Yum! Brands Works Toward Employee Gender Parity

The company is investing in recruiting and training to attract more female employees.

October 10, 2024

Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger Grill, released its latest Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report this week, detailing the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, improve its packaging, and close the gap in employee gender parity.

According to QSR Magazine, Yum!’s fleet of nearly 60,000 locations (98% of which are franchised) now employ roughly one million people. The company said it has set a goal to reach global gender parity in leadership by 2030. In 2023, 44% of global corporate leadership roles were held by women, up from the 2018 baseline of 33%, and 53% of the company’s workforce is comprised of women.

KFC in particular achieved parity between women and men globally across its corporate offices in March, and women now constitute 51% of the company.

To reach its gender parity goal by 2030, “Yum! said it plans to update job listings with information more attractive to women job seekers, including salary ranges and broader qualifications. Then, regarding retention, it will support women in initiatives like women-centered communities of belonging and parent-friendly benefits in the U.S., and also bring women executive leaders together to ‘inspire the next generation of women at Yum! to see themselves in leadership roles,’” QSR Magazine wrote.

In 2023, over 7,100 restaurant general managers and assistant restaurant general managers on six continents completed Leading With Heart through Heartstyles, Yum!’s signature leadership and personal development program, the company said.

Yum! Brands also highlighted its progress in sustainability with commitments to sustainable food sourcing and carbon reduction. According to the company:

  • In 2023, over 70% of Yum!-approved suppliers achieved Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Certification.
  • Yum! sourced over 90% cage-free eggs for the 25,000 restaurants with a 2026 goal.
  • The company endorsed the Antimicrobial Use Stewardship Principles in Poultry, supporting an initiative that includes over 40% of global poultry meat production.
  • Yum! invested in sustainable packaging and infrastructure with Taco Bell expanding its recycling program with TerraCycle beyond its own sauce packets and Habit Burger & Grill reducing paper usage with new takeout bags.