i4cp research has consistently linked healthy culture to positive business outcomes, and we know that myriad HR practices contribute to culture health. Whether defining, maintaining or measuring culture, one practice that stands out as an X factor is having robust employee listening approaches in place.
In this dynamic, interactive session we will delve into a truly remarkable example of listening at scale, led by Costco’s Chief Diversity Officer, Alison Francis.
Dubbed Costco Connects: Employees Talk. Leaders Listen, this initiative involved listening in real time to roughly 144,000 Costco employees. Join us to:
- Hear how Costco managed to accomplish such a large scale listening experience,
- Key learnings and takeaways from the initiative
- Meet, network with, and hear from other Seattle-area human capital leaders
About Alison Francis
Chief Diversity Office at Costco
Alison Francis began her career with Costco in 1997. During her tenure with Costco she has worked in numerous management positions. Early on in her career Alison attended Oakwood University, where she studied Marketing, in addition to this she minored in English with a writing emphasis. In 2003 after leaving Oakwood University she relocated to Virginia and became the Membership/Marketing Manager in Chantilly, Virginia. Alison was promoted to General Manager in 2012 and remained in that role for eight years. In January of 2020, Alison began pursuing her Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management with an emphasis in Diversity and Inclusion at Georgetown University. Alison completed her Master’s degree in December of 2021. Shortly after finishing her degree Alison was promoted to AVP, Chief Diversity Officer and in October of 2022 Alison was promoted to VP, Chief Diversity Officer. In 2024, Alison completed the Executive Leadership Program at Seattle University’s Albers School of Business. Over the last two years Alison has focused her efforts on launching Costco’s global DEI strategy, launching a diversity talent management dashboard in operations and advancing initiatives to support the company’s diverse group of employees. She has a passion for people and believes that the foundation for Inclusion starts with being proximate to people from all backgrounds and experiences.