Sanofi’s innovative global scholarship programme attracted the attention of the Personnel Today Awards Judges who were impressed with the firm’s ambition to support the under-represented community by enrolling 100 students in five countries within its first year. Here’s their winning entry, as well as those of the other finalists.
Winner
Sanofi
Sanofi, a healthcare company, introduced in 2023 a global scholarship for people from historically underrepresented groups. Sanofi wants to create a more inclusive healthcare industry and this programme will help them achieve that goal. The scholarship, which was launched in its first year with the support of 14 academic partners and 100 students from five countries, is already making an impact.
Sanofi NextGen Scholarship plays a major role in the global A Million Conversations initiative. The aim is to restore trust in healthcare for underrepresented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+. Many groups have lost trust in their healthcare relationships due to discrimination or poor service. Black mothers in the UK, for instance, face a higher risk of death from pregnancy-related complications. Sanofi, in order to address this issue, conducted a large survey that involved 24,000 people from 10 different countries. The results revealed that marginalised groups have significant issues with trusting healthcare.
The scholarship is supported by an EUR50 million commitment spread over eight years. It provides financial assistance, mentorship, training in leadership, internships and future job opportunities with Sanofi. The scholarship is open to underrepresented groups, and it aims to create an international network of diverse healthcare leaders. Sanofi, by working with top educational institutions and investing heavily into these scholars is creating a more diverse healthcare workforce.
RUNNERS-UP
AtkinsRealis
AtkinsRealis has more than 130 nationalities and staff who speak 70 languages on six continents. Despite its global workforce, engineering has historically been a sector that lacks diversity. In 2021, for example, only 16.5% were female engineers, and 11.4% came from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The company decided to address this issue through an equality diversity and inclusion programme (EDI), which would create a culture in which everyone felt like they belonged, could be themselves and achieve their full potential.
AtkinsRealis will launch the “Different Makes a Difference” program in 2021 as part of their Environmental, Social, and Governance strategy. The program was created after an independent review, and discussions with underrepresented groups. As a direct result of AtkinsRealis’ efforts, the company was the first engineering firm to be awarded the Platinum certification by diversity benchmarking company Clear Assured. This happened in January 2024.
The company has also exceeded the diversity target for 2023, and has set new targets for 2025. It has also tied its gender diversity targets with leadership and performance-related compensation to ensure accountability. The company achieves continuous employee engagement through comprehensive communication. This includes 28 webinars by 2023. Many of these will focus on intersectional topics such as neurodiversity or LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland has set the goal of becoming a neuro inclusive organisation by 2023. This will ensure that everyone is welcome and can flourish. The bank believes that neurodiversity is a positive thing for everyone. It conducted both internal and external research to understand its position. A survey conducted internally revealed that only 5% of employees identified as neurodivergent and their engagement levels were below average. A consulting company Auticon assessed the bank’s neuro-inclusion as “passive”, indicating that it had not actively promoted neuro-inclusive behaviors. A survey conducted by Auticon found that one in ten adults in Ireland identified as neurodivergent. However, only 20% of them believed their workplace supported them.
Bank of Ireland developed a three-year strategy, with the support of its chief people officer and CEO. The plan included raising awareness with learning programs like NeuroAware and NeuroConfident, practical applications such a inclusive recruitment processes and workspace accommodations, and embedding Neuro-inclusion in daily work practices. The strategy also covered customer-focused initiatives such as partnering with Ireland’s National Autism Charity to support research and training on workplace inclusion.
The strategy was well received, with thousands participating in the training and engaging with this initiative. Bank of Ireland wants to set an example by helping other organisations embark on their neuro-inclusion journeys.
Grant Thornton UK
Grant Thornton, a leading accounting firm, aims to ensure fairness and inclusion in the workplace. Inclusion is at the heart of its resourcing policies, which are designed to create a diverse workforce that’s ready for the future. In this context, the company developed a resourcing strategy that focuses on sourcing, attracting and recruiting a diverse workforce, as well as integrating them.
This strategy started with a revamp of the recruitment process. Data was used to identify areas that needed improvement, and more inclusive practices were implemented. The strategy included revising the job descriptions, highlighting flexible working options and creating inclusive interviewing tools. Grant Thornton has introduced a positive-action interview scheme for those with disabilities. This ensures an interview to candidates who meet minimum criteria. The company also provides disability training to its HR and recruitment teams. It has also educated them on neurodiversity.
Grant Thornton’s efforts to promote gender diversity have included a diverse panel of interviewers, a review of job ads for language bias and implementing a returner program that helps those who are reentering the workplace. The company avoids asking current salaries in order to avoid gender and ethnicity-based pay gaps.
The firm has also made great strides to support black talent, offering additional coaching as well as collaborating with organizations such 10,000 Black Interns. The firm also implemented measures to support LGBTQIA+ applicants, such as inclusive job ads and the ability for candidates to choose their gender and pronouns. The diversity statistics of Grant Thornton show that the firm has made significant progress in terms of representation among ethnic minorities, women and people with disabilities.
Marsh McLennan is Ambitious About Autism
Ambitious about Autism partnered with Marsh McLennan UK in 2021 to create a four-year program aimed at improving autistic people’s futures. The collaboration began after a worrying statistic revealed that only 29% autistic individuals were employed. This was the lowest rate of any disabled group, despite many being able and willing to work. Marsh McLennan wanted to be a more autism-aware company.
This partnership has created a framework for Autism Confidence that can be followed by other organisations. This framework included updated recruitment policy, extensive autism training for managers, staff and workspace modifications, as well as the formation of an advisory group. A goal of PS1 million has also been set.
Marsh McLennan UK concentrated on five areas to achieve “Autism Confidence”. The company increased autism awareness with webinars and specialist courses, provided resources and support for neurodivergent employees, and enhanced physical workspaces using sensory assessments. The policies were reviewed to ensure clarity and inclusivity, and the recruitment process was adapted to support autistic candidates. It is noteworthy that 22 autistic people were hired, and half of them became permanent.
This partnership has a number of benefits, including increased employee engagement, successful fundraiser efforts, and an improved reputation for inclusive employment in the insurance sector. Marsh McLennan UK will continue to build on these successes and evaluate their impact on employee satisfaction.
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