Tesco’s policy is to ensure that its workforce has a balance of different people. It is keen to search for talent wherever it lies. Diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities are so central to the workplace that there are laws to ensure fair treatment.
‘Everyone is Welcome at Tesco’ is our way of letting colleagues and customers know that we take equality, diversity and inclusion seriously. It means that whoever you are, wherever you work and whatever you do we want you to FEEL welcome too that means each of us must be committed to treating one another with respect even where we have a different point of view or haven’t come across a particular way of life before. In just a few minutes working at Tesco you’ll notice that the whole world passes by – every level of ability, young and old, rich and poor, every race and religion, gay, transgender, wheelchair users, friendly people and grumpy ones too. People who are like you and people who aren’t.
Tesco also has strong links with many organisations representing disabled people, Its goals are to show that Tesco is inclusive, to make everyone welcome and to play an active role in the diverse communities it serves. Tesco is currently working with disabled colleagues to establish whether there is a need for a disability network. The business also works with a number of diversity partners. These partnerships help Tesco to build and improve its diversity strategy. These partners are:
• Stonewall. Tesco is a ‘Diversity Champion’ member of Stonewall, a charity which exists to ensure equal rights for lesbians and gay men in a society where they can be open, honest and safe at home, at school, at work and in the community.
• EFD (Employers Forum on Disability). EFD is currently working with Tesco to help it to do a better job for disabled colleagues. It will also help encourage more disabled people to choose Tesco as a great place to work.
• Opportunity Now. This group offers support for gender equality in business. It is committed to supporting the business to offer opportunities to both men and women. Its key objective is equal treatment of genders but, as it is women who are most often under-represented, this tends to be its focus.
A key part of the strategy is Tesco’s aim to employ people from disabled or disadvantaged groups. Tesco offers an interview guarantee to candidates from Remploy, Shaw Trust and Whizz- Kidz – three organization that work with disabled people. This guarantee means that where Tesco has a vacancy and any of these groups has a suitable candidate, he or she must be interviewed. The interview guarantee does not mean a job offer will be made, but in many cases applicants from these partners get the job as they are the best candidate.