Kmart Group - Diversity and inclusion

During the year, Kmart Group continued its focus on the four key pillars of its diversity and inclusion strategy: gender balance within leadership roles; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment; disability employment and accessibility; and LGBTQIA+. 

Gender balance

Kmart Group continues to maintain 40:40:20 gender balance across leadership roles, with 40 per cent women, 40 per cent men and 20 per cent either gender or gender diverse.

At Kmart, women in leadership roles remain stable and represent 45 per cent of all leadership roles globally. Kmart has achieved 40:40:20 gender balance across 75 per cent of commercial, support and operational functions, with an opportunity remaining in technology. Women in operational leadership roles (stores, distribution centres, supply chain and central operations) maintained at 45 per cent.  

At Target, women represent 56 per cent of all leadership roles, a one per cent increase from the previous year. Target has achieved 40:40:20 gender balance across support, commercial, operational and technology functions. Women represent 41 per cent of leadership roles within technology. 

Kmart and Target have continued their focus on gender equity through the introduction and enhancement of initiatives, including a new leadership training program titled “Inclusive Leadership.” The program focuses on developing inclusive behaviours of existing leaders to reduce systemic barriers associated with workplace environments, team structures, bias and team member experiences. Kmart general managers and the Kmart Group (Kmart and Target) technology senior leadership team participated in the program. At Kmart, improvements were made to perinatal support by increasing the bereavement leave entitlement to five days, with no restrictions on gender, weeks of gestation or the frequency of entitlement.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment

In the 2023 financial year, Kmart and Target maintained their ongoing focus on the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

At Kmart, 1,674 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team members are engaged in meaningful employment (worked in the past 30 days), increasing representation from 4.4 per cent last year, to 4.6 per cent this year. During the year, Kmart introduced a target to reach three per cent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in leadership roles by 2028. Representation of Aboriginal and Strait Islander team members in Kmart leadership roles is 1.5 per cent (55 leaders in June 2023), an increase from one per cent (41) leaders in July 2022.

At Target, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team members engaged in meaningful employment (worked in the past 30 days) increased from 298 to 312 and represent 3.1 per cent of the workforce.

Kmart and Target continued the Deadly Stores program in 161 stores. Deadly Stores operate in communities with a high representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and have a focus on meaningful employment, cultural confidence and cultural safety. In 2022, Kmart and Target reviewed the Deadly Stores program and in 2023 launched Deadly Development Stores, which operate in communities with high representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people but require further learning and leadership support to meet the criteria of a Deadly Store.

Kmart and Target continued their partnership with John Briggs consultancy, which ran cultural confidence training for leaders (face to face and online). Kmart and Target general managers were among those who participated in the training.

Kmart and Target also took part in the Wesfarmers Indigenous Leadership Program. During the year, 26 Kmart team members and leaders enrolled in the Certificates II and IV program. Since commencing the program, 14 team members have graduated, 11 team members are currently participating and seven have received a promotion. Five Target team members and leaders enrolled in the program during the year, with two team members receiving a promotion.

Disability and accessibility

Kmart team members with a disability represent 1.3 per cent of the workforce engaged in meaningful employment. There are 447 team members identifying with a disability in the Human Resources System which was introduced in 2021. In financial year 2023, Kmart conducted an engagement survey which revealed 10 per cent of the workforce identify with a disability. 

Kmart partnered with the Australian Human Rights Commission – IncludeAbility Employer Network and the Disability Trust in a pilot to provide employment for people with acquired disability in the Illawarra region of New South Wales.

Kmart continued its partnership with Get Skilled Access, which ran virtual disability confidence workshops on the topics of employment and accessibility.

LGBTQIA+

In the 2023 financial year, 14 Kmart stores took part in the Welcome Here Project as part of a pilot to build LGBTQIA+ awareness and inclusion. The pilot provided team members and leaders with facilitated and online LGBTQIA+ awareness training, resources and the opportunity to wear allyship and pronoun stickers on name badges. Once training was completed, stores displayed ‘Welcome Here’ stickers, letting customers know Kmart is a safe place to shop for the LGBTQIA+ community.