HR Retail Case Study: Signet Jewelers’ Reginald Johnson and Workplace Culture
Reginald (Reggie) Johnson is the SVP, North American Field Human Resources & Chief Diversity Officer for Signet Jewelers, the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry.
Reggie has more than 20 years of legal and employment experience working with multiple Fortune 500 companies and law firms in New Orleans, LA and St. Louis, MO. Reggie has a B.S in mechanical engineering and he received his J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, LA.
Reggie began his corporate career in 2007 with Tyson Foods in Springdale, Arkansas and he moved to the retail business when he joined Family Dollar in Charlotte, NC in 2011. Reggie joined Signet Jewelers in 2017.
Reggie started his journey with Signet as a Vice President in the legal department. His responsibilities in this position included counselling senior leaders on HR and employment related matters, managing litigation, overseeing risk and safety programs, and leading its asset protection team. In his current role, he is responsible for the diversity and inclusion agenda for Signet, field human resources, employee relations, field learning and development, and human resources compliance.
During his career, Reggie has been a counsellor and advisor to executives; successfully managed litigation portfolios for multiple companies; participated on dozens of panels; and regularly provides training in the areas of human resources compliance, workplace investigations, employee relations, and litigation strategies.
Diversity and Inclusion
Naturally given his job title, a big part of Reggie’s mission at Signet is to ensure that a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion permeates the entire organizations. With his background in law and a history of challenging bigotry in all its forms, this role has been a natural fit for Reggie and his team.
"Signet champions diversity, equity and inclusion through our words and deeds,” says Reggie. "We encourage candid conversations about challenging issues such as social injustice and systemic racism. We encourage our team members to bring their full selves to their jobs every day. And we take actions in our workplace and communities that promote acceptance, social justice, and equality.”
To meet this goal, Signet has established a rich network of employee led groups which are dedicated to advancing the diversity of the workforce whilst celebrating acceptance and strengthening inclusive practices. These teams work in tandem to ensure Signet has a rich culture of diversity and acceptance and no employee feels unwelcome, no matter their ethnicity, gender identity, disability status, or sexual orientation.
Asia Pacific Employee Network (APEN): Facilitates and empowers pan Asian and Pacific islander communities and allies.
The Black Employee Network (BEN): A formal network for Black employees, change agents, and allies.
Diamante: Strives to build a workplace that attracts, develops, and empowers Hispanic and Latino team members and their allies.
Signet PRIDE: Promotes policies, visual imagery, words, and behaviors which reflect Signet’s passion for celebrating all lives and all expressions of love.
Transforming Inclusivity, Diversity and Equality (TIDE): Celebrates individual differences and similarities whilst building and developing equitable partnerships.
The Women’s Business Resource Group (WBRG): Committed to empowerment and equitable practices for all women and gender non-conforming communities.
The Veterans Business Resource Group (VBRG): Supports active military and veterans through hiring and community actions.
Signet’s Young Professionals: Empowers team members to be leaders and inspire creativity at all levels.
Reggie has implemented policies and practices which ensure everyone feels welcome at Signet and that their individual stresses and challenges are considered at all levels of executive decision making. These policies have led to an environment where 76% of Signet store leadership and above are women, nearly half of vice presidents and above are also women. 82% of Signet team members represent gender or ethnic diversity. Moreover, the company is advancing ethnic diversity and recently achieved a 44% increase in Black and African American representation at the director and above level.
Signet has also made a commitment to increase BIPOC representation in its support centers by 20% by 2030.
Under Reggie’s leadership, Signet has also recently partnered with Clark Atlanta University to help build a more diverse talent pipeline which leverages the absolute best of our nation’s young people and introduces them to the workforce in the best manner possible.
"Partnering with Clark Atlanta is about more than finding talent. It’s about developing leaders who align with our values,” said Reggie in a blog post. "At Signet, we aim to develop leaders willing to take risks, be innovative and act as change agents in their workplace and communities. Clark Atlanta’s social justice history and commitment to transformative educational experiences aligns with Signet’s commitment to furthering equity, inclusivity, and social change advocacy.”
"Historically Black colleges and universities play an important role in creating a more equitable society for all, empowering future generations through education and broader career opportunities,” he added. "The partnership with Clark Atlanta is Signet’s latest step in building a diverse pipeline of talent from historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic serving institutions.”
Final Thoughts
Under Reggie’s leadership, Signet has become a brand which has an equitable, diverse, and inclusive culture baked into its DNA. If Signet continues along this path, we have no doubt it will continue to find new relevance and success in a rapidly evolving socio-political environment.
You can hear Reggie discussing these ideas and more at HR Retail 2023, being held in April at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront, WA.
Download the agenda today for more information and insights.