Woolworths comes out on top for diverse employment

Woolworths Group has taken the top spot in Asia Pacific and ranked 19th globally in the 2019 Refinitiv Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Index. This is the second year in a row that Woolworths ranked number one in Australia on the index.

Beverages giant Diageo UK was number 2 on the global list, L’Oreal SA (France) came in at number 12, while Nestle SA (Switzerland) and Johnson & Johnson (US) came in 22nd and 27th respectively. Companies from the US, UK, and Australia dominated the top 100 list of diverse and inclusive businesses.

Woolworths Group was recognized for continued focus on LGBTI inclusion, refugee employment programs, and the launch of the company’s second Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Head of diversity and inclusion Rachel Mead said the Group is proud to be ranked in the global top 20 once again.

“Together with our 190,000 of our team members, we are delighted to be recognized for our efforts to build an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity in all its forms,” Mead said.

“It’s this diverse mix of talent that enables us to engage, innovate and create better experiences for our teams and customers.”

Woolworths has more than 3600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team members across the Group, and launched its second RAP in July 2019.

Earlier this year the Group was awarded gold tier status at the 2019 Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards for the second consecutive year and remains the only retailer in Australia to be awarded this status.

Mead said that as a “customer-led business”, it’s “critically important” that team members reflect the communities they serve.