Workforce Diversity

REI considers diversity in our workforce a vital pursuit for simple but important reasons. By seeking and considering employees from diverse talent pools, we'll benefit from their fresh ideas, new perspectives and innovative approaches.

We believe we will service our customers the best by having a staff that creates the most welcoming environment for our current and future customers. This means having employees who are representative of the customers themselves and who provide excellent, expert service through personal connection.

REI dedicates significant time and staff resources to ensure our work environment is inclusive and welcoming for all employees. We provide training for employees at all levels, and we reinforce positive behaviors and emphasize respect for all individuals. Our recruiters for all job types are working with non-traditional recruiting sources for prospective job candidates of diverse backgrounds, and we keep looking for new sources. All of our retail districts have diversity/inclusion plans designed to build relationships with new local organizations and therefore attract a more diverse workforce and customer base.

As the face of America continues to evolve, we are committed to ensuring that our employees are representative of the growing communities of people who share or will share our appreciation for the outdoors.

Community Outreach

We are investing substantial time and resources in outreach to local groups that may have not yet connected with outdoor recreation. We're taking inner city kids on mountain bike rides and introducing novice adults to basic camping. We're putting together trail projects and inviting the whole neighborhood. We're providing grants so that specially-abled people can enjoy outdoor recreation through trained guides and customized equipment. By introducing ourselves to new groups, we're paving the way for a future of outdoor recreationists and environmental stewards.

Employee Programs

All new retail supervisors receive inclusion training as part of our management training program. Corporate staff also receive instruction on diversity at REI. Training is simply the first step in the right direction. REI employees are asked to use the concepts from training and apply them daily, reinforce them, and make inclusion a shared value and expectation.

REI was one of the first companies to extend health benefits to same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners. We continually evaluate our policies to make sure we're serving our employees appropriately through innovative and evolved policies and programs that create and enhance our employees' satisfaction.

We've seen signs of success in our efforts, but our commitment and momentum won't let us rest. Instead, we'll keep working to guide the outdoor industry toward a more diverse future and to create the best work and store environments, demonstrating our core collective value of respect for all individuals.

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I'm proud to work for REI because its approach to the world is the same as mine. REI is a compassionate company, and it is the most tolerant place I've ever worked. — Heidi B.