How We Serve Others: Championing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Apr 01, 2021
At Dollar General, we believe in respecting the dignity and differences of others, as well as celebrating success and recognizing the contribution of others through our mission of Serving Others. We celebrate these two core values every day and especially reflect on and honor their importance during Celebrate Diversity Month in April.
Throughout our organization, from stores and distribution centers to our transportation teams and corporate offices, at Dollar General, we strive to create an environment where all employees feel respected, safe to speak up and empowered to grow. Ultimately, these cornerstones help to fuel motivation at work, support our customers and communities and build a sense of belonging. We further elevate this commitment through one of our key operating priorities to invest in our diverse teams through development, empowerment, and inclusion.
“Whether it is supporting programs that address the challenges of underserved communities or working to ensure that every DG employee has the opportunity to feel heard and seen, the scope of DG’s efforts reflects the important role we play in creating and maintaining a more diverse, inclusive and just society,” said Dr. Johné Battle, Dollar General’s vice president of diversity and inclusion. “DG plays a critical role in the lives of individuals with diverse identities and stories with more than 157,000 employees and a store presence spanning 46 states. Our mission and core values cornerstones to our culture and operations, and will continue to work toward a world that reflects those principles and ensuring they are evident in all we do.”
Through the following efforts, among others, we demonstrate how we put words into action:
Employee Support
DG currently has five Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Each group is organized around a chosen commonality and works to leverage differences, support belonging, promote awareness and build a more inclusive culture consistent with DG’s mission and core values. Whether it is in stores, near our Store Support Center or our 28 traditional and DG Fresh distribution centers, DG’s ERGs also focus on cultivating a stronger tie to the communities in which our employees live and serve.
Furthermore, to support a culture that respects the dignity and celebrates the differences of our employees and communities, DG has participated or led the following events in recent years:
Throughout our organization, from stores and distribution centers to our transportation teams and corporate offices, at Dollar General, we strive to create an environment where all employees feel respected, safe to speak up and empowered to grow. Ultimately, these cornerstones help to fuel motivation at work, support our customers and communities and build a sense of belonging. We further elevate this commitment through one of our key operating priorities to invest in our diverse teams through development, empowerment, and inclusion.
“Whether it is supporting programs that address the challenges of underserved communities or working to ensure that every DG employee has the opportunity to feel heard and seen, the scope of DG’s efforts reflects the important role we play in creating and maintaining a more diverse, inclusive and just society,” said Dr. Johné Battle, Dollar General’s vice president of diversity and inclusion. “DG plays a critical role in the lives of individuals with diverse identities and stories with more than 157,000 employees and a store presence spanning 46 states. Our mission and core values cornerstones to our culture and operations, and will continue to work toward a world that reflects those principles and ensuring they are evident in all we do.”
Through the following efforts, among others, we demonstrate how we put words into action:
Employee Support
DG currently has five Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Each group is organized around a chosen commonality and works to leverage differences, support belonging, promote awareness and build a more inclusive culture consistent with DG’s mission and core values. Whether it is in stores, near our Store Support Center or our 28 traditional and DG Fresh distribution centers, DG’s ERGs also focus on cultivating a stronger tie to the communities in which our employees live and serve.
Furthermore, to support a culture that respects the dignity and celebrates the differences of our employees and communities, DG has participated or led the following events in recent years:
- African American ERG: Our African American ERG (AAERG) is focused on impacting and enhancing the diversity of DG’s culture through community outreach, recruitment, development and education. To commemorate February’s Black History Month celebrations, the AAERG hosts an annual Days of Service event. In partnership with the Company’s Community Initiatives team, the ERG organizes several volunteer opportunities for our Store Support Center employees to serve within the greater Nashville community. In 2021, led by our AAERG, Dollar General celebrated two notable Black History Month events that included a lunch and learn with Audra Bohannon, senior client partner at Korn Ferry, and a Virtual Keynote Speaker event with actor and author Hill Harper featuring the Grammy-award winning Fisk Jubilee Singers. The AAERG also leads the Company’s annual Juneteenth commemorations, which mark the end of slavery in the United States.
- DG Young Professionals (DGYP) ERG: Our DGYP (DGYP) ERG centers on providing young professionals with opportunities for professional development, community connection and an expanded network. The group’s “YP to VP” panel series and Coffee with an Executive events offer members a chance to meet and learn from Company leaders, as well as connect with peers. DGYP also partners with the Special Olympics of Tennessee and has been an integral part in judging of the Summer Games and participating in their Music City Corporate Challenge.
- EQUAL ERG: Our EQUAL ERG is dedicated to our LGBTQIA+ team members and allies. During Nashville, Tennessee’s 2020 Pride @ Home Festival, DG and EQUAL served as sponsor for the virtual events, and we have also served as the event’s 2019 main gate booth sponsor for the in-person event in downtown Nashville.
- SERVE ERG: Our SERVE ERG stands for our Service-Minded Employee Reaching Veterans Everywhere. SERVE is dedicated to celebrating and supporting our active-duty military, National Guard members and Reserve, veterans and their families through networking, education and community outreach. SERVE works with numerous community partners and hosts annual events throughout the organization for Memorial Day, such as visiting veteran cemeteries to lay wreaths on those who provided the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. SERVE also participates in similar activities for Veterans Day. For Veteran’s Day 2019, SERVE celebrated all self-identified veterans across the organization a specialized badge to honor and recognize their service.
- Women’s Professional Network ERG: Our Women’s Professional Network (WPN) ERG strives to cultivate and further an inclusive and empowering women’s network at DG through networking, leadership and educational opportunities and experiences. Our WPN partners with national and regional chapters of the Network of Executive Women to support leadership development and workplace transformation to achieve gender equality. Most recently, the WPN launched a #ChoosetoCelebrate movement to celebrate Women’s History month in 2021, as well as to empower and inspire women and their allies.
Racial Justice and Education
As part of our continued focus on diversity and inclusion in the communities we serve, we are proud to invest in community programs and extend help and hope to groups that are working to accelerate racial justice. In 2020, Dollar General and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation announced a $5 million racial justice and education commitment that includes the following three initial grant recipients: INROADS, Equal Justice Initiative and Operation HOPE. DG and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation plan to announce additional grant recipients in 2021.
Allyship
Dollar General remains committed to listening to our customers, employees and communities to remain stewards of and allies in fostering an inclusive environment. We believe in embracing diverse perspectives, opinions, backgrounds and experiences that reinforce our core values and strengthens our ability to equally serve our employees, customers and communities. To that end, we created an Allyship Guide as a tool to assist with advocating for equity on our teams and in our communities and to promote relationship building based on trust, consistency and accountability.
Diverse and Innovative Vendors
In 2020, Dollar General held its second Innovation and Supplier Diversity Summit, inviting companies holding a wide variety of diversity certifications (including those listed below) that have not sold products to the Company within the past 18 months with an opportunity to meet with merchandise buyers and category managers.
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Our Supplier and Diversity Innovation Summit also allows us the opportunity to engage with potential new vendors as part of our ongoing efforts to provide relevant products to our diverse consumer base. To learn more about becoming a Dollar General vendor, please click here.
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Dollar General continuously strives to integrate diversity, inclusion and equity into all areas of business because we believe a diverse workforce and an inclusive, equitable environment not only contributes to and helps sustain positive business results and growth, it is also key to our future success.
To learn more about the Company’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts, please click here.