With more than 1.6 million U.S. employees, Walmart seeks to overcome workforce challenges and avoid a talent war. The retailer hopes to grow the next generation of leadership by offering free college education and workforce training in its academies.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon started his retail career as a summer seasonal worker unloading trucks at a Walmart distribution center. Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner began his Walmart career as an hourly employee in the garden center at Store 100 in Bentonville to earn extra money as a college student.
“David Glass used to say anyone can have multiple careers inside Walmart because of the company’s size and scale, and that was before Walmart became a half-trillion international business, with one of the fastest growing advertising businesses in the country, a third-party logistics service provider, fintech partner, healthcare provider and technology powerhouse,” said Scott Benedict, affiliate partner with McMillanDoolittle retail consultancy.