Home Depot ‘Warehouse’ – The Internal Social Media

Home Depot is a popular home improvement supplies retail company across the United States and Canada. In Canada alone there are 182 stores and over 27,000 employees. The company stands on eight core values;

1. Taking care of our people.
2. Giving back to our communities.
3. Doing the right thing.
4. Excellent customer service.
5. Creating shareholder value.
6. Building strong relationships.
7. Entrepreneurial spirit.
8. Respect for all people.

With such an extensive number of stores across the country, and an even larger number of employees in numerous departments within the organization, Home Depot was challenged with finding a way to connect their people and find a convenient, efficient, and reliable mode of communication.

As a result, Home Depot Canada developed an internal social media platform to engage their employees and answer several of their core values. This platform, reminiscent of Facebook, is entitled the ‘Warehouse’ and is accessible to all employees (M. Baker has previously worked for the Home Depot Canada, May 28, 2018). Each employee has a profile in which they can include personal information, images, their role within the company, etc. Additionally, each user may join any number of Warehouse groups they wish. These groups may be for each specific store, department, committee, and the like, and allows for employees to filter their Warehouse feeds to information and threads directly applicable to their role within Home Depot. The platform has a rewards system to encourage employees to consistently use the Warehouse for inter-company communication. For every created post, comment or received like a user gets points and levels up their profile. This unlocks badges and creates a playful competitive environment within the platform, encouraging employees to answer questions and participate in the threads.

The Warehouse engages employees in a manner that would previously be almost impossible. Employees in different departments or stores can now discuss and share information on issues that are relevant and pertinent to their specific roles. There is improved access to efficient and precise information available at any time. Employees have increased independence and are better able to help customers.

Lessons for Others

Home Depot’s use of social media for internal communication is the perfect example of using social media outside the realm of marketing or customer engagement. The Warehouse is a platform designed specifically for employees to involve themselves further within the company by providing communication across standard company borders.

If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site, please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Program Director, Social Media for Business Performance.

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