Career Compass - Why does Walmart promote so successfully from within?

Many of our executives and CEOs are former store associates. There is a science behind getting someone from cashier-level to executive-level, and the same formulae are available to the rest of the 2.2 million employees. Retail is easily teachable; it involves details, customer service, merchandising and good financing.

What is Career Compass?

Career Compass is a complex compass consisting of overlapping skills, competencies and directions that could gain you skills, credibility and assurance to do your next job. Walmart understands skillsets and competencies better than any other organization I have ever seen. Career Compass aims at narrowing individual capability gaps.

Let’s break it down:

Competencies are like food ingredients. There are various recipes you can make with basic ingredients. Do you watch Gordon Ramsey? (He is my favorite chef!). For example:

Ingredients: Zucchini, onion, pepper, olive oil and pesto.

Potential recipes:      Recipe 1–Zucchini noodles

                                   Recipe 2–Fried zucchini wedges with pesto

                                   Recipe 3–Zucchini blended soup

                                   Recipe 4–Zucchini rice

Competencies: Communications, coordination, collaboration, attention to details, HR knowledge, compliance, labor law, interpersonal skills, behavioral styles and computer skills.

Potential positions:   Position 1–Project Manager in HR

                                   Position 2–Payroll manager

                                   Position 3–Leave coordinator

                                   Position 4–HR generalist

                                   Position 5–Recruiter

Competencies: Knowledge of design programs, graphics and illustration, excellent hand-eye coordination, storyboarding, sketching and a general degree in Visual Communications.

Potential positions:   Position 1–Learning designer

                                   Position 2–Junior graphic designer

                                   Position 3–Internal / external e-newsletter designer

                                   Position 4–Data visualizer (Tableau, SQL)

                                   Position 5–Cartographer

These competencies are enough to get you into any of the positions above. Plus, you might need an additional one or two specialties, but you will have to compete with other candidates. #InterviewSkills

Walmart is big on “Experience-Based Opportunities”. Now that’s huge! This is a very industry-oriented approach. Some of us don’t have those fancy degrees from top universities but, if you have some good solid “area-specific” experience, you will definitely be a top candidate for that area at Walmart.

You can navigate your compass in two forms: “Area-Based” and “Interest-Based”

Area-Based: Let’s say I end up in Talent Development and I love it! My division requires degrees in Adult Education, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. There, I have my compass created for me and I know where I am going to be in the year 2024.

Interest-Based: Let’s say I want to work in our Distribution Centers: DCs are heavily operational with a lot of paperwork and it involves safety compliance. I will have to take my foundation skills (accountability, judgment, communications, collaboration and computer skills) and add to these compliance, asset management and merchandising coordination. There is my compass as a DC operator.

The good news is we have hundreds of intricate career compasses that are already built-in. Hundreds of thousands of people are participating in these developmental programs and are headed towards their next promotion and/or they know what options they have if they decide to pivot.

Remember—always—that you must have a solid performer rating + your manager’s approval to move. So, your attitude will open or close doors for you.

Unique Leadership Compass

Walmart has world-class leadership development programs specifically aimed at Senior Director, Vice President, and higher-up positions to prepare experienced leaders to become tomorrow’s executives. They offer customized learning journeys, immersion experiences and exposure opportunities to drive vertical development for the individual participant. If you pass the assessments and if you qualify, it certainly is a privilege to be included in these customized programs as they groom you to gain officer competencies.

A message to the leaders utilizing Career Compass:

Please do not drop/dismiss valuable candidates if they lack only one competency. Always review your candidates’ profiles as a whole and evaluate their potential. If a candidate has a proven record of good conduct and quick learning, then give them opportunities for promotion and growth.

Action Plans!

Internals: Plan your promotion! Do the basics: share your interest with the managers, look up competency charts, network, find mentors & meet regularly, job-shadow, perhaps have coffee/lunch with successful individuals and learn their perspective, stay up to date with business area-specific trends, learn the lingo.

Externals: My counsel would be to look up as many job descriptions as you can on our career site then break down the competencies, find STAR examples for each one, and plan on improving the ones you are not fully competent yet, network, understand the culture & values of the organization, and create a compelling cover letter.

Lastly, and from the bottom of my heart, I wish you all success in your careers and development. I hope that you will be so good at what you do that leaders will pluck you out and bid over your skills to give you more responsibilities. Choose your organization wisely! Walmart is a great organization and very industry-oriented.

Reach out if you have questions or if I can be of support.

Best wishes,

Lily