Proctor and Gamble

Diversity strategies in Proctor and Gamble

For consumer goods manufacturer, Proctor and Gamble, diversity has been a critical element in helping the organisation to foster an environment of ownership and innovation. The UK is the organisation’s second largest market and has led the company’s renewed commitment to diversity via its diversity action plan.

The plan consists of three strategies:

• Attract: which focuses on delivery of gender split, ethnicity and disability employment as well as full exploitations of the ‘invisible diversity’ of personal style. This is driven by an efficient, innovative recruitment process.
• Develop: which aims to develop each individual to their fullest potential, ensuring gender and style split as part of both internal and external tracking.
• Retain: which has a goal of zero regrettable losses at any level. Key tools utilised include annual appraisals and the Diversity Action Plan combination to managers and employees etc.

The implementation of the plan has been designed to encompass all employees and influence what they do. It is driven from their key UK corporate strategy 'to release the extraordinary potential of people'. Having evaluated the impact of the strategy, Proctor and Gamble report that it has delivered measurable results, and encouraged personal and societal development. In particular, they highlight the following benefits from their diversity strategy:

• Increased productivity and record breaking sales over the past two years
• High staff morale and staff retention relating to equal pay by gender and good awareness of diversity related policies and people development at all levels, supported by a global policy of promoting only from within
• Enhanced external reputation and position as a leading edge company in gender equality and diversity.