Over the past 10 years, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have been placed at the strategic forefront of many companies, and they have gone beyond the norm by making diversity a fundamental element of competitiveness. We discussed plans and initiatives to continue advancing in relation to DEI with Eva María Trillo, Talent Manager at CORREOS, Carolina Guadiana, C&B and Culture Manager at ALBIA, Eva López, Protocol Manager and Chair of the Equality Committee at Cecabank, Inés Segovia, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at CEPSA, Ana Rodríguez-Bono, Senior Manager Strategy and Transactions at EY, Elena Muñoz, Legal & Compensation Manager and responsible for coordinating the Equality Plan at GRÜNENTHAL, Leire Arlaban, Partner at EY Abogados, Ana Martínez de Orense, Head of Marketing and Communications Iberia at TK ELEVATOR, and Tamara Ayala, Chief Happiness Officer at ATOS.
"Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plans should be part of company strategies and linked to KPIs in order to measure results and establish areas for improvement. As for compliance with quotas, which may be necessary in certain sectors, they should also be linked to meritocracy. In our case, we created TK Talents to identify the talent we have within the company and the talent we need, and both new employees and managers participate in this process. In addition, ESG and DEI are included in our internal communication plan, and everything we do in these areas is also communicated externally", explained Ana Martínez de Orense, Head of Marketing and Communications Iberia at TK ELEVATOR.
"For the DEI plan we have in place a control and monitoring committee for continuous improvement and to raise internal awareness. We work on different aspects and, in order to guide our actions, we have created a DEI index. In addition, we engage in benchmarking and focus groups, enabling us to address diversity and inclusion strategy in the most effective manner. Due to the characteristics of our staff, one of our focal points is the generational diversity plan. In this regard, we run a Young Talents Programme, through which we have an agreement with 86 universities, which allows us to accompany and transmit the knowledge of our professionals to students who, in turn, nourish our organisation with new approaches and knowledge", stated Eva María Trillo, Talent Manager at CORREOS.
"Society is diverse and companies should reflect that diversity, not only to be more inclusive, but also because the differences in each one of the profiles are enriching for the organisation, which helps it not to become extinct. It is not a question of meeting the quota, but of going beyond it, of taking actual steps, included in the strategic plan, to create diverse and inclusive working environments. Our company belongs to a male-dominated sector, which is why gender equality is one of our core areas of diversity. We encourage a balanced ratio of men and women through our Female Talent Project with various actions: Women's Talent Committee, Mentoring Programme...", commented Carolina Guadiana, C&B and Culture Manager of ALBIA.
"It is essential and very necessary that respect and tolerance be part of the company's DNA, not only for its own benefit but also to change society, because together, each of us with our own contribution can enrich and help make something bigger. Companies live and survive thanks to what society does for them, customers choose them or not depending on what they believe they contribute, therefore, DEI can also contribute to a company not losing customers and even from disappearing, because society increasingly demands exemplary behaviour", commented Eva López, Protocol Manager and Chair of the Equality Committee at Cecabank.
"At Atos we find it essential to have a 'Diversity, Equity and Inclusion' strategic plan, which is very useful and necessary to continue to build a diverse, equal and representative community for all employees. Our strategic plan includes the DEI values and each core area is implemented with the participation of people, which enables us to collect quality information and prepare training actions on teamwork, communication or soft skills. It is important to have this DEI map drawn up in order to follow a roadmap with realistic targets and specific actions that can be evaluated and measured in all its core areas. At Atos, being clear about this strategy and values allows us to move in the same direction, for example, we have hired 12 people with disabilities who have been specifically trained to work in the area of cybersecurity, and this work has been undertaken thanks to a cohesive, diverse and highly collaborative team. Strategy and data, without forgetting anyone, are essential for moving forward", said Tamara Ayala, Chief Happiness Officer at ATOS.
"Diversity and inclusion are strategic and measurable assets within the company's DNA, as each action is linked to KPIs that allow us to detect which aspects we need to focus on in order to improve and make further progress. DEI policies are a statement of intent that can have an impact on the business. With regard to gender diversity, we have measures in place to increase the presence of women in under-represented positions, always based on ability and merit. We also conduct a climate survey to assess whether the strategy we are pursuing is indeed having a positive impact on our team members. The results of these surveys serve to define Talent's strategy for the following year", shared Ana Rodríguez-Bono, Senior Manager Strategy and Transactions, and Leire Arlaban, Partner at EY Abogados.
"We run employability programmes in collaboration with Randstad, and we also conduct a DEI survey on the 5 core areas of diversity, and with those inputs we draw up the action plan. In each department we have a DEI Champion who is in charge of implementing the corresponding actions. In our case the DEI is part of the Corporate Communication department, it is very important for these strategies and initiatives to be communicated both within and outside the company. And another key aspect is the conscious management of DEI based on data analytics, as both the quotas and the action plan must be part of a roadmap so that everything that is implemented has an impact on DEI objectives", explained Inés Segovia, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at CEPSA.
Raising awareness is one of the most important and priority actions to ensure that the entire DEI strategy permeates all the people who are part of the Company. This is best done by relying on data, because it gives us a perspective on the situation and helps to elevate the discourse, to make it more real and credible. Through data we can show a reality that needs to change, to move forward on a path where diversity, equity and inclusion are a reality. To achieve this it is necessary to listen to employees and see what is going on, what is needed and what we can do to help them to bring out the best in each of them," concluded Elena Muñoz, Legal & Compensation Manager and responsible for coordinating the Equality Plan at GRÜNENTHAL.
