hear you and address your concerns.”
With listening as one of the company’s greatest strengths, it instituted its 20-member Culture and Values Team in 2020.
In considering how diversity, equity and inclusion impacts the company, the team identified three areas needing attention, including unconscious bias and generations in the workplace.
“Those are things I would say senior leaders didn’t necessarily think about,” Selle said.
The team has produced several modules in its Culture and Values Series to help employees learn and grow and is considering other measures to improve in diversity, equity and inclusion.
“When do we arrive?” asked Alex Arroyo, director of organizational effectiveness and learning. “There is no arrival. There is no destination here. This is a continuous process.”
