Founded in 2000, Secrets was built on a single fundamental principle – to be a brand that enabled women to have it all.  We set out to make the impossible possible and to create a business that not only embraced women but celebrated them.  Over 20 years later, we are still holding true to this principle.  90% of our team are proud strong women, with over 71% of them leading our organisation into the future, for it is through empowerment and inclusion that we will achieve our full potential.

The decisions we make today will shape our future, therefore inclusion is not just about making all people feel part of the team, we must embrace the needs, wants and desires of each individual to help them build the career path that they want.  We must also challenge and support those individuals to help them see that everyone can be more, should they want it.  Our teams’ futures are as important as their present, opportunities appear when least expected, and it is our role to present those opportunities to all. 

Throughout our journey we have continued to look beyond our physical workplaces and look to our communities for inspiration and guidance to shape our business.  We embrace cultural diversity as it is through the richness of experience that learning comes – without it we cannot mould our business, and our teams will not be able to succeed as international citizens in the global retail space.  Every day we strive to be better, to do better, and provide a safe and supportive workplace for all.

As we continue our journey, we must keep equality at the forefront of our thoughts and strive to inspire engagement through diversity and inclusion.  Equality is a fundamental human right for all, regardless of gender identity.  For Secrets, the most immediate priority in terms of gender equality is to address imbalances between women and men but also to ensure that gender equality is not positioned exclusively as a 'women's issue'.  Our business was built for women, inspired by women and led by women.  We were an initiator of women’s empowerment.  As we look to the future, we have expanded our viewpoint, and with the United Nations’ Women’s Empowerment Principles as inspiration we have grown and improved our principles to guide us forward.

Our Guiding Principles

1. Establish gender equality in leadership roles

2. Treat every Team Member fairly at work, respect and support human rights, and non-discrimination

3. Ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all women and men in the workplace.

4. Promote training and professional development for all

5. Measure and report on progress to achieve gender equality 

Our Progress So Far

1. Establish gender equality in leadership roles

Guided by our principle of “Make a Statement to the World”, just like our client experiences, we want to show and provide women with the ability to have it all.  Whether it is a beautiful tennis bracelet, a memento to celebrate a moment in their lives, or a career path to Leadership and beyond, our teams are empowered to make it possible.

Women in the workplace

Just like our Brand – helping women to see what’s possible and to have it all, Women play the most significant role in our success, and we pride ourselves on offering opportunity, development, and progression for women in the workplace of all ages and stages of life.  We are committed to an environment free from discrimination that enables women to realise their full potential.

71% of leadership roles are held by women

Women represent 90% of our workforce

Our workforce is comprised of individuals of various ages (15-73 years) and life stages. 

2. Treat every Team Member fairly at work, respect and support human rights, and non-discrimination

Diversity and Inclusivity

At Secrets we believe that diversity of background, life experience and perspective is vital to drive performance, innovation, and positive change.  Our focus is to create a diverse workforce best suited to make our business and people successful.  We foster inclusivity to build a workplace which is safe, supportive, and one which celebrates the differences that make our people uniquely themselves.  By embracing every nationality, gender identity, and culture we are in a stronger position to connect with our customers and communities and build a global business.

We employ people for who they are, their life experiences, and who they can be – we search for the best person to improve and grow Secrets.  Many of our current leaders started their journey as a customer, with no retail experience – we know the best people are so much more than a resume. 

Team Engagement

We are committed to creating exceptional employment and workplace experiences for every member of the Secrets Team.  We know that a highly valued and engaged workforce leads to strong performance, innovation, amazing customer experiences, and business growth.

Happy, content and committed team members stabilise our work force, leading to better employee retention and business performance.

Every leader is empowered to improve engagement.  We pride ourselves on an open dialogue of improvement and betterment, as we drive the success of our company into the future, supported and lead by amazing people.  Every team member has a voice, and we openly welcome all feedback to make Secrets a better company and a better place to be. 

3. Ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all women and men in the workplace

Staying Healthy, Safe and Secure

Every company is accountable for creating and maintaining a healthy, safe and secure work environment for their team members, customers and visitors who interact with their business.  We know that our success is based on the quality and health of our workforce - we are committed to ensuring the physical and mental health, safety and security of everyone who comes to work or visit our business.

As Covid continues to provide an uncertain landscape for businesses and employees, Secrets continues to support the mental health of our teams through a dedicated Employee Assistance Program.  We offer all team members up to 4 free counselling sessions to support their individual needs. 

4. Promote training and professional development for all

Learning and Improving

We are committed to the ongoing development of our people.  This year we are planning to move our Training programmes to an online LMS to provide 24-hour ease of access to all team members across the Secrets network.

Actions:

Our leadership training will be upgraded to include topics of cultural sensitivity and unconscious bias to continue to keep inclusivity at the forefront of our teams and leaders’ minds. 

Our Sales Training will be redeveloped to cater for our growing casual workforce.  Matching the needs of our people to fast and effective training solutions to build skill, confidence and future career opportunities.