In November of 2003 Wal-Mart announced the creation of a diversity office to ensure its workers will have the opportunity to advance within the company.

The creation of this department came on the heels of employment related court actions in which "plaintiffs claim the company exerted a bias against women and didn't pay overtime..." It is also under investigation by a federal grand jury about its hiring practices of illegal immigrants.

Charlyn Jarrells Porter has been appointed to lead the diversity office. She is an 11-year Wal-Mart employee who has served as an in-house lawyer and later held a position in the Human Resources department. To further strengthen the position she will report directly to Tom Coughlin, Wal-Mart's number 2 executive.

Porter will coordinate programs to increase the number of qualified candidates, measure progress within the system, and hold managers accountable for the training and promotion of qualified employees.

Wal-Mart employs 1.1 billion people in the U.S. and is the world's largest employer. To reach such a large group, the subject of diversity will be emphasized during company meetings and the company will use video training to bolster the message.