Download the 2025 Report
2026 Carter’s, Inc. All rights reserved.
people
our culture
For nearly 160 years, Carter’s has been a family-first company—from our products to our brands to our employees. We invest in our teams to foster a work environment where our people are respected, valued, and able to see the impact they make.
employee engagement
Our values-driven culture fosters an environment of high employee engagement. It starts with our people, and we are committed to cultivating a positive workplace culture where our employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow. To do this, we regularly gather employee feedback and insights. We also prioritize training, development, and a respectful work environment to help teams thrive while delivering on our purpose to embrace the wonder of childhood and uplift those shaping the future.
field engagement survey
In 2025, we deepened employee engagement efforts through connectivity surveys across our North American retail stores, call centers, and distribution centers, achieving exceptional participation rates averaging 98%. Retail findings indicate a strong and improving workplace culture, with employees highlighting a collaborative, team-oriented environment, effective district-level leadership, and a consistent focus on integrity and high service standards. Targeted pulse surveys and associate relations assessments within our distribution center network focused on previously identified higher-risk areas, and results showed strong progress in organizational culture, teamwork, leadership effectiveness, and communication.
Overall, results reflect a healthy, well-connected workforce with low organizational risk and positive momentum across key engagement drivers.
recruitment
Our recruitment strategy focuses on leveraging technology and strategic partnerships to enhance the candidate experience while driving operational efficiency.
ai-powered recruiting
We continued utilization of our AI-powered virtual assistant, Alicia, to streamline our recruitment process by scheduling over 11,400 interviews in 2025. In 2025, we implemented Alicia to all retail stores across the U.S. and Canada. This expansion has enhanced our hiring process by enabling immediate candidate engagement and reducing the administrative burden on store managers. Early results show improvement in time-to-hire metrics, with locations reporting successful hires completed within minutes of application submission.
tracking our progress
Our investments in recruitment marketing and technology yielded strong results in 2025. By leveraging digital platforms and strategic partnerships, we significantly expanded our talent pipeline while improving operational efficiency in our hiring process. This approach proved particularly valuable for our peak seasonal hiring periods, during which we successfully met all staffing goals across our retail and distribution centers.
Over 15M
impressions via digital recruitment marketing
371,000
applications
completed
Over 15,000
positions filled
partnerships
We expanded our strategic outreach through targeted partnerships that align with our commitment to building a talented workforce across all levels of our organization. Our approach focuses on creating meaningful connections with educational institutions and professional organizations to develop sustainable talent pipelines for our growing business.
partnership highlights
We expanded our strategic outreach through targeted partnerships that align with our commitment to building a talented workforce across all levels of our organization. Our approach focuses on creating meaningful connections with educational institutions and professional organizations to develop sustainable talent pipelines for our growing business.
Continued presence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Atlanta area, including Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University
Continued collaboration with military-focused organizations supporting veteran recruitment
Deepened relationships with local workforce development organizations near our distribution centers
Engaged with alumni networks to tap into experienced professional talent pools
Partnered with National Black MBA Association to host networking and professional development events at our headquarters in Atlanta
career development
Our commitment to investing in people remains central to who we are as an organization. In 2025, we strengthened our focus on employee development. By equipping employees with the tools to navigate their own growth, we are not only enhancing individual performance but also advancing our long-term goal of fostering an engaged workplace culture.
Our development strategy is built on three pillars:
1
Empowering employees to take ownership of their career journey
2
Providing structured pathways for growth
3
Supporting development through multiple learning channels
development pathways & frameworks
In 2025, our professional development pathways aligned leadership behavior with career levels.
LEAD SELF
individual contributor
focused on personal excellence, executes plans, and drives results
LEAD OTHERS
leads individual contributors
develops others to maximize performance and works through a team to deliver results
LEAD LEADERS
leads managers of others
sets vision and communicates strategy to achieve results across multiple layers
Each path offers tailored development opportunities through three segments that build upon each other.
foundation
essential skills and knowledge
enrichment
enhanced professional development opportunities
acceleration
advanced programs for career growth
carter’s signature development programs
In 2025, we continued our core development programs.
accelerated development program
The 12-month program supports both high-potential emerging and advanced leaders in strengthening their leadership skills. Participants take part in assessments, 360° feedback, leadership roundtables, and mentorship and networking opportunities.
field leadership development
These targeted programs for entry- to senior-level retail store and distribution center leaders focus on accelerating leadership capabilities, cultivating succession pipelines, and retaining top talent.
executive development program
This six-month program guides recent college graduates in transitioning from campus life to entry-level corporate roles through hands-on and cross-functional learning experiences.
training & learning
We are committed to supporting our employees’ growth through a variety of learning opportunities across Carter’s. From on-the-job training and development sessions to online courses and leadership programs, employees have access to resources to enhance their skills and career development. These combined efforts contribute to our total training hours, reflecting our dedication to continuous learning at every level.
training & development
0
total training hours
0
training hours per employee
In 2025, we introduced LinkedIn Learning, an enterprise-wide initiative that encourages self-directed development. This hub supports employees in creating learning paths, identifying career goals, and gaining knowledge to become a subject matter expert. Content is suggested to employees based on their experiences and skills listed in their LinkedIn profiles. This has become a widely used tool to advance self-directed, leader-led development and is offered to all office employees and selected roles within our retail store and distribution center environments.
Looking ahead, we will continue to:
- Integrate new development frameworks across the organization
- Enhance learning offerings to align with business needs
- Advance succession planning through targeted development initiatives
- Leverage AI-assisted tools to personalize learning and development