Coles employees celebrating pride with rainbow ball confetti

Diversity and inclusion

A team that's better together

We’re all different, and that’s something we’re proud of at Coles Group. Because we know our differences – from backgrounds to experiences to perspectives – set us apart. And they can also bring us together. 

Being unique reminds us that every customer, team member and supplier we work with is unique too. It inspires us to win together to achieve our goal of sustainably feeding all Australians. Just as we have for over a century, we’re making Coles somewhere everyone feels like they belong. So that we can all live healthier and happier lives.
Careers for everyone
We’re committed to attracting and employing people that represent the communities we work in. At Coles, we support our team members regardless of age, disability, race, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, family responsibilities or cultural background to ensure they feel safe and included at work. 

Throughout the recruitment process, we provide support for candidates to make sure nobody is disadvantaged. If you’re interested in a great career with Coles Group, across any of our brands or functions, we’d love you to apply.
Various Coles team members including Aboriginal peoples and people with disability at work

Our Better Together focus areas

As part of our Better Together strategy, we’ve committed to a number of diversity and inclusion initiatives to be achieved by December 2023. The program includes five key focus areas – Belonging, Gender Equity, Accessibility, Pride (LGBTQI+), and Indigenous Engagement. Each focus area has ambitious goals that are supported at the executive and board levels and worked towards by all team members.
Belonging
Fostering an open and welcoming culture where everyone feels valued.
Gender Equity
Achieving a​​​​​​​ gender balanced workforce to benefit us all.
Indigenous Engagement
Providing more opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, suppliers, customers and communities.
Accessibility
Recognising and enabling people with all kinds of abilities.
Pride
Championing LGBTQI+ inclusion in the workplace and beyond.

All together for Belonging

Two young store team members, one with dark blonde hair and another with brunette hair, sharing a light-hearted moment and engaging in conversation while seated together in the lunchroom.

Fostering an open and welcoming culture

We’re committed to fostering an open and welcoming culture where every team member feels valued. We do this by creating diverse teams, with inclusive leaders, and by driving a truly positive working culture.
Coles team member sitting at a table with a laptop

Flexible working to suit you

Coles is committed to providing genuine flexibility to its team to manage work and personal circumstances. We understand the benefit flexible working provides to both team members and to Coles. Flexible working will be different for each team member, depending on their personal circumstances, the requirements of their role and the needs of the business. Flexible working means having flexibility in how, when or where you work.  Examples of flexible working include:
  • Changing from full-time to part-time work
  • Changes to start or finish times and days of work
  • Job sharing arrangements
  • Hybrid work arrangements​​​​​​​
Three Coles team members in black "pride" polo shirts

A commitment to inclusion

With over 2,500 stores and sites across Australia, our workforce reflects the diversity of our customers and the communities we serve. We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace through our inclusive leadership and initiatives such as unconscious bias training programs.

All together for Gender Equity

Four Coles team members making a "balance" gesture

Working toward gender equity

When it comes to achieving gender equity, we’re always pushing for better. That means taking action on the issues and working toward better representation across our business. 
Coles corporate employees sitting in a meeting

Finding better balance​​​​

We’re striving for greater gender balance and to have a goal of 40% representation of women in leadership positions by 2025. We’ve already taken significant steps to achieve this goal, including reaching 40% female representation in leadership roles.
Coles corporate employees sitting in a hybrid meeting

Championing flexible working 

We understand that many people require flexible working arrangements, and we’ve worked hard to mainstream flexible working (now more than ever). We’re updating our recruitment processes, looking at how we develop talent and challenging role structures to create a working environment that helps all team members to thrive. 

All together for Indigenous Engagement

Aboriginal woman dancing

Our vision​​​​​​​ 

Our vision for reconciliation is to create an environment where Coles and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues, customers and communities can Win Together.

Winning together is a fundamental pillar of the Coles Group strategy and means embracing the vital importance of collaboration, partnership and shared success. It means taking meaningful steps towards an Australia that embraces the rich contributions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples bring, and a future where everyone can thrive.
Aboriginal art work showing a top end map of australia

Reconciliation Action Plan

At Coles, we’re driven by our purpose of helping Australians eat and live better every day, which we extend to First Nations people across the country through the lens of our RAP.

For many years, Coles has been actively invested in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement and we are pleased to have made important achievements in partnership with First Nations communities across the country.


We recognise there is still more to do, and we are committed to enhancing our contributions and our ambitions in this space, guided by the framework of our RAP. 

Find our more about our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) below.
Aboriginal Coles team member in a supermarket

Assistance is available​​​​​​​

We're proud to be one of Australia’s largest private sector employers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and we’re not stopping there. If you’re interested in a rewarding career with Coles Group, across any of our brands or functions, we actively encourage you to register your Expression of Interest.

For more information or assistance with your application, please email the Indigenous Affairs Team at 
​​​​​​​IndigenousAffairs@coles.com.au

All together for Accessibility

Two Coles team members in a supermarket. One of them has a disability.

Strength in our differences

At Coles, we believe in the strength of a vibrant, diverse and inclusive workplace where the backgrounds, perspectives and life experiences of our team members create a great place to work. 

We’re committed to making our products, services, workplace and culture welcoming, accessible and supportive of people with disability.

To support our customers, we're committed to the continued rollout of disability confidence training to our customer facing team members.

​​​​​​​In 2021, we became a signatory to the Valuable 500, a CEO-led global movement for disability inclusion in workplaces. Coles was one of only eleven Australian signatories, and the only Australian retailer in the initial group of 500 workplaces.

Coles Team Member with disability

Making adjustments to support you

During the recruitment process, we know we might need to make some adjustments; including alternative formats to the recruitment process, so we can get to know you in the best possible way. Let us know, we’re happy to accommodate.

Once you join Coles as a team member, if there are changes that need to be made to your workplace or workstation so you can perform at your best, we’ll work with you to develop a solution that works for you.

Need assistance?
To learn about the assistance we can offer during the recruitment process, your potential work environment, 
access features of a location, or if you require alternative formats to our process, you can ask your question to the chatbot in the bottom right hand corner of your screen, or email  InclusionRecruitment@coles.com.au.

If you identify as a person with disability and your preferred method of communication is via phone, please call Customer Care on 1800 061 562. The Customer Care team will take your details and arrange for a return call from a member of the Coles Inclusive Recruitment team.

A coles team member with a disability in a supermarket

No barriers to success​​​​​​​ 

We’ve obtained Disability Confident Recruiter accreditation through the Australian Network on Disability, which highlights our commitment to remove barriers in our recruitment process and to make it more accessible and inclusive for people with disability.

To help you overcome any barriers to working with us, we’ve partnered with Disability Works Australia and MAX Solutions, who have specialist knowledge and help us place motivated people into great positions within Coles Group.


We’re also proud to be part of the Australian Network on Disability ‘Stepping Into’ Internship Program, offering university students valuable business experience to set them up with meaningful careers.

What our applicants are saying

“I really appreciate all the help that your inclusive recruitment team has provided and to hear about the employment partners you work with. This has been incredibly helpful.”
Applicant with disability
“The application process has been fair and Coles seems like the most diverse and friendly company that I have ever applied for. I look forward to seeing where this application goes.”
Applicant with disability
“I would like to take the time to commend your team and what they do, as the Coles Group application has made me feel the most comfortable, expressing my identity freely and lays to rest many anxieties I feel applying to jobs as a young queer person.”
Applicant who identifies as transgender

All together for Pride

Coles team members in Pride outfits marching at Midsumma

Championing inclusion

Championing LGBTQI+ inclusion in the workplace and beyond, our Pride at Coles network connects queer team members and their allies across the country. 

Our Pride network celebrates IDAHOBIT and Wear it Purple, raising awareness and funds for community organisations.

We offer LGBTQI+ awareness and ally training to all team members and have dedicated leadership programs for our Pride network leads. 

Our People policies and team member benefits are gender neutral and inclusive of all team members.
Coles employees take part in the annual Midsumma pride march

Our commitments

We’re proud to be recognised as a Gold Tiered Employer in the 2021 Australian Workplace Equality Awards and active partner with the community. 

Coles is a proud member of ACON’s Welcome Here Project. As a member we agree to support three project commitments:
  • Welcome and include LGBTQI+ people
  • Create positive change in your local community
  • Celebrate LGBTQI+ diversity
Two Coles employees at the Midsumma pride march

We're here to help

We welcome applications from the LGBTQI+ community and we recognise that trans and gender diverse applicants may have specific questions throughout the recruitment process. There’s no obligation to disclose your gender identity, however, if you choose to share this information, we're here to provide advice and support.

To find out how we can assist you, you can ask the Chatbot in the bottom right hand corner of your screen about support for gender diverse applicants.

We’re here to provide you with support and confidential advice throughout the recruitment process. Applicants can contact our Inclusive Recruitment team at inclusionrecruitment@coles.com.au – where you’ll be supported by our Inclusive Recruitment lead.
Coles bush tomato artwork

Acknowledgement of Country


Coles Group acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We recognise their strength and continuing culture and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and recognise their rich cultures and continuing connection to land and waters.