Home Depot Defends Corporate Work-in-Store Mandate

When the giant home improvement chain told its corporate staff they need to work shifts in its stores, it set off a controversy.

It wasn’t the first big company to do so but Home Depot’s renewed policy requiring all corporate employees to work an eight-hour shift in one of its stores every quarter has met with various reactions, on both sides of the issue.

In an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg, Depot CEO Ted Decker wrote “We need to stay connected to the core of our business, so we can truly understand the challenges and opportunities our store associates face every day.” Press reports have said “This decision aims to bridge the gap between the corporate office and the retail floor. The intention is to ensure that all employees, regardless of their position, understand the challenges and daily operations faced by store workers, thereby fostering empathy, better decision-making and a more cohesive company culture.”

The policy is actually one that was previously in practice but had been suspended during the pandemic and is now being reinstituted. Forbes, in an online report on the news, wrote, “For white-collar workers, this move serves as an opportunity to gain firsthand insight into customer interactions, operational challenges and the physical demands of retail work, potentially enhancing their managerial and strategic decisions.” But it also called it “unconventional,” especially for the retail field and added that it could “backfire.

“The success of this initiative largely depends on its implementation. If presented as a genuine opportunity for learning and growth, with proper support and preparation, it could yield positive results. However, if perceived as punitive or if corporate employees are inadequately prepared, it may lead to discontent or further division within the company.”

It also said there were potential risks for the company with employees not familiar with in-store procedures or products.

“This could result in temporary inefficiencies, mistakes or a decline in service quality during their shifts. Consequently, there’s a possibility of negatively impacting store operations or customer satisfaction if not carefully managed.”

Inc. Magazine, however, had a different take: “This is brilliant, and how all businesses should operate when the core functions of the business differ substantially from the corporate office.”

Other businesses have similar programs requiring corporate staffs to work on the front lines, including DoorDash, Tesla and Taco Bell.

A lot depends on the attitude of the company’s employees, Inc. wrote. “If your executives are there stocking shelves, they’ll get to know your employees. They’ll get to know your customers. And your employees will get to know the executives and—hopefully—respect them.

“But there is a big caution: Your executives can’t be jerks. They can’t come from their corporate offices and act like they know more than the people who do this work all day, every day.” For Home Depot, getting more done is about to take on a whole new meaning.

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