How the Adecco Group is creating the inclusive workplace of the future

Putting a spotlight on diversity and inclusion

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has become one of the most important issues in the world of work in 2021. But rather than simply seeing it as another tick-box exercise, organizations should be putting their focus on valuing every employee as an individual to foster a culture of inclusivity and boost employee experience.

It’s not just the pandemic to thank for this shift – the last 12 months have seen a lot of political, social, and ethical upheaval. Although DEI is by no means a new concept in the business world, this shift in focus has led many enterprises to rethink how they stand in terms of worldwide societal matters and ‘social contracts’ as well as taking an internal look at how their own culture fosters inclusivity. This is especially important as recent Glassdoor research found that more than two-thirds of employment seekers consider workplace diversity and inclusivity to be important factors when considering whether to pursue a job opportunity.

For many companies, scattered teams and a new hybrid way of working have meant ensuring a collaborative, inclusive culture now encounters new challenges that only technology can help solve. To make progress, enterprises can look towards investing in or utilizing an intranet or digital workplace solution in order to help bridge the gaps.

Three ways the Adecco Group uses Unily’s technology in its strategy for company-wide collaboration and inclusivity

When the Adecco Group, the world’s leader in workforce solutions signed with Unily two years ago, one of its key challenges was that each region and brand had its own individual intranet, making company-wide collaboration and consistent communication difficult.

Sharing company updates, strategies and values was difficult for the global team as there was no central hub that all employees could access. Part of the enterprise’s vision was to have an intuitive employee experience platform that allowed all 30k employees to connect and build organization awareness. The Unily platform at the Adecco Group now has almost 30k monthly users. In combination with other tools, Unily’s technology has helped drive the company’s collaboration and inclusivity across their businesses and geographies.

#1. Using news content to build organizational awareness

The Adecco Group uses both static and dynamic content, including pages with information on its diversity and inclusion committee, current campaigns, resources, social channels, and news to promote the importance of inclusivity and equal opportunity in the workplace.

One such instance is the Adecco Group’s employees sharing their personal experiences through news articles. These articles have so far received the highest levels of engagement on the platform from users, as their colleagues are keen to show appreciation and support for their stories.

#2. Celebrating inclusivity through global campaigns

The Adecco Group also uses its Unily CMS across the business to push campaigns and content around world events, such as International Women’s Day, World Mental Health Day, Pride month, and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The company makes sure to promote inclusive content throughout the year, but it also makes a special effort to mark the particular day on which they are celebrated globally.

#3. Social channels to create a community culture

When it comes to social channels, employees of larger enterprises can sometimes be hesitant to interact – for example, some users may not want to post a comment or reaction, knowing there are 30,000 eyes on them. The Adecco Group has recognized this and has broken its social channels down into regions and brands to allow a smaller community of users to collaborate, without the pressure of using the all-company channel.

One channel Adecco has created is a global diversity and inclusion one, encouraging users to share their experiences with hashtags such as #TalentWithoutLabels.