Walmart HR head says 'nobody' will want to hire employees who 'bring the problem, never the...'

Walmart chief people officer Donna Morris, 57, has overseen the employee experience of over 2 million employees at the company since 2020. (Image credit: Unsplash, Walmart)

Donna Morris, executive vice president and HR head at Walmart, has issued a blunt warning to job seekers: negativity in the workplace is a major red flag.

In an interview with CNBC Make It, Morris said that employees who consistently bring problems without offering solutions—commonly referred to as “Debbie Downers”—are unlikely to thrive professionally. “Nobody wants [to hire] a Debbie Downer,” she said. “They’re constantly negative… they bring the problem, never the solution.”

Morris, 57, has overseen the employee experience of over 2 million Walmart workers since 2020. Prior to joining the retail giant, she spent nearly two decades at Adobe in senior leadership roles. Her comments reflect a broader shift in corporate culture that values proactive problem-solving and collaborative thinking.

A “Debbie Downer,” she explained, is not just pessimistic but often obstructive—dismissing ideas, resisting change, and discouraging colleagues from pursuing new opportunities. This behaviour can erode trust and limit career growth.

Morris, however, cautioned against toxic positivity. “It’s unnatural and unrealistic for someone to be happy all the time,” she said, adding that persistent negativity may signal a deeper mismatch between the employee and their role or company.

To get ahead, Morris recommends reliability and initiative. “You’re better to deliver early than to deliver late, and you’re better to deliver more than less,” she said. “Another green flag is they’re open to opportunities, and they put their hand up to take on more.... Or they bring a problem with the remedy or request help in a timely manner, as opposed to the house is on fire.”