If recent business trends reveal anything, mandates are becoming the norm. From Jamie Dimon’s push for a return to the office to Amazon’s and Walmart’s five-day mandates signaling an end to remote work being a standard workplace staple, many companies are making bold moves. Yet, a common thread in these mandates is a renewed focus and attempt at one thing: strengthening workplace culture. In an era where businesses have to reimagine how they operate—especially in sectors like retail and restaurants—Home Depot has joined the fray.
Retail is one of the most stressful industries, with frontline workers constantly dealing with customer demands and other factors affecting their mental and emotional psyches. Recognizing this, Home Depot recently announced that corporate staff will work an 8-hour store shift once every quarter. This policy, revealed in a memo shared on Bloomberg by CEO Ted Decker, reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to its core values, which were set by co-founders Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank in 1978.
One of the core pillars Marcus and Blank emphasized in their book Built from Scratch was creating a customer-centric culture. Corporate employees and senior management working store shifts is not a new concept—it’s deeply embedded in the company’s DNA as the founders often worked on the floor to keep up with what was happening and stay connected to the customer experience. A spokesperson told Quartz, “Home Depot has a long tradition of having employees spend time in stores, and this program is just an extension of that.” So, whether your company needs a cultural overhaul or just a refinement, CEOs can glean two important lessons from Home Depot’s latest initiative.
Close The Gap Between Corporate and Frontline
In many industries, especially retail, there’s often a significant divide between corporate teams and frontline workers that continually expands over the years. Decker’s memo highlights the need to bridge this gap, allowing “white-collar employees to truly understand the challenges and opportunities our store associates face every day.” Whether it’s a Starbucks barista overwhelmed by mobile orders or Home Depot associates managing emotionally charged customer demands, this disconnect can erode employee morale, engagement, and performance, ultimately impacting the bottom line and employee well-being.
By requiring corporate staff to work in stores, Home Depot is increasing its odds of closing this divide by creating greater empathy and improving organizational decision-making on big ideas and issues. Corporate employees who better understand the realities of frontline work can develop policies that better align with actual on-the-ground needs. This alignment can strengthen culture, improve retention, and make employees feel more connected (and valued) to the company’s mission.
Embrace Hands-On Leadership
Marcus and Blank were clear in Built from Scratch: leaders should avoid retreating into an ivory tower. Hands-on leadership is necessary, where executives and other leaders understand the operations from the ground up. It’s not just about gaining practical knowledge—it’s about building camaraderie, cultivating higher levels of competence, and ultimately making better-informed decisions. By having corporate employees participate in store shifts, they can develop a firsthand understanding of customer needs and frontline challenges.
Decker’s decision to mandate store shifts is more than just a nod to Home Depot’s origins—it’s a recognition that the company’s long-term success hinges on its ability to stay connected to what made it great in the first place: knowledgeable, excellent, and accessible customer service from the top down. As companies grow, it’s easy to lose sight of foundational principles. However, Home Depot’s policy reinforces a core belief and reminder to leaders: to thrive and continue to win long-term, an organization must stay grounded, united, and aligned with its original vision.