How investing in tech helps Nike deliver world-class HR

The Nike Swoosh is one of the most recognizable logos of the world. A simple illustration, consisting of only two lines. At its most fundamental level, the symbol represents motion and speed, the shape depicting an arc of movement. 

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Today, Nike remains as the leading sports apparel manufacturer with 78,000 employees across the globe. Heading Nike human resources is Monique “Mo” Matheson, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Nike. Inc., who is a 24-year veteran of the company, and is leading the charge in enhancing employee experience during the three major turbulent events of our time - a global pandemic, the Great Resignation that followed, and the return-to-office debate. 

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The Time to be more Nike than ever

During challenging times, Nike’s HR team—led by Monique Matheson—leans into a company-wide mantra:
“This is the time to be more Nike HR than ever.”

It’s this mindset—rooted in a passion for innovation and a relentless winning spirit—that places Nike’s human resources among the most admired globally. But what truly sets them apart? What gives them the confidence to deliver world-class HR with consistent impact?

The answer lies in Nike’s Lean Management Framework—a foundation of forward-thinking HR policies designed to build and sustain an engaged workforce. These include:

• Developing systems to capture accurate HR data and analyze both qualitative and quantitative metrics.
• Assessing supplier HR practices to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth.
• Providing strategic coaching and consultation to enhance supplier HRM systems—especially in talent attraction, development, and engagement.
• Creating tools to measure worker engagement and pinpoint opportunities for meaningful investment.

Matheson’s focus has always been clear: prioritize the employee experience. Whether through HR technology implementation, mapping compelling career paths, leading digital business initiatives, or planning the return-to-office strategy—Nike HR leads with people at the core.

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“One of the best pivots we made to get executive buy-in was making it clear—this investment isn’t just for HR. It’s for the company and our employees, The company’s strong human resource policies that are critical to building an engaged workforce.

How technology helps Nike deliver world-class HR?

Matheson’s strong relationship with Nike’s executive team as well as her strong partnership with Nike’s CEO John Donahoe, allowed her to create a business case and roadmap for Nike human resources technology investments and their potential value. 

When Donanhue joined as company CEO in 2020, he noted the lack of investment in Nike human resources during his initial evaluations of the company's tech infrastructure. Matheson majorly credits Donahue for bringing a fresh perspective to Nike HR tech investment and providing it with the attention it required. 

The company adopted a more inclusive way of thinking about HR technology and investments. In action, this translates to Nike rolling out large-scale, cloud based platforms, alongside smaller-ticket HR tools. This includes tools like Ten Thousand Coffees for career development, Textio for non-biased hiring, Miro for visual collaboration, and Qualtrics to glean insights from its global workforce, among other solutions.

On the fair side, Nike’s employees reacted to this disruptive change with invigoration and positivity, rather than intimidation by HR technology. 
Matheson’s philosophy during such an exciting time for the company? 

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‍The HR Challenges of a Global Brand

Managing a workforce that spans continents, cultures, and generations is no small feat. From scaling talent development to ensuring equity and inclusion, HR leaders face growing pressure to create agile, data-driven, and people-centric workplaces.

For Nike, these challenges are amplified by its rapid growth and global footprint. The need to unify HR processes, improve employee engagement, and drive innovation internally mirrors the expectations they set for their consumers externally.

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‍Let tech work smart, so people can work human.

That philosophy in part reflects a powerful mentality that Korn Ferry’s Dennis Baltzley, who has worked with more than a dozen Nike senior teams in his role as global solution leader for leadership development, sees shining through in three parts at Nike.

The first is what he refers to as the will to win through healthy and fair competition. "Nike has demonstrated the courage and determination to power through extraordinarily disruptive change and deliver," he says.

Second, rather than debating strategy, Nike leaders take responsibility for the challenges that must be addressed. This entails “tackling seemingly insurmountable challenges and interdependencies head-on and taking progress inch by inch.”

Finally, according to Baltzley, Nike leaders drive hard and pivot quickly. “They run the play hard, and if it doesn’t work, they try something new,” he says. “It seems simple but the teams have an extraordinary ability to pivot together in an entirely new direction.”

The Tech Behind the Swoosh: Not Just a Trend, But a Strategy

Nike’s HR evolution isn’t just about following trends—it’s about setting them. By treating employees like their most valuable customers, Nike is proving that a human-centric, tech-enabled HR strategy isn’t just good for people—it’s great for business.

At peopleHum, we believe HR should be just that—human. Our platform is designed to help organizations of all sizes build great employee experiences from hire to retire.

👉Book a Free Demo of peopleHum

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FAQs

1. What is Nike’s approach to human resource management?

Nike follows a people-first approach rooted in innovation, data-driven processes, and Lean Management principles. They prioritize employee engagement, internal development, and tech-enabled HR systems.

2. How does Nike use Lean Management in HR?

Nike applies Lean Management to improve HR efficiency by capturing accurate workforce data, identifying gaps in supplier HRM practices, and creating systems that support continuous engagement and improvement.

3. What role does technology play in Nike's HR strategy?

Nike uses tools like Ten Thousand Coffees, Textio, Qualtrics, and Miro to boost collaboration, enhance inclusion, gather real-time feedback, and enable strategic decision-making across their workforce.

4. Why is Nike’s HR team considered world-class?

Nike’s HR stands out for its commitment to innovation, measurable impact on engagement and DEI, executive alignment, and global workforce empowerment through structured systems and coaching.

5. What are some outcomes of Nike’s HR investments?

Nike has achieved faster onboarding, improved employee engagement, higher diversity in recruitment, and stronger supplier workforce development through targeted HR strategies and tools.

6. What is Nike’s HR mantra during challenging times?

Nike’s HR team operates by the mantra: “This is the time to be more Nike HR than ever,” emphasizing resilience, innovation, and staying true to the brand's core values in workforce management.

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