Annual Report Diversity & Inclusion 2013
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Annual report diversity & inclusion 2013 Foreword We are pleased to commend to you our NS Group annual report detailing progress in journey, at the stage of ‘conscious incompetence’ if you prefer. This is however a furthering our collective efforts to promote diversity and inclusion across our challenge we shall embrace, with confidence that 2014 and beyond will see us businesses including, for the first time, Abellio. adopting a comprehensive diversity and inclusion framework across the Group, measuring our progress and promoting leadership accountability for improvement as Within Abellio, we chose ‘Inclusive’ as one of our 4 core values for good reasons. We a key business priority. know that to engage effectively with a very diverse passenger base, our workforce needs to be much more representative of the communites we serve – at all levels of the organisation. We also believe that diversity among employees leads to diversity of thought, which is the foundation for innovation - one of our areas of excellence and This Annual Report paints a picture of diversity and inclusion across the NS Group of the lifeblood for our future growth. The culture we want to create within Abellio which Abellio is a part. We hope that it will encourage you to work enthusiastically therefore is not so much a ‘melting pot’ of employees from diverse backgrounds and towards making diversity and inclusion a reality in the workplace. identities but rather a ‘stir fry’ where we value and embrace the difference and unique perspective that each of our people bring to their work. As you can see from the report, there are many examples of good practice across the broader Group and our own Operating Companies which provide a great source of inspiration but we recognise also that a more holistic approach is required and this needs to become a business and leadership priority – not a series of initiatives emanating from our HR functions. We are therefore very much at the start of our Jeff Hoogesteger Chief Executive Officer Abellio Group & George Barron Member of NS Executive HR & Change Director 2 Committee Abellio Group 3 Contents Foreword 2 1. Diversity and inclusion 6 2. Participation: a suitable place 8 3. Women: towards the critical mass 12 4. Changing complexion 16 5. Unique cooperation 20 6. Abellio 24 7. Limited measurability 27 Conclusion 28 4 5 1. Diversity and inclusion Diversity and inclusion at NS is onion. Although each layer beneath diverse body of thought. Added value the labour market are underrepresented about a diverse body of employees the outermost one is not directly - and therefore a competitive within NS. To ‘restore’ the balance, NS is working together to make the visible, each contributes to an advantage - can be achieved by being undertaking additional efforts for Special customer’s journey as pleasant as individual’s reality, values and open to and using different insights Talents (people who are at a distance possible. Diversity and inclusion standards, resulting in unique within a team. It is precisely the people from the labour market), women and are instruments that contribute to perspectives. Ultimately, the heart of who think out of the box or who swim non-Western employees. Chapters 2, 3 the shaping of policy and strategy the matter is about having as much against the tide that can make a and 4 provide a summary of the work and help to achieve NS’s objectives. diversity as possible in terms of difference with their insights. They performed in this area in 2013. Chapter perspectives and ideas in order to must feel free to share these insights, 5 sets out what was done in terms of achieve, through working together, the however. inclusion within NS. Chapter 6 shows that Diversity best and most innovative solutions for NS is active in the field of diversity and Because of the services that it provides, our customers. Focus inclusion also outside the Netherlands. NS is very much a part of society. A diverse workforce does not come Chapter 7 concludes with a few figures. Everyone occasionally passes through a Inclusion about automatically. Certain segments of railway station, travels by train or rents Diversity and cooperation are two a public transport bicycle. NS wishes to different things. Having a diverse team be a recognisable and trusted does not automatically mean higher organisation to everyone, be they productivity. A safe working environ- young or old, male or female, or of ment, trust, being appreciated and a native or foreign heritage, not least sense of connection are crucial to because each individual represents a enabling people to cooperate in a segment of Dutch society. Having productive and pleasant way. An members of different groups in society employee can only perform at his or as employees helps us to understand her best if the employee feels trusted all of these groups. It enables NS to be and safe and is respected and valued more sensitive and responsive to the for who he or she is. At NS, inclusion wishes and needs of its customers. means that everyone with talent is Diversity and inclusion therefore contri- welcome and that every employee bute to two of NS’s core values: being feels genuinely at home, because it is genuine and inclusive in all that we do. only in such a setting that an individual In this context, diversity is of course can bloom, feel involved in the not only about, or indeed not even organisation, dare to express his or her about, physical characteristics like age, opinion and truly excel. Inclusion is gender or ethnic background. Diversity therefore the instrument that ensures is like an onion. The visible difference that diversity leads to engaged is only the outermost layer of an employees who together draw on the 6 7 2. Participation: a suitable place Is the glass half empty or half full? At Special Talents pilot project NS, we start from the positive and, as Recruiting Special Talents and de- far as we are concerned, the glass is ploying them on the basis of their half full, certainly when it comes to talents requires a special approach. people with occupational limitations. In NS therefore launched a pilot project our view, it is not about what people in 2013 for the creation of positions. are unable to do, it is about what they Based on this pilot project, NS intends can do. What are current and potential to create sets of professional duties employees good at, and in what areas for people who are at a great distance can they further develop? This is the from the labour market (Work and crux of the matter. Employment Support [Young Disabled Mitchel Jacott Persons] Act (Wajong), sheltered em- Enrico Finetti Labour participation ployment and NS employees who have retail service employee During the autism awareness week, ge- an occupational disability). Existing neral management member Merel van work processes and activities were retail service manager Vroonhoven was a guest of online te- analysed as part of the project. A study ‘What can we do for people who are at a that was nice to do. It has genuinely given levision channel Autisme TV on 1 April was carried out into whether it is also distance from the labour market in the the new employees continuity.’ The jovial 2013. NS was the host and co-organi- possible to include parts of the activi- context of retail services at stations?’ As Mitchel Jacott took up this new position ser of the ‘Autism in the Workplace: A ties in a meaningful and sustainable Enrico Finetti explained, this was ‘the together with another new colleague at the Gain for All’ conference for employers way in new, elementary sets of profes- starting point of the Special Talents project beginning of October. ‘I am very happy with held on World Autism Awareness Day, sional duties. The starting point in this at NS stations, not least because NS is very the job. Because I was in a car accident 2 April 2013. State Secretary for Social regard is that existing positions are not much a part of society - it belongs to when I was four and lay in a coma for three Affairs and Employment Jetta Klijnsma accessible to members of the target everyone and is for everyone. I thought that months, I am not as mentally agile as others. and national HR directors took part in group because positions have generally it was a nice idea and indicated that I I’m slower in this sense and need more time. this conference’s evening programme. become increasingly complex and wanted to play an active part. Together with But I certainly want to work. Sitting around The focus during this part of the con- require a greater number of competen- an external party, we looked at the kind of at home makes me unhappy.’ Enrico is also ference was on the Participation Act. cies on the part of employees. NS and duties performed at a railway station and happy with Mitchel: ‘He completely Another symposium on labour partici- the trade unions made this pilot project considered which of these duties could be immersed himself in the group from day pation in which NS took part was held the subject of a collective agreement performed by Special Talents in the context one. He is always cheerful and other on 18 April. The symposium’s theme under which 50 people will acquire of creating positions. It did not take us long colleagues embraced him immediately - a was ‘The Labour Participation of the work experience. Special Talents were to decide on the collection of waste and real addition to our team and everyone Partially Sighted and the Blind: How placed in different business units as a packaging at the shops.