Bridging the Communication
(and Safety) Gap

Crate & Barrel: Bridging the Communication (and Safety) Gap

Icon of the design world, Crate & Barrel has a reputation for stylish, high-quality and contemporary furniture, home goods, and decor. Founded in 1962, the company has grown into a global home furnishings brand operating more than 100 retail locations with franchise partners in nine countries, featuring a sleek customer experience and smooth logistics process. The company employs approximately 7,500 people across Crate & Barrel and sister brand CB2, which focuses on contemporary design and urban living, and has an estimated revenue of $2.5 billion.

Crate & Barrel’s Logistics and Distribution segment includes four state-of-the-art distribution centers totaling over 2.5 million square feet, with these hubs handling 300,000 units coming and going each day to support retail, catalog, and internet business channels. Part of their major distribution network includes two key centers located in the suburbs of Chicago not far from the company’s headquarters. These warehouses are the logistical heart of the operation, where speed, efficiency, and safety all depend on clear communication.

Clear Communication Fosters Human Connection

Crate & Barrel “leads with a modern mindset of human connection and purpose.” This philosophy certainly extends to employees where Crate & Barrel desires to invest deeply in their well-being. At the core of connection? Language.

Crate & Barrel faced a growing issue: a communication divide between Spanish-speaking warehouse employees and English-speaking supervisors, leads, and office staff. The disconnect was more than an inconvenience; it presented a potentially dangerous work situation.

Without a shared language, employees were regularly pulling bilingual coworkers off task to translate. This slowed productivity and created confusion. Even worse, it put people at risk. When instructions about machine use, emergency procedures, or even day-to-day warehouse rules aren’t understood, the margin for error is too high.

Crate and Barrel approached Fluency Corp to provide Spanish and English language training for supervisors, leads, and warehouse employees with a clear mission:

  1. Improve English and Spanish language competency
  2. Find ways to improve the process of feedback from supervisor to employee and vice versa
  3. Help leads and supervisors provide accurate, clear instructions so they are easily understood
  4. Increase confidence for non-native speakers

While the focus was on better communication, the outcome Crate & Barrel desired was an increase in safety, efficiency, and upward mobility.

Taking Language Learning to a New Level of Customization

The Main Challenges Facing Fluency Corp at the Outset of the Project

Fluency Corp Custom Designs Language Skills Improvement Training
Design material highly relevant to the communication necessary between supervisors and employees.

Fluency Corp Increases Productivity with Language Skills Improvement
Demonstrate improved productivity.

Fluency Corp Increases Communication between Supervisors and Employees
Encourage and facilitate more honest communication (feedback sessions) between employees and supervisors.

Fluency Corp’s Solution

Fluency Corp doesn’t offer cookie-cutter solutions. We don’t show up with a textbook and hope a few general warehouse terms stick. We build everything from the ground up.

Fluency Corp teamed up with Crate & Barrel to design a 30-hour pilot program for two specific warehouse locations outside Chicago. Before determining program modules, designing curriculum or conducting assessments, we first needed to experience the challenges of the employees for ourselves by immersing our team in their environment.

We started by meeting with the leads and supervisors, and for two hours, we asked a simple question: “What did you say yesterday?” Then, we listened. We captured everything – the instructions, corrections, safety reminders, the real conversations happening on the floor every day.

No off-the-shelf book exists for this kind of training. From this deep dive session, we identified three high-impact communication categories that mattered most for day-to-day operational success:

Safety

Common vocabulary and phrases to prevent accidents and protect everyone on the floor.

Feedback

How to give and receive performance-related communication in a clear and respectful way.

Giving Instruction

Everyday processes, requests, and workflows that keep the warehouse running smoothly.

Once we had captured the raw material, our teachers built out highly practical, scenario-based lessons to help employees confidently navigate these conversations. Classes were capped at 12 people to ensure every learner had time to speak (the number one request learners have while in class is more time to talk!)

This is more than learning English for the sake of learning English. Fluency Corp language training is far beyond checking a box and learning basic language skills. This is an intentionally designed curriculum based on real life communication specific to this job, in this environment, with these machines, tools, and products.

 

It is Communication Designed to Change Lives and Change the Workplace.

Crate & Barrel’s Team Results

The results for the team at Crate & Barrel have been instrumental in fostering growth, employee well-being, and productivity. Consistent feedback and regular communication among different levels of employees are creating a safer work environment and leading to productivity increases. Employees now have the confidence to approach their managers and discuss potential problems and explain on-the-job challenges with great detail, allowing issues to be handled quickly and efficiently.

Ultimately what does this mean for these warehouses outside of Chicago? Employees are able to avoid injury which means fewer missed days of work. Fewer mistakes are being made because instead of being confused, employees go to supervisors to discuss safety concerns or potential issues instead of waiting until they become a real problem.

In fact, Fluency Corp added several exchange classes so lead supervisors or managers could participate in a practice class. We began with prompts and allowed employees to practice talking about common issues or challenges with their managers. This exercise “broke the ice,” leading to greater understanding and confidence, so employees felt they could confidently explain any problems before they became issues on the warehouse floor.

Everyone has moved up one level in fluency. For Crate & Barrel, an investment of 30 hours of highly specific language training means employees not only feel valued but they have a better quality work environment, a high retention rate, and greater rates of upward mobility within the logistics and distribution segment.

One potential challenge for Crate & Barrel was the time investment of their human resources team. Reporting to executives often requires extensive documentation, reporting, and justification for such an investment in employee training. What sets Fluency Corp apart from other language learning programs is that our team handles all of it for you. Fluency Corp places no extra requirements for reporting, feedback, or participation monitoring on internal human resources. Founder Micah Bellieu says, “You tell us about your company, and we’ll do the rest.”

 

The Fluency Corp Model is Repeatable and Comprehensive.

We Can Accommodate Any Challenge Your Company May Have

Shift Schedules?

We’ll make sure every employee who needs it has the opportunity to receive language training.

Reporting?

Every report, assessment, presentation, and progress detail is provided to your team so your executives can look at the data points most important to them.

Crate & Barrel’s Only Complaint?

They wished they had more hours in the week to dedicate to language training, because its impact was so valuable.

Employee Testimonials from Classes

She broke things down for me, and actually having someone who can explain it to me, she understands both English and Spanish, so she gave me different approaches to learning more. Like listening to music for helping me with just hearing the language better. And she was so enthusiastic. When someone loves what they’re doing, it makes me more willing to understand, and it helped me learn.
Brandon Buckner

Spanish Class

Now, when I’m in a safety incident meeting, I’m picking up words from the course, so that’s nice.”
Jordan Lapins

English Class

I feel that each class is different and extremely interesting … (and) … has helped me to not be afraid of people, and feel confident in myself.
Cynthia Escamilla

English Class

It helps connect you with the workers. Unrealistic to think in such a short time we can be fluent, but my goal was to connect with others, and that’s what it allowed me to do. I know talking to bosses can be scary, so the language barrier on top of it that makes it even worse. So now I can connect more. Even saying a few words back, we can have a laugh about it, and they can tell me how to improve. Some of my best friends now are only Spanish speakers.
Daniel Bulgar

Spanish Class

It has helped us with pronunciation and work-related examples. I’ve learned to pronounce some words better. He showed us some examples of verb conjugation, and I have put them into practice when sending emails.
Johana Ibarra

English Class

She makes class enjoyable. She gets into your mind, and makes it as fun as possible. Not just basic class. The fun is what made me want to come every day. There’s going to be laughter, and so we want to come. I knew a little of Spanish before, but the grammar is rough. I needed confidence. That’s one thing I got from the class. Just talk to people! Try and make mistakes and learn and just talk to people. Don’t be afraid and just ask for corrections. It’s helped because I’m trying more.

Safety! It’s just so crucial. Safety is top priority. I have the cheat sheet for safety in my office now.

Tombe Suliman

Spanish Class

Casual conversation. She was very fun. She encouraged learning.
Sherrie Geslak

Spanish Class

My listening has improved a lot, and words to put in use on the floor for everyday use.
Lazarus Tsakiridis

Spanish Class

Yes! My Company has Language Goals.

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