Naturally committed to diversity and inclusion

“In 2019, we asked all our stakeholders to find out how ADEO positively impacts the world”, explains Ophélie Leboucher, ADEO Diversity and Inclusion Leader. “Diversity and inclusion
emerged as an area of concern. A topic that is already at the heart of our company, built upon real human values, but that now becomes a strategic issue”.

A global initiative

For some years now, diversity and inclusion are issues that are already addressed at a local level. “We are not starting from scratch, far from it!”. Implementing a global initiative, means giving more visibility to local actions and amplifying them. “We have chosen to focus on two priorities for all the BUs: gender parity and disability, because these issues are universal and topical in all the countries where we operate and because they have been identified as high-priority in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), to which we are signatories. Each BU is also expected to work on any local initiatives that make sense to them culturally.”, explains Ophélie. As such, all the BUs should, by 2024, have as part of their teams, 40% of female leaders and site managers, and reach the legal quotas in their countries in terms of integrating people with disabilities (or be in constant progression by 10% per year when these quotas have already been achieved or where none exist). This is a topic of capital importance for ADEO, and each BU has nominated a Diversity and Inclusion referent who monitors the progress of the initiative with the help of a ‘diversity’ indicator.

Special support

To enable ADEO to fulfil these ambitious objectives, to begin with, ADEO signed the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles and joined the Global Business and Disability Network of the ILO. But it doesn’t stop there, “We also provide, for example, a grid for calculating equal pay and are working on other issues such as parenthood, which impacts the professional development of women”.

A diversity diagnosis has also been launched with 3 ADEO pilot companies, to review practices, processes and HR and managerial tools and to establish action plans.

“We need to make a real cultural change, which is why, through to the end of year, we are offering two training modules to our 150,000 employees with the aim of raising awareness around the topic of diversity and inclusion, and the role we each play in this transformation. Another module will be made available over the period to address inclusive behaviours. This will stem from the work we are currently doing with more than 700 employees to co-build the ADEO Charter for Inclusive Behaviour”. This Charter will be presented on 13 December at the same time as the announcement of the winners of the “Get Involved Awards”, an internal challenge that rewards the best initiatives in terms of diversity and inclusion. No doubt about it, in just one year, ADEO has really stepped up the pace!”.

Monitored commitments.
100% of our teams and suppliers have access to Whispli, a free and protected channel for reporting any non-compliant behaviour. And of course, the Diversity and Inclusion referents are also available to listen.