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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Carlsberg Malaysia Group aspires to become a more diverse, equitable and inclusive company by fostering a workforce that mirrors the diversity of our stakeholders and creating an inclusive work environment to boost the morale of our employees. We consider Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) as business critical, now more than ever, and part of our DNA.

Stakeholder Groups Most Concerned

Employees; NGOs, Industry Groups and Local Communities; Government Agencies and Regulators

 

Why It Is Important

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) is essential for us and remains a key business priority. Our sustained success is attributed to our diverse workforce, a factor that has been particularly vital during and after the pandemic. A deficit in DE&I can result in a diminished competitive edge, overlooked opportunities and potentially significant reputational damage.

In addition, a homogenous managerial layer could result in limited strategic viewpoints and poor understanding of our customers’ diverse needs. There is also a pressing need to develop leaders who encourage openness, embrace diverse ideas and increase awareness among a predominantly male workforce about the importance of DE&I in meeting business objectives.

In an industry traditionally dominated by males, our female representation in the Malaysian Leadership Team has grown to 63% since December 2020 and has remained at this ratio till today. This progression demonstrates our dedication to fostering inclusive leadership with diverse representation at every level, starting from the top.

 

Our Approach

We recognise that diversity is found in any social identity, such as gender, age, culture, nationality, ethnicity, physical abilities, political and religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and other attributes. Inclusion is the process of involving, accepting, and valuing all people in the workplace regardless of their differences and social identity.

To achieve our DE&I goals, we first began with establishing DE&I as a key strategic objective within our business framework. The Carlsberg Leadership Expectations framework is grounded in three core pillars. A principal focus within the ‘Healthy, Thriving Organisations’ pillar is to build a 'Diverse and Inclusive Culture'.

A holistic approach to DE&I extends beyond simply increasing the underrepresented ethnicities and genders. It also encompasses providing equitable opportunities to everyone and fostering a culture of inclusivity where individuals feel acknowledged, welcomed, and respected. Our comprehensive DE&I strategy is based on four fundamental pillars:

Progress/Achievements

In line with our objectives and the four DE&I pillars, we established key milestones to ensure we remain on track. The Leadership Team first aligned on short and long term ambitions. Recognising DE&I as a progressive journey, the focus in 2021 was on laying the groundwork, which involved raising awareness and securing employee support. To ensure Carlsberg Malaysia was on track and that we do not lose sight, key metrics set were transferred into HR Dashboard and Risk Management Register of which status were reported on a monthly and quarterly basis respectively. Our HR Dashboard includes metrics on gender, ethnicity and key HR initiatives related to Talent Acquisition and Talent Development. At the end of 2021, we evaluated the impact to set the priorities for the following years.

 

While 2022 DE&I strategy focused on preparing our people managers to actively promote DE&I, 2023 priorities were to integrate DE&I not only as a deliberate choice but as a fundamental value for our staff, with an increased emphasis on Equity and the continuous promotion of DE&I beyond our organisation.

 

The Group celebrated all major festivals nationwide, including Harvest Festival with our employees to honour our diverse workforce.

A series of key initiatives were implemented throughout 2023, in line with the aforementioned four
DE&I pillars:

 

Result

Our Malaysian operations scored over 75% in responses to three MyVoice DE&I-related questions (inclusive environment, top leaders’ commitment and hiring), indicating strong engagement and positive perception of our DE&I practices among employees. In addition, we:

  • Made strides in enhancing gender diversity across the Company with a 4% increase in our total female population, a collective effort made by all functional areas within our organisation
  • Maintained a strong 63% ratio of female Directors
  • Achieved a 4% increase in the ratio of female managers and those at higher levels.
  • Had 51% of participants in our Leadership Development Programmes coming from the female population or ethnically underrepresented groups.
  • Enhanced our Assessment and Selection process where 74% of pre-screened candidates and 68% of those interviewed by hiring managers come from female or underrepresented ethnic backgrounds.
  • Had 52% of new hires referred by employees coming from the female population.

 

 

 

DE&I conversations with a Leadership Team member during the 'WELCOME YOU' campaign launch.

 

Additionally, our Singaporean operations showed an encouraging gender diversity, with 60% of the Leadership Team and 34% of the total employee population being female. The Paternity Leave policy was also enhanced, with leave benefits doubling from two weeks to one month for all fathers.

Overall, we received positive feedback on many of our DE&I initiatives this year, particularly in relation to Flexi Work Arrangements (launched in 2021), Flexi Benefits, ‘Jom! Breakfast with Stefano’ initiative, and festive celebration.

 

Celebrating International Women's Day in Carlsberg Singapore.

 

Going Forward

Prioritising emotional and psychological well-being of employees and advancing DE&I initiatives beyond the organisation is part of our key focus areas for 2024. Our main priorities will include:

  • Creating opportunities for employees from different functions to express their opinions in a secure setting.
  • Maintaining the tradition of festive celebrations to honour our diverse workforce.
  • Implementing Leading Inclusively Programme for all PeopleManagers.
  • Introducing ‘Jom! Breakfast with Leaders’, allowing Heads of Departments to engage in skip-level sessions with their teams, building upon the ‘Jom! Breakfast with Stefano’ initiative.
  • Widening Preventing Harassment at Workplace Awareness refresher sessions for all staff members, following completion for Sales employees in 2023
  • Ongoing community engagement through Lead Women, and implementing targeted DE&I initiatives for Supply Chain employees.