How Aldi is empowering women to inspire leaders

Aldi is piloting a new Women in Leadership programme designed to support female staff as they develop their careers. Feedback from it has already resulted in a new mentoring scheme within the business, empowering women to empower women.

Mairead Cronin, an Aldi area manager in Cork, was involved in the Women in Leadership programme from inception.

She joined the company in 2016, having already built a successful career as an occupational therapist (OT). Though she loved OT she left to find a career that would allow a faster track into management.

“I was looking at various job opportunities and saw an ad for Aldi’s Graduate Area Manager programme,” she explains. “It specified that you didn’t need retail experience and that it was a great option for career changers. So, it proved. “I was able to bring all my transferable skills from OT with me, such as an ability to connect and empathise, and to look at people holistically.

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“Of course in Aldi our primary purpose is to drive sales but to do that you need to build strong relationships, to recognise people’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, and provide them with coaching and development,” she says.

Her work today involves motivating people and setting short-, medium- and long-term targets to help them meet their goals. “That is bread and butter in occupational therapy,” she explains.

Better balance

Since joining Aldi Cronin has had two children.After returning from her first maternity leave, she suggested improvements to this process and worked with a colleague to ensure returning second time around was more streamlined. “It is,” she says, “an example of the value of speaking out, and having a supportive team.”

Aldi is working hard to ensure a gender balance throughout the organisation. The Women in Leadership programme will, once it rolls out nationally, play an important part in that, empowering more women to put themselves forward for senior positions.

The company has already made great progress. “When I joined there were 20 area managers, of which four were women. Now it’s 50-50 in our region,” says Cronin.

She has enormous ambition for her own career and is keen, at some stage, to develop her skills in relation to CSR (corporate and social responsibility) and sustainability within Aldi.

Whichever route her career takes her, a healthy work life balance is important.

“As area managers we manage our own diaries and our own time. If I need to work after putting the kids to bed or leave early for an appointment, that’s fine. You are given a lot of trust and autonomy and in return, that builds loyalty,” she says.

Empowering women

Aldi’s Women in Leadership Programme, which was led by external experts, started with focus groups asking participants to identify what they felt was stopping them from making it to leadership positions. From there the conversation moved to identifying leadership behaviours and attitudes.

“It helped you develop your leadership style, building confidence. I learned I needed to be more vocal and to not downplay my skills and strengths. We also learned how to use our influence for positive change,” says Cronin.

“The biggest thing that came out of the pilot was the introduction of mentorships. The aim of the whole programme is to encourage women to just go for it, to have that belief in yourself. To not be afraid to reach out for support and to build your networks so that you have the connections that will support you. It’s like the colleague I worked with for my second maternity leave – she had my back,” she explains.

“Also, use your voice. In a team situation, don’t be afraid to give your suggestions.”

Cronin’s career may have changed since her time as an occupational therapist, but what drove her then still drives her now: “I get so much satisfaction from seeing people develop and promoting people, I love that,” she says.

What did other women involved in Aldi’s Women in Leadership programme learn?

Denise O’Meara store manager Aldi Ballincollig, cork city, relays her experience

“I joined Aldi in 2012. Before that I had been running convenience stores. What I love about Aldi is the pace. I’m a fast-moving person, always forward planning, always two or three things on the go. Any slower than that doesn’t suit me. In store I’m already thinking about Easter. For my career I’d always be looking at the next step on the ladder. There’s a clear path in Aldi and I’m not someone who is afraid to put themselves forward.

One of the reasons I’m delighted to be involved in developing the Women in Leadership pilot is to make sure other women with potential for leadership have the confidence to put themselves forward too, so that we get the right applicants for the job, regardless of gender.

We want to change the mindset so that everybody in the organisation is able to spot when people have leadership talent but are not putting themselves forward. To see Aldi put so much work into this pilot, into getting it right and having our voices heard before it becomes a programme, is really great.”

Elaine Mullins assistant store manager Aldi Ballyphehane, Cork city, talks about the lessons she learned

I joined Aldi in 2014 as a store assistant. I worked in childcare but left because of the poor pay. Aldi is great for career changers, you get all the training you need to do the job. It’s why we have such a variety of people from diverse backgrounds, which is what we need because it brings different ways of thinking, different talents, skills and problem solving.

The Women in Leadership programme started with a focus group which I volunteered for. One result has been the establishment of a mentor programme for women but even before we got to that stage it was a fascinating process. We discussed what a leader is, what makes a good one and how to be one, knowledge that will stand to me throughout my life.

We did insights profiles looking at our own leadership style, and how our behaviours and personalities inform our leadership style and those of others. We learned how to work better with people of all kinds of personalities and in different situations.

I’m very ambitious. The big focus of the programme was identifying the barriers that women experience to moving into senior management positions and everyone’s barriers are different.

The mentor programme will help. My mentee might, for example, not currently be looking for career progression but may feel the need to communicate with people better. I can use my experience to say “here’s what I do.” It’s not about training, it’s about passing your knowledge on in a way that empowers the person. I love that word ‘empower’ because when you’re empowered, you can do so.”

Find out more about diversity and inclusion in Aldi here