Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s company-wide mantra “People First” implies exactly that. We are a results-oriented team made up of more than 21,000 of the most talented retail associates around the globe, and we respect all individuals for their unique contributions.
As a values-based business, we rely on our associates to lead and make an impact every day. We cannot succeed without them—from the people working in our stores, to our corporate offices, to our factory floors. Our mission is to enhance the quality of people’s lives at home, and we apply that approach to our own family of brands. We focus on creating meaningful connections between brands, teams and those we serve, and we’re grateful for associates who put people at the center of everything they do. A common set of beliefs guide the way we do business:
Focus on the Customer
Our customer is at the center of everything we do. Our business success hinges on our ability to anticipate and meet the needs of our customers around the world by offering high-quality products and world-class customer service.
Driven to Win
We pursue our goals with a purpose and a sense of urgency, and we are accountable to our teams and ourselves for delivering superior results. Don’t let our casual style fool you. We mean business.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Our constant curiosity around providing solutions for our customers’ evolving lifestyles, improving on our great ideas and developing more efficient ways of working drives us to take calculated risks and launch new ideas that benefit our business and our stakeholders.
Inclusiveness
We firmly believe that workplace diversity and a culture of inclusion help to spur innovation, create healthy and high-performing teams, and deliver a retail experience that will continue to surprise and delight our customers. We honor and invest in the diversity of people, thought, experience, culture and style in the hiring, recruiting and development of associates across all company functions.
Celebrate Success
We take pride in our associates and the success they strive for every day. Whether celebrating service anniversaries, honoring heroic customer service or recognizing extraordinary achievements, the dedication and outstanding results of our associates are rewarded and acknowledged through a variety of programs at every level of the organization.
Continuous Improvement
Our goal is to build the strongest team in retail, which means we are consistently up-skilling associates throughout the organization. We offer hundreds of learning and development opportunities through our Talent Development department, mentorships, cross-brand assignments and other programs that build critical business skills, transform knowledge into action and shape our associates’ career paths.
Associate Attraction, Development & Retention
We help our associates create the career they envision for themselves through continued learning, cross-brand opportunities, leadership programs and advisor relationships. With eight brands and multiple locations across the U.S., full-time, part-time and seasonal positions, there’s opportunity everywhere, from Customer Care to Transportation & Logistics, Furniture Manufacturing, Retail and Corporate positions.
Training & Career Development
More than just a job, working with Williams-Sonoma, Inc. gives associates the tools to succeed, learn new skills and develop in their careers. Store associates engage in both onboarding and on-the-job training, including unconscious bias training for managers, and coaching in company-wide sustainability initiatives such as landfill diversion and responsible materials and finishes.
Associate training begins with learning our company’s core values. When they join our team, associates understand how their everyday actions make an impact. This includes learning about our corporate sustainability initiatives, such as Pottery Barn’s 3 million trees commitment to plant a tree for each piece of indoor wood furniture sold.
In-person and online learning opportunities are offered through WSI University, our associate training program. Other programs develop talent and supply associates with new skills, such as the cross-brand Design Crew at Pottery Barn, West Elm, Williams Sonoma and Rejuvenation. Design Crew associates undergo training in design essentials and room planning, developing valuable expertise while providing an accessible resource to customers.
Associate Engagement & Wellbeing
We conduct an annual Associate Opinion Survey to directly engage and collect feedback from our associates, which we then use to improve the experience of our teams. Our human resources department maintains an open-door policy for associates to report concerns, and we provide an anonymous reporting hotline, available in multiple languages and managed by an independent company not affiliated with Williams-Sonoma, Inc. We strive to deliver a workplace experience where the quality of our engagement with fellow associates, business partners and customers matches the quality of the products and services we bring to the marketplace.
Associate Benefits
Our corporate vision—to enhance our customers’ quality of life at home—extends to the lives of our associates. To that end, we offer a benefits package designed to put our associates’ health and well-being, and that of their families, at the forefront. Depending on position and location, associates may be eligible for:
- 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities
- Paid vacations, holidays and other time-off programs
- Health, dental and vision insurance
- Health and dependent care tax-free spending accounts
- Medical, family and bereavement leave
- Maternity/primary caregiver benefits (12 weeks of paid time off after the birth or adoption of a child under the age of 18 for primary caregivers, with 4 weeks of paid time off for secondary caregivers)
- Mothers’ rooms and on-site showers
- Transgender-inclusive services
- Tax-free commuter benefits
- Bike-share program
- Company-sponsored walks and runs
- Wellness program including telehealth services
- Time off to volunteer and matching donations to qualifying nonprofit organizations
Moreover, our company benefits align with our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by offering benefits for those who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. WSI expanded our benefit offerings to include coverage for transgender-inclusive services, including gender confirmation surgery and hormone therapy. We also offer 12 weeks of paid time off after the birth or adoption of a child under the age of 18 for primary caregivers, with 4 weeks of paid time off for secondary caregivers.
Advocates for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Associates are expected to treat everyone with respect while learning about other cultures and traditions. We established Associate Equity Network Groups to create safe spaces for associates to share experiences, seek support and learn from each other. Our Associate Equity Network Groups include:
- Black Associate Network
- Veterans Appreciation Group
- An LGBTQ+ Group Affiliation called “VOICES”
- Hispanic Heritage Group
- Asian American Pacific Islander Network
- Disability, Education & Advocacy Network
Ambassadors of these programs are instrumental in organizing celebrations for Diwali, Pride and Veteran’s Day, as well as annual company-wide volunteering for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
In June 2020, we formed an Equity Action Committee and launched an Equity Action Plan outlining a set of actions we committed to in the fight for racial justice and equality. Learn more about our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives here.
Gender Equality
We welcome all, and our business reflects our commitment to equality. We are proud that more than 50% of senior leadership across our enterprise is female. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is committed to an ongoing process of developing new and additional company-wide initiatives to benefit our associates, and we review and report on our progress to our stakeholders on an annual basis.
Joining a Community Cause
We provide eight hours of paid Community Involvement Time for associates each year. Associates choose where to devote their time, with efforts ranging from school renovations to habitat restoration. Teams are also encouraged to organize events and donate to causes they care about. Through volunteering and community outreach, WSI gives back to the communities where we work and has donated millions of dollars in corporate, customer and associate donations.
