Diversity and equal opportunities
At Land Securities, we are committed to equal opportunities and a diverse, inclusive and representative workplace, in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our adherence to the UN Declaration on Human Rights also underpins all our policies, systems and actions.
The challenge
The perception of our industry is that it is a male-dominated environment. To ensure we don't cater to this stereotype, we continue to attract men and women from outside the property sector, those with broader skill sets and young people.
A diverse workforce
We believe that having a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we operate ensures we are a stronger business, and one that is better able to relate to those we deal with in our everyday activities.
We have had formal policies in place, in support of our commitment to a diverse working environment, since 2006, which form the basis of a five-year programme to promote diversity across all areas of the business. We also have a Board-level diversity and equality champion, and diversity and equality training is included in management coaching, as well as our recruitment and induction processes. Reflecting this belief, in 2009 almost half (48.8%) of our employees were women, and almost a quarter (22.8%) were aged 50 or over.
In support of our commitment to diversity, we aim to increase year-on-year employee acknowledgement of the statement "the make-up of our employee population accurately reflects the communities in which we work", as measured through our Employee Engagement Survey. In 2009, over 82% of our workforce classified themselves as 'white', and the share of our workforce agreeing with the above statement fell by 3% to 78% of respondents.
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48.8%
ratio of female employees in total workforce
Sharing success
Did you know... that Colette O'Shea, Head of Development for our London Portfolio, shared the secrets of her success at the International Women's Day event at the Guildhall on 12 March 2010? Colette was a guest speaker at the annual celebration in the City of London, which acknowledges women's success in the workplace and their contribution to society. All sponsorship funds went to Refuge, the national domestic violence charity.