A statement for diversity and tolerance - Leonardo Hotels Central Europe signs Diversity Charter
Berlin, 06. November 2023. Leonardo Hotels Central Europe signed the Diversity Charter on November 6, 2023 - and thus stands by the values that have been anchored in the company since its foundation: Diversity and tolerance. A clear statement that is already shared by over 4,900 companies and organizations from all over Germany. With this voluntary commitment, Leonardo Hotels specifically promotes a tolerant and unprejudiced working environment.
“In our Leonardo Family, we bring together very different personalities with different backgrounds and ideas - this diversity makes us strong and inspires the teams,” says Anke Maas, Human Resources Director Central Europe. “Here, employees have an employer that offers a wide range of employment and development prospects for each person.” Leonardo Hotels lives this diversity both with its employees and externally, as “responsibility” is an integral part of the company's values.
For the entire Leonardo family, which employs staff from over 100 nations, these values already have a name: BE YOURSELF. The company motto sums up what Leonardo is all about: everyone can live out their individuality, regardless of their origin, sexual or gender identity, religion or any mental or physical impairment. This claim is already being brought to life today. Almost every hotel has at least one “special needs” employee or offers internships for young people with special needs. In addition, young people with disabilities are specifically recruited for vocational training.
In future, at least one employee with disabilities per 100 rooms will be part of the team at each hotel. To this end, Leonardo Hotels Central Europe is actively focusing on offering people with disabilities employment within the company. Alongside many other aspects, this is seen as a component of diversity management. From November, regular workshops and training sessions will be held in all regions so that all employees have the opportunity to share their experiences and learn from each other in terms of working together in diverse teams.
“Each person brings new ideas and inspiration - and is therefore an individual enrichment for a motivating and warm working atmosphere,” says Anke Maas. “That's why we embrace diversity without it having to be mandated.” At the front office in the Leonardo Royal Munich, for example, John from Uganda works together with three colleagues from India. The trend is pointing upwards, as more than fifty new employees from India and the Philippines joined Leonardo Hotels across Germany in 2023. At the Leonardo Royal Berlin Alexanderplatz, Andreas from the Berlin sheltered workshops has a job as a dishwasher and is firmly integrated into the team, and a severely disabled trainee was taken on at the Leonardo Augsburg a few months ago. These are just a few examples of many others. “It's part of our BEYOURSELF employer brand: be who you are and we'll find a job for you. Everyone is welcome here, because we hire people, not certificates. We welcome anyone who is passionate about working in our industry,” explains Anke Maas.