Everyone is Welcome at Tesco
As diversity mean different things to different people, Everyone is Welcome is the name we give to our diversity work at Tesco - using simple language that means something to our staff.
Earning the lifetime loyalty of our customers is Tesco's core purpose. This is supported by our Customer and People Values. Everyone Welcome is driven by the value look after our staff so they can look after our customers. In addition to this we have four People Promises which our staff consistently tell us they want. Two of these - I am treated with respect and I have the oppportunity to get on - form the basis for our diversity work.
Aims
Our aim is for our workforce to mirror the local communities that we serve at every level within the organisation so we serve our customers better. To achieve this we want to make sure everyone in Tesco feels they are treated with respect and that they are able to meet their full potential regardless of their age, gender, disability, ethnicity or sexual orientation. We also believe that inclusivity goes hand in hand with diversity therefore we work hard to ensure everyone is included, not just under-represented groups.
Training
To help our managers to manage with confidence an increasingly diverse workforce we are providing a suite of Everyone is Welcome at Tesco Workshops. To date all 20,000 of our line managers in stores have taken part in the introductory Everyone is Welcome at Tesco Workshop and the first of our specialist workshops - Managing Age with Confidence. Our Managing Ethnicity with Confidence Workshop is available to Personnel Managers. By the end of 2007 all managers will have completed the Managing Disability with Confidence Workshop, with plans to provide workshops on gender and sexual orientation in 2008/09.
Our new staff induction also includes training on Everyone is Welcome at Tesco.
Tools
We provide many tools for our workforce to help build knowledge and understanding of different areas of diversity.
To help welcome staff and customers of different faiths and cultures we provide staff with a religions toolkit which enables them to understand and support people from all backgrounds and faiths through information on diet, prayer, dress and suggestions on how to support staff during festivals. This year the religions toolkit has been updated to include similar information on different cultures and countries our staff and customers come from including Poland, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia and the Carribean.
We provide managers with a support pack at Ramadan which helps them understand how to support staff and customers better during this time of fasting for Muslims.
Communications
We promote the Everyone Welcome message internally through our Company One Team magazine which features 2 pages of diversity related case studies, success stories, news and updates every 2 months. We also communicate and raise awareness internally through sharing information about different religious and cultural festivals on posters and table talkers in our stores, distribution centres and offices.
We regularly feature case studies of our staff in a number of external diversity publications including International Women's Month, Black History Month and Mela magazine. These are free publications which are distributed to colleges, universities, libraries and community groups.
Sharing a Smile
Some examples of how we celebrate our differences in Tesco include recognising a wide range of religious and cultural festivals such as Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Eid and Diwali, through a programme of activities, competitions and decorations for staff and customers. We call these events Share a Smile. Our staff tell us they experience increased morale, find learning about different cultures and religions interesting, gain a better understanding of the people they work with, and feel part of a more inclusive team.
Opportunity to get on
We want to attract and retain a more diverse workforce at every level of the organisation.
With this in mind we provide a range of development programmes at all levels of the organisation for our staff who want to progress (see Careers & Training). Part of our manager's role is to actively spot and develop new talent to ensure we are spoilt for choice. We hope that through the Everyone Welcome training managers will feel more confident in encouraging talent from more under represented groups. Our mentoring programme is another development tool which has a particular focus on under represented groups.
In what is historically a male role we have seen an increase in female store managers. We have also seen an increase in the number of women at senior levels within Tesco. We also work closely with Universities with a high population of black and asian minority ethnic students.
External support and recognition
We are active members of a number of external organisations:
- The Employers Forum on Age
- The Employers Forum on Disability
- Opportunity Now - gender equality organisation
- Stonewall - sexual orientation campaign organisation
In working closely with these organisations we gain advice and support, an external perspective and the opportunity to meet, network and share best practice with other companies.
We take part in national benchmarking surveys with each organisation, giving us an independent assessment of how we perform under each area of diversity. This year we were awarded Gold standard in the Opportunity Now benchmarking survey and we were also recognised as an Age Positive Employer Champion by the Department of Work and Pensions. We have recently completed the Employer's Forum on Disability Survey and the Stonewall Diversity Champions Index.
We also benefit from a successful partnership with Remploy and Shaw Trust in giving more people with disabilities the opportunity to be employed with Tesco.
Governance
An indication of how seriously Tesco treats diversity can be seen in the existence of our Diversity Council which supports the Everyone Welcome at Tesco work. The council consists of directors from different business functions and is championed by a main board director.
Measurement and Research
Our annual employee satisfaction survey helps us to measure our success and highlight which areas we need to work on further.
We measure our work through responses to two questions - "I have the opportunity to get on if I want to" and "The people in my workplace are treated with respect". We benchmark each age, gender and ethnic group against the company average for each question to identify any significant satisfaction gaps. We also look for year on year improvements in each group for both questions.
Regular focus groups with different diverse groups helps us to understand and better meet the needs of our staff. We are also working closely with the government this year to do a piece of research into how we can provide more quality part time work for senior women and taking part in a nationwide parenting survey.
Looking Forward
Our work around diversity will be ever evolving to reflect the continually changing society in which we operate.
Some exciting new ventures taking us into next year include the launch of a formal Women's Network, the development of disability and diversity champions in our stores, and the first steps towards forming a Sexual Orientation Network.
By continuing to develop and expand our diversity work we aim to build an inclusive workforce and customer base where everyone feels truly welcome.
We provide many tools for our workforce to help build knowledge and understanding of different areas of diversity.Some examples of how we celebrate our differences in Tesco include recognising a wide range of religious and cultural festivals such as Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Eid and Diwali, through a programme of activities, competitions and decorations for staff and customers. We call these events Share a Smile. Our staff tell us they experience increased morale, find learning about different cultures and religions interesting, gain a better understanding of the people they work with, and feel part of a more inclusive team.We are active members of a number of external organisations:We also benefit from a successful partnership with Remploy and Shaw Trust in giving more people with disabilities the opportunity to be employed with Tesco.