Deloitte and the UN Global Compact: Our Communication on Progress

Author: 2004/2005

Our global Shared Values and Ethical Principles strongly support and advocate respect and fair treatment of all employees wherever we operate. This is exemplified in our global People Commitment Survey that demonstrate our openness related to working conditions and expectations of the individual as well as involvement of people in decisions that affect them.

Our global Shared Values include respect for cultural diversity. While multiculturalism describes our organization, inclusion describes our vision and commitment to work together by understanding and respecting differences. This applies to the way we treat our people, our clients and members of the community. Ways in which we seek to eliminate discrimination include the following examples.

At DTT Member Firms

• People commitment survey: The people commitment survey has had a very successful year. In 2004/05, the survey was offered to about 57,000 member firm personnel in 26 countries. For 2005/06, those numbers are set to increase to about 85,000 member firm personnel in at least 82 countries
• Inclusion and non-discrimination: Member firms with established diversity strategies continued to build and refine programs, while other member firms put detailed programs in place for the first time. Noteworthy examples include:
  • The process to put in place a new e-learning program on cross-cultural competency development was initiated. The objective is to enable DTT member firm professionals worldwide to navigate in a multicultural environment by helping them to better understand their own cultural orientation and the dynamics of cross member firm teams and working styles. The e-learning course will be made available to all DTT and member firm employees.
  • A workshop on Managing Cultural Competence was held for DTT leadership in May 2005, and a similar workshop is planned for member firm HR leaders in November 2005.
  • In response to a rapidly growing immigrant minority population in the Netherlands, the Dutch member firm has begun developing diversity programs that focus on gender and immigrant issues. These include programs that enhance the recruitment of foreigners, create a women’s network, and establish management development programs with a particular focus on gender and immigrant issues.
  • In the United Kingdom, DTT’s member firm promotes and supports different working arrangements tailored to people with different needs - such as raising children or caring for elderly parents - and who therefore require more flexibility. Efforts are also being made to enhance appreciation for differences more broadly. In London, for example, the firm supports an individual who is hearing-impaired by investing in customized software that converts the spoken word into text and allows him to communicate effectively in client meetings.
  • In DTT’s French member firm, a significant discrepancy in retention rates between women and men was detected with the proportion of men Partners being significant. Because of this difference, the firm set out to promote careers within Deloitte France for talented women professionals. By means of work-life balance programs, implementation of DTT’s Excellence Model, and equal opportunity awareness programs, more than 95 percent of the French firm’s women who went on maternity leave in 2004 resumed work after the birth of their child, finding ways to combine work and new responsibilities at home.
  • In South Africa, DTT’s member firm runs an HIV/AIDS awareness program to help overcome stigma and discrimination towards people inside and outside the firm who are infected with HIV/AIDS. During 2004/05, the program offered a policy and toolkit to help set the framework for all staff and managers to deal with issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. It also included awareness building and education on HIV/AIDS, for example through talks by external experts and a video presentation for staff to mark the World AIDS Day. Also a nationwide firm poster campaign entitled “What does someone with HIV look like?” was run together with a condom distribution and red ribbon campaign.

In the community

• DTT’s member firm in Belgium invested in “Spraakloos” (speechless), an artistic project that focuses on the positive aspects of multicultural community living. People from 53 different origins posed for Belgian photographer Jan Keteleer using the Flemish sign language. By using one common language, the Flemish sign language acted as a metaphor that neutralized the differences between the various nationalities. Sprakeloos shows, without words, the richness of a multicultural society.
• In South Africa, DTT’s member firm held craft fairs in support of people affected by HIV/AIDS. The firm also holds an annual children’s party for AIDS orphans.

Working with clients

• DTT member firm Human Capital Advisory Services teams help clients to align their human resources management with their organizations' overall business strategies. Services include advice on people and change management, training and development, people sourcing, and corporate culture.

Contributions to the public debate  

• DTT's French member firm presented the firm's Women's Initiative at the CSR Europe "Marketplace Event," held in Brussels on 3 March. The presentation focused on the French firm's challenges and efforts to retain women employees once they become consultants and auditors.
• In August 2005, James H. Wall, HR Leader at DTT, and Lynda Spielman, Director of Deployment, Multiculturalism and Inclusion, DTT Human Resources, published an article in MOBILITY Magazine entitled "Global Team-Building: Developing, Deploying, Connecting". The article details how to build effective teams across borders and cultures and why ensuring their effectiveness is one of the key business and international human resources challenges for multinational organizations.