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.
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.
Fostering an open and welcoming culture
Fostering an open and welcoming culture
Looking ahead, we have launched five refreshed focus areas – Cultural diversity, Gender equity, Indigenous engagement, Accessibility and Pride. This strategy incorporates each of the focus areas ambitious goals that are supported at the executive and board levels and worked towards by all team members
Fostering an open and welcoming culture where everyone feels valued.
Achieving a gender balanced workforce to benefit us all.
Providing more opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, suppliers, customers and communities.
Recognising and enabling people with all kinds of abilities.
Championing LGBTQI+ inclusion in the workplace and beyond.
All together for cultural diversity
All together for cultural diversity
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 positive working culture.
Our cultural diversity focus areas
Our cultural diversity focus areas are aligned to our values.
- Cultural Safety : Improve the cultural safety of the workplace for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) team members so that we actively show care for each other.
- Cultural intelligence : We aim to be a workplace where cultural awareness and understanding is part of how we work. Enabling us to have courageous conversations about cultural diversity that impact our team members and customers.
- Cultural strength : Actively use the value of diversity of skillsets and experiences to build a highly engaged team. Creating for the future by supporting culturally diverse leaders of tomorrow with career pathways.
A commitment to inclusion
With over 1,800 stores 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 unconscious bias training programs.
All together for Gender Equity
All together for Gender Equity
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.
Finding better balance
We’re striving for greater gender balance and our goal is to sustain 40% women, 40% men and 20% unspecified and non-binary gender identities in our leadership population. We've already taken significant steps to acheive this goal, including reaching 40% female representation in leadership roles. We also look to sustain 40/40/20% on the Board.
Championing flexible working
We understand that many people require flexible working arrangements, and we’ve worked hard to mainstream flexible working. 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
All together for Indigenous Engagement
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.
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.
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 Reconciliation Action Plan (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 out more about our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) below.
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 out more about our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) below.
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 submit your Expression of Interest.
For more information or assistance with your application, please email the Indigenous Affairs Team at
IndigenousAffairs@coles.com.au
For more information or assistance with your application, please email the Indigenous Affairs Team at
IndigenousAffairs@coles.com.au
All together for Accessibility
All together for Accessibility
Strength in our differences
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, of which we are still a proud signatory of in 2024. Coles was one of only eleven Australian signatories, and the only Australian retailer in the initial group of 500 workplaces.
We have also recently rated number 1 performer in the Access and Inclusions Index with the Australian Disability Network for 2023. We are also a member of the Australian Disability Network.
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 suits your needs.
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.
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.
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
What our applicants are saying
“I can confidently say that the overall recruitment and selection process was highly accessible. The company's commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity is evident from the moment I applied for my role. July 2023.”
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
“I appreciated how user-friendly the online application system was, and the interview accommodations for people with disabilities were well-thought-out. It's a positive step toward creating an inclusive and diverse workforce.”
Applicant with disability
“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
All together for Pride
All together for Pride
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
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.
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.