Planet, People & Prosperityand the Principles of Governance
The three pillars of ManpowerGroup UK’s ESG strategy
The three pillars of ManpowerGroup’s global ESG strategy – Planet, People & Prosperity and Principles of Governance – are designed to address the most urgent issues we face – from climate change to the global skills shortage – and demonstrate where we can make the most positive impact. ManpowerGroup UK is a key partner in this global plan, and we are continually working for a better future, because we believe partnership and collaboration is a critical part of driving positive change.
Accurate ESG market intelligence is essential to ensure transparency and responsibility
It is only with access to accurate ESG market intelligence that political and business leaders can ensure the organisations they work with, trade with and prosper with are part of the solution and not adding to the problems. The insights and data detailed in this report will help leaders better understand ManpowerGroup UK’s strong commitment to a greener, better future for all.
Scope of this report
The ManpowerGroup UK 2023 ESG report reflects the Environmental, Social and Governance actions, results and commitments of our UK operation, including all departments, brands and offices. All UK ESG activities are performed in support of ManpowerGroup’s global ESG strategy.
Our ESG goals and credentials are critical to our business success. They must be embedded in the work that we do and our business strategy. For our organisation, it’s no longer about setting targets it’s about delivering action; across Environmental policies, modelling our Social impact and ensuring we lead with good Governance. We’re hearing from clients, candidates and our own employees the need for greater climate goals, and I’m proud to work for an organisation which has globally validated goals by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), identifying the levers to reach net zero by 2045 or sooner.
What all our stakeholders can agree on is we must put equal emphasis on the areas which lead to societal change and best practice governance.
Here in the UK, 80% of the nation’s population are concerned about climate change, yet to date, only a third of UK businesses have taken steps towards mitigating their impact on our heating planet. In terms of addressing inequality and driving positive diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in the workplace, 33% of organisations still do not have an inclusion and diversity strategy, and compensation for men still outstrips pay for women in almost 80% of the UK’s largest companies.
However, whether UK businesses like it or not, strong adherence to ESG is important to their customers and their workers. 64% of workers want to work for organisations that positively contribute to society.
Doing more to offset carbon emissions, lower energy consumption, reduce polluting waste, drive equality and fair pay in the workplace, eradicate job discrimination, and ensure UK businesses are not part of the world’s labour exploitation problem, are the minimal actions organisations must take.
Good ESG policies and actions are not just PR opportunities. They are the path towards a better world, and it’s a path ManpowerGroup UK is determined to follow.
ManpowerGroup already produces a global ESG report. The document presents a transparent account of our ESG actions across every region where we operate. It provides a world overview.
However, there has never been a granular breakdown of ManpowerGroup UK’s role in our organisation’s worldwide quest for better Environmental, Societal and Governance results. Until now. I am pleased to present the first ManpowerGroup UK ESG Report, a clear and honest account of our progress to drive better ESG in our UK operations, and to play our part in support of our organisation’s global aims – reaching net zero by 2045 or sooner and providing access to meaningful work for all.
As you will see in this report, we are well advanced in our Planet, People & Prosperity and Principles of Governance policies – the three pillars of our ESG strategy.
We have cut our greenhouse gas emissions by more than half over the past five years. We've placed tens of thousands of people into meaningful work. We have launched the Women in Driving Development Pathway to improve gender diversity in a traditionally male-dominated industry – 10% of trainees on our HGV driver programmes are female, more than 10 times the ratio of current male/female professional drivers in the UK. We have also achieved renewal of the MOD Armed Forces Covenant Employer Gold award – an honour we have held every year since 2017 – and have renewed our status as a Disability Confident Leader, a recognition we have continuously achieved since 2018.
A cause which has been close to my heart in my over 30 years with ManpowerGroup UK is tackling youth unemployment and setting up the youth for long-term success. Which is why I’m particularly proud we are investing in the future of our nation and our economy by providing job opportunities for today’s young people and driving initiatives to improve youth employment.
This includes the creation of a volunteering programme in concert with Young Enterprise, a national charity that specialises in the education of entrepreneurial skills for young people. We’re partnering with the UK Government’s flagship Kickstart programme to support young people aged 16-24 who were at risk of long-term unemployment. We’re supporting the Good Youth Employment charter through the development of The Working Mindset, a programme specifically designed for young people, supporting them with their thoughts, feelings and wellbeing. And we’re continuing our involvement with Movement to Work, a voluntary collaboration of UK employers committed to tackling youth unemployment – a collaboration we began in 2013.
Lastly, we maintain and continue to develop strong Principles of Governance, reinforcing our organisation’s global positioning on human rights, climate change, ethical supply chains, information security and privacy, and employee education and awareness.
According to an old saying, the march of industry never stops. The same can be said for ESG. Innovation, development and regulation in ESG continue to advance at record speed.
To reflect this, the ManpowerGroup UK 2023 ESG Report is the first of what is planned as a long-running series.
We will also be providing regular updates and results as we achieve them. Ultimately, we know that as the leader for ESG in our industry, what we publish is important. We are setting standards to ensure our operating model is sustainable, we believe in doing well by doing good, which ensures we can provide the best service to our candidates and clients while also working towards our ESG goals.
Thank you for taking the time to read our report.
Mark CahillManaging Director, ManpowerGroup UK
October 2023
