Our customers trust us to care for their pets, and we don’t take that trust lightly. To honor that trust and do our work well, it’s essential we also trust in each other. That’s why we’re dedicated to fostering transparent communication that builds strong connections across our workforce and provides a positive environment for all associates. Here’s what we’re doing to ensure all doors stay open.
Our Open Door Policy
Our open-door policy is a core pillar in our commitment to trust and transparency. We encourage all associates to share their thoughts and voice concerns with the assurance that leadership will welcome all feedback. We actively listen, and we respond with meaningful action, including fully investigating concerns.
We encourage associates to direct questions or concerns to their direct leaders whenever they feel comfortable doing so. At the same time, we provide alternative lines of communication, including CareSmart, a 24-hour third-party service allowing associates to report concerns confidentially and anonymously.
Leadership Training
To ensure we are embracing our open-door policy at all levels, we make training a high priority. Every year, we train leaders about the importance of being approachable, listening to associates and providing meaningful feedback.
This year, when we launched our new voluntary training program SmartBoost for Store Leaders, we dedicated our first collection of courses to Listening. We were happy to see more than 450 program completions.
Sharing News and Gathering Feedback
Transparency and direct communication aren’t just reactive, of course. It’s essential for leaders to share proactively with associates and solicit feedback. We keep associates up to date on information that’s important to their work experience, and we check in regularly to understand how they’re feeling.
Each year, we conduct an enterprise-wide engagement survey, along with periodic pulse surveys. In these surveys, we invite all associates to share their feedback on their experience working at PetSmart. We were happy to reach 78% participation in 2022, exceeding the industry benchmark of 70%.
In addition, our CEO and leadership team have been on an ongoing listening tour, hearing directly from associates across the U.S. and Canada about what they love about Life at PetSmart and what they think we can do to enhance the work experience.
We believe transparency is the best path to maintaining an energizing, rewarding culture. Every day, we strive to earn our associates’ trust and honor their commitment to the important work we all do.
If you have questions you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you! Please email us to let us know your thoughts.
