Attraction and Retention
We have been continuing to develop activities to attract talent from universities which, due to both the prestige of their teaching and their geographical scope, ensure nationwide coverage and disclosure, through events such as job fairs, workshops and open days, among other initiatives.
How we harness our talent
LinkedIn is a valuable tool for attracting talent and, in fact, having been recorded a substantial increase in the number of candidates recruited through this network and in the number of people following the Group’s page which, at the end of 2018, counted more than 140 thousand followers.
Other initiatives include:
- The Management Trainee Programme: running for more than 30 years, it is the Group’s main programme to attract young talent, offering a career in Food Distribution and the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge through a unique combination of real work experience and a personalised training programme. In 2018, 68 trainees were admitted from a total of 9,500 applications.
- The Student Internship Programme helps students to be closer to the job market and serves as a means for identification of potential candidates for future trainee programmes. In 2018, 50 students in Portugal and 20 students in Poland worked with our teams on relevant projects to the business. Also in Colombia, through an internship program adapted to the local reality, we hosted 16 interns from different academic areas.
- Since 2015, we have been investing in the Campus Ambassador programme, through a partnership with university students of different profiles who, as ambassadors of the Group, transmit our values and culture, as well as promote the Youth Talent Programs in their respective University Campuses. In the academic year 2017/2018, we had 21 of these ambassadors in Portugal and 7 in Poland.
- Among our partnerships with the university world, we highlight the 4th edition of the JM Academic Thesis programme, which had 18 master’s and doctoral theses to be developed on topics identified by our Companies and business areas, maintaining a close cooperation with the academic world.
- In Colombia, SENA – Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (National Training Service), stipulated an allotment of traineeships to help foster skills development and employment opportunities for students. In 2018, we welcomed 263 interns within the scope of this programme.
- Social inclusion and employability projects established with a number of partners in 3 key areas: disability, extreme social vulnerability, and migrants and refugees. In 2018, we welcomed 99 people for practical training, some of which were then hired by Pingo Doce and Recheio.
Learn more here.
The way we develop our talent
In order to ensure a sustainable growth rate, we invest in the continuous training of our people, regardless of their role or the country where they work.
In 2018, investment in training resulted in a volume of 4.5 million hours of training, corresponding to a total of 66,311 actions carried out, an increase of 4.5% over 2017.
Here are some examples:
- The Strategic Management Programme, held in partnership with the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and the Kellogg School of Management, is a programme for managers and it includes training in management, leadership and innovation.
- In Portugal, the 1st edition of Academia de Novos Districts (Academy of New Districts) and the Programas Gerais de Gestão de Secção e de Loja (General Section and Store Management Programmes), took place, which were developed for Recheio and Pingo Doce, covering around 250 employees.
- Through the Training School and in partnership with the Portuguese Navy, we provided initial training and specialisation programmes in the Pingo Doce Bakery, Delicatessen & Take Away areas, which took place at the School of Naval Technologies of Alfeite.
- In Poland, Biedronka Management Academy develops training programmes for managers and assistant store managers, focusing on Perishables training, especially in the Fruit and Vegetable, Flowers, Bakery, Meat and Fish categories. In order to deepen the knowledge of managers and senior managers, the General Management Programme has been implemented since 2014 and in partnership with Kozminski University.
- The e-learning platform “Biedronka Virtual School”, which aims to enable contact with online training content, covered in 2018 more than 3,586 employees. In 2018, Hebe launched the HebePRO development programme, designed for store managers with growth potential in the Organisation.
- In Colombia, our Retail School develops the General Management Programme for managers and senior managers, in partnership with EDIME-Unidad de Gerencia Media – INALDE Business School, one of the leading management schools in the country. The “Introduction to Retail Programme”, in partnership with CESA – College of Advanced Studies of Administration, is directed to non-managers.
Learn more here.
Internal mobility is also an employee development strategy, which enables the sharing and transfer of new knowledge and/or processes between the input and output areas. In 2018, 54,651 employees changed roles, location or company within the Jerónimo Martins Group.
With the objective of fostering our employees’ engagement, commitment and motivation, we have formalised an opinion-hearing strategy, aligning processes throughout the Companies. The Group has defined its Employee Opinion Policy, based on a bi-annual cycle.
How we reward our talent
The Group seeks to follow a competitive policy, aligned with the strategy defined in each country. Given our focus on high standards of performance, we aim at recognising and rewarding our employees for meeting their goals.
Thus, the variable wage component is key in compensation policies as it is a tool which ensures an alignment between the remuneration policy and the established culture of meritocracy. Annual bonuses paid to employees amounted to 110 million euros and 11,946 promotions, 38% more than in 2017.
We promote equal opportunities in the way we remunerate our staff. In 2018, when we look at the gender pay gap, in a Group with more than 100,000 people, of which 76% are women, we have a 91% ratio. We will therefore continue to develop policies that guarantee and promote non-discrimination and gender equality, as well as race, ethnicity, social status or any other criterion.
Learn more here.
