inclusion

In Portugal, and for the third year in a row, our holding company, which received the seal of Excellence for the first time, and Recheio were again recognised as Inclusive Employer Brands, while Pingo Doce received the award for the first time. Our approach to employment and training opportunities for those who are disadvantaged in accessing the labour market has been also recognised by Eurocommerce.

Valuing skills

João Pimenta has a 95% degree of visual impairment. Despite completing the 9th grade and receiving specific training as a baker, he struggled to find and maintain a job. He signed up for a project at Santa Casa da Misericórdia, a local charity, and in early 2022, João was one of the first people to join Centro Incluir.

The first centre, located in Lisbon (there is a second one in Porto), added extra capacity to the Incluir programme, which has been running since 2015. This programme provides training and recruitment opportunities for individuals with physical or cognitive limitations, migrants, refugees, or those in situations of social risk.

Our innovative training and development methodology is customised for each individual and adapted to specific roles within our operational companies or central offices.

In order to create real job opportunities for the people who go through Incluir, the whole training process covers several competences. For example, trainees can develop their social skills, either in communicating with others or in the way they will work in a team. Conflict management and interpersonal relationships are also part of the programme, as are health and safety rules.

Trainees are also introduced to the use of tools essential to their role, such as information technology or simple mathematical calculations.

The programme provides practical training in a real work context, with physical adaptations to the workplace whenever necessary.

In João Pimenta’s case, after two weeks of classroom training, including practical exercises, he moved on to on the job training under the supervision of his tutor and the inclusion team. He is now a fulltime employee at Pingo Doce.

Valuing diversity

In 2023, the Group had more than 134,000 employees, of whom 8,321 were citizens of nationalities other than Polish, Portuguese and Colombian (30 percent more than in 2022). The 77 different nationalities of our employees represent a diverse range of backgrounds. We also have employees from five different generations, ranging from grandparents to greatgrandchildren. All this diversity makes us a truly multicultural and multi generational employer.

Preparing for the future

We pay close attention to the career development of each of our employees, from the operational level to management positions. We provide everyone who chooses to work with us with the tools and opportunities to reach their full potential, always on the basis of equal opportunity and meritocracy. We encourage internal growth opportunities and challenge everyone to take on new roles in other areas, companies or countries.

In Portugal, Poland and Colombia, we invest in training on topics as diverse as leadership and food safety, and have mechanisms in place that include performance reviews, feedback, potential assessments, personal development plans and opportunities for internal mobility and advancement. We also invite our people to take an active part in building the organisation of the future.