If you’re one of those people with an irrational but nonetheless bone-deep hatred of Wal-Mart, then don’t read this Top 10 list.
Because it’ll only hyperstimulate that reflexive foaming at the mouth and dyspeptic rage that bubbles up inside of you whenever the company’s name is mentioned—and particularly when what’s being said about the employer of 2.1 million people is positive.
For the rest of us, this list of Wal-Mart’s Top 10 Sustainability Initiatives provides some valuable and inspiring insights into how one of the world’s most influential corporations is marshalling its resources to combat hunger around the world, reduce waste, lower fuel consumption, train many thousands of students for careers in retail, and generally improve the quality of life in the communities in which Wal-Mart operates.
Under the leadership of CEO Mike Duke, Wal-Mart has combined its sustainability, social, and environmental initiatives under the broader heading of “global responsibility,” and the company recently reviewed those efforts in a richly detailed Global Responsibility Report. (To see the full PDF, go to that link, scroll to the bottom of the page, and under the heading of “Sustainability” you’ll see a PDF icon for “2011 Global Responsibility Report”.)
That report begins with a letter from Duke offering an overview of the company’s philosophies and goals as well as some of its achievements, and it is from Duke’s letter that I’ve extracted this Top 10 list.
Walmart is opening a new store in Durham in October, and is looking to hire 200 people. The world's largest retailer last week opened a temporary hiring center nearby to process applicants and conduct interviews over six weeks.
The competition is intense. Some openings have attracted 300 to 400 applicants, said Randy Peery, the manager of the planned store. Thousands are expected to apply for jobs ranging from hourly overnight shifts to day slot supervisors in such departments as produce, electronics and clothing.
"We're getting a lot more at the site than we have in times past," Peery said, noting the uptick in white-collar candidates. "They may be thinking they can find something to get them through (hard times). They may be our future managers."
For long stretches, more than a dozen people crowded the small waiting area at Walmart's rented office suite. Hundreds more applied online.
Applicants sat at computer banks, typing their life summaries into an electronic database. Job seekers disappeared quietly into side rooms for their interviews. Energetic Walmart staffers buzzed about, directing people here and there.
The spectrum of applicants spanned baggy shorts and T-shirts to crisp khakis and trim polo shirts. All have similar stories about countless resumes sent into a black hole, few job leads and diminishing hopes.
Travis Cheek arrived before lunch, his presentation oft-rehearsed to prove his worthiness. With a master's degree in divinity, and two years doing missionary work in Central Asia, he says he has optimal people skills that translate into customer service and good management.
"For me, it's a good way to expand and develop my leadership skills," he said.
Cheek, 29, is keen on Walmart's management track, even as he continues looking for jobs as a youth pastor or other mission-type work locally.
He hopes to get married and established in the area before one day resuming foreign mission work.
"I'm looking for a job that pays," he said. "There are just limited options."
Darius Robinson, 43, would take a midnight shift and work his way up. He's a teacher's assistant in Durham Public Schools with a degree in criminal justice from N.C. Central University. He's been substitute teaching since getting laid off two years ago from a job in pharmaceutical sales.
"The ultimate goal is to have a stable career, to provide for the family and prepare for retirement," Robinson said.
"Retail is not the route that I thought that my career would go into," he added. "But in today's society ... "
He trailed off, his gist self-evident.
Walmart typically requires three job interviews before a candidate gets an offer. An associate's job pays $11.24 an hour on average, Peery said, and basic requirements are not complicated.
"We're looking for availability - can they work when we need them?" Peery said. "We're looking at their charisma - are they friendly?
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