Diversity measures and (re)integration programs

At Randstad we are strong advocates of equal opportunities and unbiased competence management, irrespective of gender, race, religion and age. By providing the means to build skills and experience, which in turn fosters social inclusion and a sense of self worth, Randstad puts many on pathways to gainful employment.

In the global employment market
Many of our operating companies have long-standing diversity and reintegration programs and some provide consultancy services to clients on equal opportunity and competency management. Our Randstad Institute in France and our foundations in Germany and Spain also provide access to employment to disadvantaged groups, such as immigrant workers, women at risk, victims of domestic violence, single parents, older workers and the long-term unemployed. By forging links with local community stakeholders, including public, private, NGO and institutional partnerships, we foster a sustainable framework for diversity in the workplace.

Diversa, our joint venture in the US with Integrated Human Capital (IHC), a minority, female-owned staffing firm, offers a unique combination of staffing solutions, managed services and human resources consulting to deliver more comprehensive solutions for companies focused on creating competitive advantage through a more diverse workforce. Randstad Italy commissioned research on diversity management in 2010 related to women in leadership positions. In collaboration with local authorities, schools and catering firms in the Netherlands, Tempo-Team launched the ‘KrachtCatering’ initiative in 2010 to train, coach and find employment for women with a history of long-term unemployment.

We are one of the pioneers of ‘Club Empresas Comprometidas’, a business network in Argentina that promotes the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor market. Randstad Netherlands is one of the ten corporate partners of Cap 100, which helps find rewarding work for talented people with a physical handicap. It is also a partner of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), which encourages university students to help the disadvantaged, and Randstad hosted SIFE’s national competition at its headquarters in May 2010.

Randstad UK provides financial and non-financial support for the charity ‘Tomorrow's People’, which helps the disadvantaged find work, and collaborated with ‘Job Centre plus’ in 2010 to define a welfare-to-work proposition to get people off benefits and into sustainable employment. Randstad Financial & Professional’s program to increase employability amongst young inner-city adults received a UK Recruiter Award in 2010.

Unemployment rates among newly graduated college students in Shanghai became particularly severe in the wake of the economic crisis. Randstad China succeeded in helping the authorities to increase the employment rate in 2010 by professionalizing their subsidized internship programs.

Addressing the challenges that the growing numbers of older workers face in entering, re-entering or staying active in the workforce is also a part of our approach to furthering employment market sustainability. Examples include 'Randstad Techniek’s' 2010 campaign in the Netherlands to encourage clients to take on more experienced candidates aged over 50, our ongoing 'RandstadPlus' program in France, the peer groups established in Belgium to address the needs of older workers, and our continuing partnership with 'Force Femmes', a French NGO that fosters business opportunities for women over 45.

Amongst our corporate employees
In order to serve the communities in which we do business, Randstad must also reflect the diversity and demographics of these communities among our own employees. Diversity in our own workforce is also a competitive advantage, helping us to communicate with, understand and meet the needs of clients, candidates and other stakeholders.
At Randstad, we seek out top talent regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, creed, political conviction, disability or social background. We affirm in our globally implemented HR standards that ‘diversity is recognized as an added value’. This conviction helps to ensure that we recruit and retain the highest quality staff for ourselves and our clients. Data on diversity within the Randstad Group is covered in our CSR reporting guidelines to further monitor the important role diversity plays in our workforce so we can respond to and benefit from the mix of cultures and types of people that define who we are as a company.