Case Study: Meijer
Scale Meijer family values through leadership transition and company growth
70,000 Team Members
246 Store Locations
The Opportunity
- Create a shift in leadership away from a more traditional management approach towards caring for people, in alignment with established Meijer values and commitment to culture
- Improve retention of both front-line team members as well as leaders
- Align leadership development programs with Meijer's critical focus on customer service, focusing on key skills to include listening, behavior tendencies, and emotional intelligence
Our Approach
Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute first conducted senior leader interviews and participated in ride-alongs with Meijer Market Directors each responsible for specific geographic terrorities. Leveraging knowledge and insights from the business, the first event was a two-day Inspire course for 45 Regional Vice Presidents and Market Directors that directly serve 70,000 team members. After the success of the first event, Meijer implemented:
- Three-course leadership curricula for all executive leaders (Vice President through Director level) across the organization. Each course - Inspire, Relate, and Connect - is two days in length.
- Two-day Relate course for front-line leaders - Team and Line Leaders, Managers, and Supervisors - across the organization.
- Sustainment programs and practical application for each of the courses delivered
- Employee Focus Groups with key team members to pulse-check progress
- Train the Trainer for Meijer Talent Development team members to scale impact
The Result
- 25% decrease in total store turnover since 2017
- Deeper leadership bench to support company growth in existing and new markets
- Culture Sustainable Engagement Survey Results:
- 6% increase: “I see leaders across Meijer as caring about the well-being of team members”
- 4% increase: “Meijer supports and is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment”
My partnership with Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute has been the most productive and impactful I've experienced in my career. They have been right alongside us every step of the way as we've journeyed to continue investing in our people.Benjamin Alt
Senior Manager, Talent Development