Mainstreaming Diversity in the Company
Promoting and managing diversity on topics pertaining to social inclusion represents a great challenge that is faced by many businesses. This Laboratory aims to mainstream diversity management across companies through the development of a handbook, engagement in pilot testing and communication with the European Commission to influence policy initiatives.
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CSR Europe members and Laboratory participants can access additional information in the members' area.
Project Description
This Laboratory focuses on the exchange of best practice and resources among companies with regard to various aspects of diversity (gender, ethnic minorities, disability, age, etc). The ultimate objective is to move toward more inclusive societies, hence, the project will look into mainstreaming experience throughout different countries. It is structured on the basis of management processes across different diversity topics.
Priority processes to be addressed include training, recruitment, work-life balance, professional development (evaluation & mobility), mentoring, remuneration, communication and the impact of diversity on performance.
Objectives
- Sharing of diversity management best practices at the European level (context, key success factors, obstacles and difficulties)
- Exploring the transferability of best practices (between companies; from country to country and the European level, and; cultural and legal differences on diversity)
- Exploring how companies could develop joint concrete activities, through pilot-testing, to leverage diversity at different levels within the company and in collaboration with stakeholders (e.g. within the community, in cooperation with Universities, employment actors...)
Deliverables
- A Brochure for Human Resource managers - this will provide oversight of the different tools and programmes that are available to companies seeking to hire potentially marginalised groups (with a link to a website featuring the updated tools)
- Hosting Local Events in one or several company subsidiaries, aiming at mainstreaming diversity within the company. Hence, the strong and wide-spread demand for a diversity workforce will be made apparent to the public. The first conference is scheduled to be held in Brussels in the last trimester of 2008
Laboratory Leader
Facilitator
IMS Entreprendre pour la Cité in close collaboration with CSR Europe
Company Participants
Companies involved or about to be involved in diversity projects at a European level. Present at the first meetings were: Danone, Total, Sodexho Alliance, Nissan, Starbucks Coffee, Sony Europe, Randstad, BT, Adecco. In our most recent meeting Canon, Toyota, and Suez joined the discussion as well as stakeholders, including the International Union of Food Workers, the European Disability Forum, the International Lesbian and Gay Association, and Focus Consultancy. The group is seeking to expand its geographical coverage.
Contact Information
Emily McReynolds, CSR Europe
+32 (0)2 541 1629
er@csreurope.org
Jan Noterdaeme, on behalf of the European C'homme'Pany for CSR Europe
+32 (0)2 541 16 25-497 48 43 47
jn@csreurope.org
Ann Vandenhende, CSR Europe
+32 (0)2 541 16 14
av@csreurope.org
Milestones - 2008
- 25 January: 5th Lab Meeting, Brussels with a thematic focus on Stakeholder Engagement
- 04 March: High Level Meeting, Brussels - CEOs meeting to discuss their CSR agendas
- 07 March: 6th Lab Meeting, Paris with a thematic focus on Stakeholder Involvement and the Production of Deliverables
- 21 May: 7th Lab Meeting, Brussels with a thematic focus on Communication, internal and external
- 16 June: 8th Lab Meeting, Paris with a thematic focus on Professional Evaluation and Internal Mobility
- 19 June: CSR Europe General Assembly, with Lab Exchange Session - this will be a forum in which to present the progress on the Lab deliverables
- October: First Diversity Employment Conference, to be held in Brussels
- November: CSR Europe "Alliance Assembly" - the presentation and dissemination of the finalised Lab deliverables
Milestones - 2007
- 03 April: Laboratory Launch with core companies
- 19 April: CSR Europe General Assembly, Brussels
- 01 June: 1st Lab Meeting - Broader Group of Participants with a thematic focus on diversity training
- 18 September: 2nd Lab Meeting, Paris with a thematic focus on Work-Life balance
- 19-20 November: Closing Conference, Lisbon of the 2007 Year of Equal Opportunities for All
- 29 November:- CSR Europe - 3rd European MarketPlace on CSR - special session on diversity lab
- 12 December: 4th Lab Meeting, Paris with a thematic focus on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
