EOP Logo

Equal Opportunity Publications
EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY
Equal Opportunity Cover
WOMAN
ENGINEER
Woman Engineer Cover
MINORITY
ENGINEER
Minority Engineer Cover
CAREERS &
the disABLED
CAREERS & the disABLED Cover
WORKFORCE
DIVERSITY
Workforce Diversity Cover
HISPANIC
CAREER WORLD
Hispanic Career World Cover
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
CAREER WORLD
African-American Career World Cover



CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine, established in 1986, is the nation's first and only career-guidance and recruitment magazine for people with disabilities who are at undergraduate, graduate, or professional levels. Each issue features a special Braille section.

CAREERS & the disABLED has won many awards, including several media "Award of Excellence" acknowledgments from the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.

This magazine reaches people with disabilities nationwide at their home addresses, colleges and universities, and chapters of student and professional organizations through a paid subscription.


CAREERS & the disABLED

» Featured Articles
» Subscription Information
» Reader Survey
» Companies Actively Recruiting

 DHI Program at Toys’R’Us Broadens Candidate Base at Distribution Centers

 
 
Toys“R”Us, Inc. is a leading, dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a varied shopping experience via its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 875 Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 765 international stores and more than 245 licensed stores in 37 countries and jurisdictions.
With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites, including toysrus.com and babiesrus.com, the Wayne, NJ-based company provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. It has an annual workforce of approximately 62,000 employees worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor via programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need.
Jeff Kellan, Toys“R”Us vice president, supply chain operations, is responsible for overseeing global transportation, as well as the firm’s retail and e-commerce distribution center network, where merchandise from manufacturers is processed for delivery to stores and online customers across the country. Kellan manages logistics for the company’s U.S. distribution center network and oversees how its merchandise is acquired, transported and stored along the supply chain.
 
CAREERS & the disABLED
How does Toys“R”Us recruit and attract a diverse workforce?
 
Kellan
Diversity is a core component of our distribution center recruiting and hiring strategy. While we seek individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds, our Differently Abled Hiring Initiative (DHI) - which was started in 2011 in partnership with the National Organization on Disability - is designed specifically to hire individuals with different abilities. This includes men and women with physical or cognitive impairments who may have been previously overlooked for a job because of their differences.
We often work through local agencies to identify candidates who then go through the same hiring assessment and are held to the same standards as the rest of the team. Now we’re proud to say this program is well-established in all of our distribution centers.
 
CAREERS & the disABLED
Why do you feel the DHI initiative is key for Toys“R”Us and its distribution centers?
 
Kellan
An inclusive workforce is not a charitable effort; it’s good business. The individuals we hire via our DHI program greatly value their jobs with us and bring their enthusiasm to work every day. They’ve also proven to be reliable, high performers, modeling exemplary behavior on the team.
 
CAREERS & the disABLED
How has this impacted the greater team?
 
Kellan
We’ve seen first-hand this diversity initiative has helped foster improved team member engagement, communication and commitment. It’s contributed to our employees feeling like they’re part of something bigger than just working at a distribution center. The initiative has also helped us create strong local ties via community outreach and support.
 
CAREERS & the disABLED
How would you describe your distribution center culture? Why are they a great place to work?
 
Kellan
The first word that comes to mind to describe the culture in our distribution centers is collaborative. It really does take a team to accomplish everything we need to do. Every day brings its own challenges, but the people you work with are there to support you and want you to be successful.
Next I would say fun and inspirational. We like to call ourselves “Santa’s Supply Chain” because it’s our job to deliver toys and bring joy to kids all across the U.S.! It doesn’t get much better than that.
 
CAREERS & the disABLED
What qualities and skills do you seek in a new hire?
 
Kellan
We seek individuals who are reliable and enjoy working in a team environment, as well as those who want to contribute to our mission to be the greatest toy and baby product retailer in the world.
 
CAREERS & the disABLED
What’s your best career advice?
 
Kellan
Be customer-centric, while challenging the status quo; seek to continuously improve; and be results-oriented. When applying for a job, don’t just show your previous responsibilities. Highlight your best accomplishments. If you want to become a leader, then it’s important to show a balance of concern for the people around you on a personal level, as well as for their career success. Lastly, I always tell my team to be visionary. Think beyond near-term challenges and solve problems with root-cause solutions.
 
CAREERS & the disABLED
What types of jobs are you seeking to fill?
 
Kellan
We seek talented individuals to join our team and help bring joy to children of all ages. We currently have openings at all levels of our distribution centers from general warehouse workers to department and operations managers. And we’re currently hiring thousands of seasonal workers across the U.S., which can lead to permanent positions after the holidays.
 
CAREERS & the disABLED
Where can our readers find Toys“R”Us job opportunities and apply? How can they connect via social media?
 
Kellan
Interested individuals can learn more and apply online at toysrusinc.com/careers. Or visit our careers social channels on Facebook, facebook.com/Ruscareers, LinkedIn, linkedIn.com/company/toysrus1, and YouTube, youtube.com/RUsCareers, and on Twitter @toysruscareers, twitter.com/toysruscareers, and on Instagram @toysruscareers, instagram.com/ToysrusCareers.
 
» Feedback for the Editor
» Request Article Copy

All Content ©1996- EOP, Inc. Website by: Webscope