Home Depot is rolling out a new policy aimed at bridging the gap between corporate and retail stores. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2024, all Company employees, including senior management and remote employees, will be required to complete an eight-hour shift at one of the Company’s retail stores on a quarterly basis. Bloomberg reported, citing an internal memo from Home Depot CEO Ted Decker.

The aim of this decision is to close the gap between the corporate headquarters and the retail sector. This is intended to ensure that all employees, regardless of their position, understand the challenges and daily operations that store employees face, thereby promoting empathy, better decision-making and a more cohesive company culture.

“We must remain connected to the core of our business so that we truly understand the challenges and opportunities our store associates face every day,” Decker said in the note to employees.

Home Depot, one of the largest retailers in the United States with annual sales of over $150 billion and 450,000 employees, is resuming the practice after suspending it for safety reasons during the pandemic.

For employees, this move provides an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into customer interactions, operational challenges and the physical demands of retail work, potentially improving their management and strategic decisions.

But this mandate is seen as an unconventional move for retailers, particularly given growing labor activism and a recent decline in sales following a surge in consumer spending during the pandemic.

How this policy could backfire

The success of this initiative depends largely on its implementation. If presented as a real opportunity to learn and grow with appropriate support and preparation, it could lead to positive outcomes. However, if this is perceived as a punishment or if the company’s employees are not adequately prepared, it can lead to dissatisfaction or further division within the company.

There are potential risks associated with this policy. Company employees unfamiliar with retail operations may struggle with customer interactions, product knowledge, or service protocols. This could result in temporary inefficiency, errors, or a decline in service quality during their shifts. Consequently, if not managed carefully, there is a possibility that this could have a negative impact on business operations or customer satisfaction.

The effectiveness of the policy will ultimately be determined by the quality of training provided to company employees, the overall acceptance of the initiative within the company culture, and the ability to maintain consistent service standards during these shifts.

DoorDash

DoorDash previously launched a program called WeDash that requires all employees in the US, Canada and Australia, from engineers to CEOs, to make a food delivery once a month. This initiative aims to give employees a deeper understanding of their product, provide insights into the impact of their decisions on Dashers and customers, and maintain customer relationships as the company grows.

The company monitors participation in WeDash and includes it in employee performance evaluations. For those unable to make deliveries, the alternative is to work in customer or merchant chat support.

“When DoorDash was founded in 2013, all employees, including our co-founders, had to know the three sides of our marketplace inside and out in order to work at the lowest level of detail and continue to improve every aspect of our offerings,” said employer Raj Prashad , head of brand and human resources marketing, wrote on the company blog. “Employees ran out – or fulfilled deliveries – and gathered feedback and insights from their own experiences. What started as an all-hands-on-deck approach evolved organically into a structured program over time. By 2015, we formalized this feedback model in WeDash,” he added.

Despite some criticism — particularly from high-earning tech workers who expressed frustration with the mandate — many view it as a positive initiative that promotes empathy and understanding of the core business.

“The WeDash program focuses on our customer-centric mindset and enables us to take action in identifying, understanding and addressing the biggest challenges facing our merchants, Dashers and consumers. It allows us to own the products and logistics infrastructure that underpin our platform, work at the lowest level of detail, and constantly think outside the box as our teams work to solve these challenges. No matter what team you’re on or what city you work in, the common language at DoorDash is cutting edge,” explained Prashad.