Diversity and inclusion matters

At Thales in the UK and globally, it is our belief that diversity and inclusion make for a stronger and more innovative workforce. For us, diversity and inclusion are embraced to foster creativity and decipher solutions to the most complex of problems. This allows us to solve some of the world’s most intricate engineering challenges across an array of markets.

Thales People

At Thales, we promote a diverse and inclusive corporate culture that reflects our commitment to the development of our people. The wellbeing of our workforce, professional fulfilment and individual employee needs are met and advanced within a safe and supportive working environment, as we continually strive to promote, embrace, and encourage people’s differences.

Disability confident

Thales UK is recognised as a Disability Confident Employer by the Department of Work and Pensions. The scheme is a government lead scheme which supports employers to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace. It is a voluntary scheme that aims to help businesses successfully employ and retain disabled people or those with long-term health conditions.

We have achieved level 2 by confirming we are taking action against numerous criteria around the key themes of ‘Getting the right people for your business and ‘Keeping and developing your people’. We are also members of the Business Disability Forum, which helps us with our commitment to becoming a disability-smart organisation.

Gender imbalance

We are actively addressing the gender imbalance within our industries in the UK. Together with our partner organisations, we help promote science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers within aerospace, defence, security and space through a wide range of activities, events and open days. Delivering cutting-edge innovation requires a huge diversity of thought, skills and experiences and this is reflected in our need for a truly diverse workforce.

Having an extensive female workforce is key to diversity and inclusion. Increasing the number of women in Thales and the engineering sector is a business priority. We heavily engage with schools to promote STEM amongst young people, assuring that engineering is an attainable career path regardless of gender. For a company as broad and elaborate as Thales, however, diversity needs to be applied across all disciplines and not limited to engineering.

 

Diversity and inclusion is about creating an environment where we can all be valued for the qualities that we bring to an organisation, regardless of who we are. Being inclusive requires us all to be open-minded to the world around us and, in doing so, enables greater innovation.

Lynne Watson, VP Human Resources, Thales in the UK

Generational diversity

We’re at our strongest when we bring diverse minds together. This is why Thales attracts many young graduates and is ranked highly every year among their preferred places to work. We also maintain a high level of employee retention which means we can harness the experience, skill, and knowledge of our long-term staff, combining perspectives across generations to build a better future.

Cultural diversity

At Thales, we are inherently multicultural. As a global Group, we bring together people from all walks of life and from innumerable backgrounds spanning multiple countries, bringing different perspectives together to generate new ideas.

LGBT+ inclusion at Thales

Driven by its commitment to fighting all forms of discrimination, Thales signed the LGBT+ Engagement Charter in 2019 and participated in the IFOP-L’Autre Cercle survey in France in 2020. The Group has published a booklet and has launched an e-learning module aimed at raising awareness and promoting LGBT+ inclusion. In 2022, the Group will renew its signature of the LGBT+ Engagement Charter.

 

Supporting veterans in the workplace

Veterans can be a great asset to the workforce. Their valuable skills gained from military service allow veterans to bring a unique perspective to organisations. It is increasingly likely, however, that at some point during their military service, they will have operated under extreme stress. It is important, therefore, to ensure that they are supported in a smooth transition into the civilian workplace. They should be equipped with the appropriate advice and tools, in a working environment that supports their mental health.

A poll of 500 of the UK’s top business people carried out in 2015 showed that more than half of those surveyed (54%) were reluctant to hire veterans because of fears they may suffer from mental health issues, yet three-quarters (75%) say they would hire more veterans if they had expert advice on how to understand and support them in the workplace.

In partnership with leading veterans’ charity Combat Stress, we are working to raise awareness of the benefits that veterans can bring to the workplace and the ways in which companies can support their mental health. As part of this, we founded 4 years ago, with Combat Stress, the annual Military Mind Symposium, which is an event designed to specifically explore the ways in which companies can provide better mental health support for veterans. We continue to sponsor this event year on year.

Over the last 100 years, Thales has enjoyed a heritage of working with the Royal Air Force and, as part of this, we have also supported the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. As of 2019, Thales is supporting a campaign by the Royal Air Force to support veterans that may have fallen off the radar. The aim is to provide help such as easing financial distress or support with emotional wellbeing and you can learn more here.

Armed Forces Corporate Covenant

At Thales in the UK, we are proud to employ and support the Armed Forces and have done so for many years. In September 2014, Thales in the UK was one of the first companies to sign the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant, formalising our commitment to honour the Armed Forces and support the Armed Forces Community. 

Thales in the UK is proud to have been awarded Silver status in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.