Meeting the evolving expectations of customers and employees in an unprecedented economic and social climate is now the new normal for retail—and it demands a significantly more adaptive workforce: one that is digital, data fluent and diverse.

The first step is to define a purpose-driven culture. All employees need to feel welcomed and respected, to know that they can bring their full selves to work, that their voices will be heard and that the business employing them has bold, decisive leaders committed to inclusivity at all levels.

A culture of equality and diversity, where everyone feels they have a chance to advance and thrive, is also a powerful multiplier of innovation and growth. Retailers with a strong sense of purpose demonstrate a clear understanding of what these principles mean in practice.

Purpose is the foundation of the new workforce, but not enough on its own to prepare a retailer for the future. The nature of retail work, where it’s done, how and by whom will also need to be systematically reviewed by answering three questions.

The pace of change in retail will only accelerate. To keep up, retailers need to continually redefine their workforce models and explore new ways to serve the consumer more effectively and efficiently. The ability to adapt to new expectations and new ways of working will be the hallmark of a successful future retail workforce—and that requires bold, proactive leadership.

Leading retailers are showing a way forward with these five steps: