Serving communities and local employment, Keolis seeks to ensure that each of its employees can enjoy a fulfilling professional experience, develop their skills and shape their own career.  

Contributing to local economic development

Everywhere we operate, we play a part in the life and economic development of the community alongside more than 300 public transport authorities in 13 countries. By providing efficient mobility solutions, we make it easier for people to get around, and we contribute to preserving the environment in which they live. By recruiting our employees from the very heart of the areas in which we operate, we encourage the creation of local, sustainable jobs. We give people the chance to work where they live, while providing them with career development prospects and, if they so wish, opportunities for geographical mobility.

Offering the same opportunities to everyone

For Keolis, fostering professional equality, diversity and inclusion means offering everyone the opportunity to secure a stable job. It also means enabling everyone to develop exclusively on the basis of their skills, without being discriminated against on the grounds of gender, origin, age, disability or sexual orientation. Just like society and our passengers, we encourage diversity in all its forms. Just like the values of Keolis: we care, we commit, we imagine.

An inclusive and diverse corporate culture is an imperative for any organisation concerned about its social impact, longevity and performance. Diversity gives us richer perspectives, ideas and solutions, strengthening our ability to innovate and respond to the complex challenges of our ever-changing world.

Antonia Höög, Director of CSR and Engagement:

All over the world, we pursue the same goals:

  • increase the number of women we recruit and female participation in jobs;

  • guarantee equal pay and equal access to training, advancement and mobility;

  • fight sexism and sexual harassment.

 

In 2018 , the Group became the first public transport operator to be awarded the GEEIS (Gender Equality European & International Standard) label. This acknowledged accolade offers the guarantee that gender diversity is incorporated into all processes such as recruitment, skill development and mobility. It is awarded by Bureau Veritas. Today, 90% of employees work in a certified entity, with the target of hitting 95% in 2025.

In January 2024 the Group signed up to the #StOpE initiative to step up its fight against everyday sexism. 

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The group’s gender diversity network: We@Keolis

In addition, the group’s gender diversity network We@Keolis develops gender diversity by exchanging and sharing best practice.

It is a non-hierarchical, apolitical and inclusive network that draws on the strength of other networks to increase its impact. It has three key aims:

  • Contribute to greater gender diversity (inspirational personal accounts, awareness);

  • Create ties and engage with members (mentoring and networking);

  • Speak on behalf of customers (public transport authorities, passengers) and subsidiaries by taking into account their problems and needs.

Key figures

  • 4 %of payroll was invested in training in 2023, equating to more than 4 times the legal obligation in France
  • 71 %of employees received training
  • 9million hours of training dispensed worldwide in 2023
  • 350programmes offered by the Keolis Institute

Tangible examples all over the world

Depending on the specific characteristics of its community and the challenges it faces, each subsidiary is more specifically committed to one or other of our other 'diversity' objectives: age, background, disability.

 

In France, several subsidiaries have joined the "les entreprises s'engagent" collective, which is the French community of companies committed to a more inclusive society and a sustainable world.

These commitments are also reflected and recognised outside France. In India, for example, the Workforce of Women (WOW) programme promotes female employees and supports them in various aspects of their professional lives to help them progress more quickly. The programme illustrates the commitment of our subsidiary Keolis Hyderabad to diversity, equity and inclusion. It won two prizes at the Global Light Rail Awards in London in October 2023, including the 'Team of the Year' award.

 

Another example is at Keolis Lyon which has been working with the #JeNeSuisPasUnCV collective, whose aim is to renew recruitment practices by shifting from a reference-based approach to a skill-based approach. This commitment illustrates Keolis’ desire to break down barriers in its recruitment policies and reinforce its commitment to equal opportunities and diversity.

In Australia, Keolis Downer through Yarra Trams supports LGBTQIA+ people through its internal "Pride Alliance" network and its active presence during the city’s LGBTQIA+ rights events.

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