5.2 Improve quality of life
5.2.1 Being an employer of choice
Human Resources (HR) policies are designed to support the Group’s operating strategy and ongoing transformation. Each policy is applied locally, taking each subsidiary’s size, history, culture, circumstances and regulatory environment into account. The Group HR Department ensures the sharing and application of best practices by relying day-to-day on the network of HR correspondents.
This pragmatic approach is designed to develop a consistent global set of principles that support the Group’s business operations. It also maintains the subsidiaries’ independence, while reinforcing the co-construction approach with the Group.
In line with the risk analysis performed at the Group level, HR initiatives and policies primarily focus on the following issues:
Country HR teams are responsible for locally implementing these principles and ensuring compliance with national labor practices and legislation.
5.2.1.1 Priority issue: talent management
Attraction
The goal of the Attraction focus is to attract talent with the skills – or the ability to acquire the skills – that Edenred needs to continue to grow. The related HR policies are designed to attract talents among young graduates and more experienced professionals alike.
Hiring for the long term
In 2021, Edenred hired a total of 2,395 employees on permanent contracts Group-wide to support its business development. The hiring of new employees is seen as an important process and is managed rigorously. Internal policies are aimed at ensuring compliance with the principles of non-discrimination and diversity so that the recruitment process takes place without any form of discrimination.
To attract the appropriate profiles and keep unfilled positions at a minimum, the recruitment module in the Group’s Human Resources Information System (HRIS) was launched in 2021. The aim is to equip all of the Group’s host countries with an applicant tracking system (ATS) and enable all employees to access job offers available internally throughout the Group, as well as facilitate the co-opting of people in their networks.
A special collective approval process has been introduced for in-house promotions and recruiting people outside the organization who are likely to be appointed to a Management Committee. Very close attention is paid to balanced representation of men and women for positions at those levels.
2021 was a year that reshuffled the recruitment processes in some countries.
For example, Edenred Brazil invested in resources including an artificial intelligence program to manage the hiring process. UK subsidiaries developed an online recruitment platform and management software to cover a range of tasks from defining needs to setting up interviews.
The experience for candidates was made central to the process: an example is offered by Edenred France, which now runs opinion surveys at the end of the recruitment process.
Leveraging the employer brand
One of the ways Edenred works to attract talent is by leveraging the employer brand from the global to the local level. On top of Group-level and local communication initiatives, some subsidiaries work with specialist recruitment agencies, primarily to fill executive positions and job vacancies for which qualified people are hard to find.
In the unparalleled situation stemming from the global health crisis, the Group unveiled its employer brand in 2020. It aims to bring out the uniqueness of the Edenred adventure for each employee, as well as its global reach. The employer brand is built around three key strengths:
- we are a fast-growing company committed to people at work;
- we work in an ever-changing playground of opportunities;
- we are inspiring teams connected by a shared passion.
To promote the employer brand in its various host countries, the Group draws on the momentum of its HR network and the efficiency of its communication network. The employer brand was co-constructed with HR and Communication experts from the Group’s various geographic areas to ensure that employees had a voice in defining Edenred’s strengths as an employer and could take part in the drafting of the three pillars and key messages. The Group’s employees are also its best ambassadors, proudly wearing the Edenred colors in the Vibe With Us campaign, which they embodied enthusiastically. All communication materials were created by corporate headquarters before being adapted locally by the subsidiaries.
