Inclusion &

Diversity

At the core of our business

Setting ambitious goals

Diversity is a priority of Air Liquide’s Human Resources strategy and policy, and the Group considers it a source of strength, creativity and performance. It is a fundamental element of the organization, in terms of both businesses and employees, and drives the Group’s long-term performance.

The objectives at Group level include enhancing diversity among managerial staff to better recognize the various cultures that make up Air Liquide and to improve gender equality. In this respect, quantified targets have been set for the Group and its entities regarding gender and nationalities.

In 2018, we set goals for the percentage of women and non-French nationals in managerial and leadership positions. These inclusion and diversity goals are part of our Environmental and Societal Report which is reviewed each year by an independent reviewer.

Our 2025 targets

What we aim for

We aim to attract, engage, and retain motivated, high-performing employees by promoting an open, inclusive culture, where everyone can thrive. We believe the best way to boost performance and innovation is to encourage employees to bring their best selves to work. We do this through three pillars.

Today each entity has agreed diversity targets. One of our objectives is to reach 35% female managers and professionals by 2025. Other diversity objectives include nationality, disability, and ethnic origin which are followed at the local level according to needs.

1. Track objectives for all entities

New corporate guidelines help entities reach their Inclusion & Diversity objectives throughout the employee lifecycle (recruiting, career management, compensation & benefits, development processes…).

2. Mitigate bias in talent discussions and improve HR processes

A portfolio of global and local initiatives promote our culture of inclusion.  These include events, learning offerings, mentoring, networks and communities for different interest groups e.g. Women's careers, LGBTQ+, Veterans, disabled employees , etc.

A recent example is the Inclusion Movement, a development opportunity for Inclusion & Diversity enthusiasts. 220 of them around the world are designing and running experiments over 6 months leveraging innovation techniques such as design thinking and lean start up. Learnings will be spread across the organization in the spirit of continuous improvement. Another example at the European level is the HandivAirsity initiative involving our entire ecosystem: employees, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders.

Many other local initiatives exist, commonly managed by Air Liquide employees.

3. Promote a culture of inclusion