Embracing diversity and inclusion
Respecting and celebrating each other’s differences
To maintain a diverse workforce we need to attract and retain talented individuals from different backgrounds and make sure our culture supports them.
Few other companies are as diverse as BAT – diversity is a key element of our ethos at BAT. We have very diverse customers, suppliers and other stakeholders, and want a diverse workforce to meet their needs. Across our Group there are 138 different nationalities represented at management level. We value this kind of diversity because it encourages innovation, creativity and different ways of thinking; it creates a fascinating place to work, with opportunities to collaborate with a wide range of people from various countries, cultures and with different perspectives.
We are proud to be a diverse global organisation that encourages our people to value their differences. We think of diversity in its widest sense, as those attributes that make each of us unique.
We are committed to increasing the proportion of women in senior leadership teams to 40% and in management roles to 45% by 2025.
In 2022, we have achieved some impressive results which reflect the great progress we have made:
- 41% of women in management roles and 30% on senior leadership teams;
- Over 57% of our graduate intake and 47% of our external management level recruits were women; and close to 20% of our management level women employees were promoted, compared to 16% of male management level employees.
Our three strategic pillars underpin our D&I strategy: driving ownership and accountability; building diverse talent pipelines; and creating enablers. They are proving to be highly effective in empowering us all along our journey.
Our Chief Executive, Jack Bowles, says: “I am passionate about ownership, accountability and delivery and empowering our leaders across the organisation to keep us moving forward. I am also a great believer in the power of diversity in BAT – by harnessing diverse perspectives and ways of thinking we are far better placed to understand and meet the preferences of adult consumers in our diverse markets.”
We continue to receive notable external recognition for our D&I efforts. These recognitions are a tribute and celebration of the innovations we’re making to our working environment and the ways we continue to build an engaging, diverse, and inclusive culture.
In January 2023, BAT was recognised as a Global Top Employer for a sixth consecutive year by the Top Employers Institute.
We were one of just 15 companies to receive Global Top Employer certification for 2023, which is based on an extensive review of employer practices across areas including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity & inclusion and wellbeing.
In addition to recognition as a Global Top Employer, BAT has also been named Top Employer in 37 countries across Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Top Employer status recognises BAT’s commitment to attracting the best talent, investing in its people and being a great place to work.
Also in 2023, we were delighted to be recognised in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender Equality Index for demonstrating our commitment to address gender diversity and transparent reporting.
Other recognition of our efforts include:
- Becoming a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer in UK, demonstrating our commitment to providing equal opportunities for disabled employees;
- Brandon Hall excellence award including gold for best diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.
Read more about some of the diversity initiatives that help us stand out from the rest.
Find out more about our commitment to D&I in our 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Report.