Accor and diversity : discrimination, disabled person
Diversity and the battle against discrimination are among the major preoccupations of the Accor group.
Accor is very committed to the professional insertion of disabled persons.
Diversity and the battle against discrimination
Accor’s commitment to diversity has been present since its origins. The Group’s strength is based on the diversity of its teams. The Group is also convinced that diversity represents a major advantage in terms of team spirit, attracting and maintaining talent, innovation and the capacity to adapt to change. Accor has made diversity one of the keys to the company’s performance.
Accor aims to represent the diversity of ethnic, social and cultural origins at all level in the company.
In each country, the human resources managers are in charge of declining the Group’s diversity policy and suggesting action plans.
Accor encourages all ideas that facilitate the diversity of teams while respecting the local culture.
The team of Novotel / ibis World Trade Center Dubai managed by Bruno Guilloux, with 420 employees of 28 different nationalities, cultivates their differences around a common culture.
"We learn to respect the specifics of each culture, says the General Manager. Day to day, the pluralism of our team is very rewarding. This diversity is also positive for our customers. Understanding our employees’ cultures helps us to better understand our international clientele. We can adapt our attitudes and quality of service."
Priority actions are defined depending on the specifics of each country, brand or activity.
The aim of these action plans is to guarantee non-discrimination and to encourage diversity on elements such as gender, age… for all stages in the company: recruitment, training or career development.
The anonymous CV is a clear and visible means of communicating Accor’s commitment to diversity, and of ensuring equal opportunities in accessing the recruitment process.
This method involves making the CV anonymous so that the first selection of candidates is based uniquely on the training, experience and skills. The candidates first and last names, nationality, sex, age and e-mail address are hidden.
The aim of the anonymous CV is to avoid any discrimination, conscious or subconscious, linked to the age, sex or origins of the candidate.
Recruitment of disabled people
The recruitment of disabled people is one of the aspects of this diversity.
A team was set up in France in 1992, to facilitate the integration of disabled people in the company. This team aims to accelerate recruitment, training, communication and sensitisation actions for recruiters.
Thus our Integrating the Disabled Project’s ambition is to become international, to bring together the numerous best practices already in operation, to capitalise on experience and to facilitate the integration of new employees in the Group.
Italy is another country in which Accor is highly committed to the professional integration of disabled people.
The law obliges companies to have disabled employees on the payroll; however Accor Italy has gone one step further with specific agreements in the different regions (Milan, Florence, Bergamo).
These different agreements are not obligatory but show Accor Italy’s commitment to social projects and the desire to encourage the professional integration of disabled persons, by working hand in hand with public and private institutions dedicated to this cause.
Thanks to this cooperation, the professional integration of disabled persons can be improved.
"Accor gathers all the talents, all of them. Skills are our priority!"
This is why all our positions, all our contracts are open to disabled workers: this is a priority in our recruitment policy.
Testimony of Nathalie Poussard Bierry HR Manager of Novotel Paris Est
We were contacted by Accor’s department for the Integration of Disabled workers, to accommodate a young trainee from a Special needs school, into the hotel’s technical department.
"We did not hesitate", explains the hotel’s Technical Manager, who considers this as one of Accor’s commitments.
"After Cherif’s traineeship, explains Denis Gauthier, the hotel’s General Manager, we decided to hire him permanently at the end of his training period."
"Cherif now works autonomously and participates fully in the department", ends Denis Gauthier, "if another similar opportunity arises we will most certainly do the same again as this is an extremely positive experience in terms of diversity for the employee and the hotel."