Being an inclusive business
Our ambition is that by 2030 we will be a leader in creating a fair and equal society. By basing our strategic decisions on our humanistic values and everyone’s equal worth, we want to create meaningful change and an inclusive environment for our co-workers, business partners and the communities around us.
The IKEA business touches millions of lives. From sourcing materials to producing, transporting and finally selling our products. Communities in over 50 markets are impacted by what we do. This is a big responsibility. We want to make sure we have a positive influence, not only in our own operations but in society as a whole.
Integrating diversity in the business
We believe that diversity makes us more creative, more innovative and more entrepreneurial. It’s also good for fostering new ideas and helps us to grow as a business. Not only is it important to ensure non-biased practices when we recruit new co-workers, it’s also important that we continue the dialogue about everyone’s worth both within and outside of the IKEA business. For example, the franchisee Ingka Group recently joined forces with Workplace Pride Foundation and Stonewall, two organisations focused on LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace.
Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace helps us to understand each other, our customers and our partners better.
Giving children a voice
We have a long-standing commitment to children’s rights and we integrate these rights into everything we do. We want children to know that we respect their rights, and this means actively involving and listening to children all over the world. Our children’s department leads a number of activities to engage with and learn from children, through our Kid’s Lab, Kid’s Panel and our yearly global invitation for children to draw the soft toy of their dreams.
Creating change along our value chain – and beyond
We want everyone to see themselves represented in our business, and through our supplier code of conduct we ensure that the same inclusive principles apply throughout our value chain. But we want to have an impact beyond our own business. That’s why we also seek to support vulnerable groups in society, for example by offering migrant workers and refugees emergency support, training and employment.