The worlds of bpost
Changing the culture of gender bias
Once upon a time the work people did was often defined by their gender. For instance, a pilot or doctor was assumed to be male; a secretary or nurse, female. Now equality is much better established, and in recent years there have been many positive gender developments in the labor market. Nevertheless, women still face more obstacles than men, across many industries and sectors.
Gender Equality
Our gender no longer defines who we are, or what we are able to do in life. Or at least that’s the theory. People are just people, and how they identify themselves should never limit their opportunities.
In fact companies are increasingly recognizing that a diverse workforce can benefit business. And yet women in particular are still often held back from realizing their potential. At bpostgroup we seek to provide everyone with opportunities, based on their skills and personality. Therefore, diversity and inclusion are important topics for the group. This includes a Gender Equity plan, as well as defining a Diversity and Inclusion policy.
The common culture approach
With bpost being one of the largest civilian employers in Belgium, and highly present in other countries, such plans must be applied across the whole organization, and not merely in isolated pockets. It’s an aspect of the ‘Common Culture’ approach of participation where, ‘All people of every ethnicity, social background, religion, gender, age or disability – visible or invisible – feel welcomed and valued.’
As such, bpost’s XandY network is an example of a bpost Belgium Initiative to boost communities of female managers. It’s an inclusive approach, also addressing male or non-binary colleagues, and spreading awareness of important issues affecting the progress and development of women within the bpost workplace.
The XandY Network is still growing, after an initial launch event in Brussels, in May 2022. The bpostgroup commitment to XandY was demonstrated by the attendance of Audrey Hanard and Sonja Willems, two members of the Board of Directors. Each presented and shared their background, experience and vision. The event was also an excellent opportunity for every participant to feel nurtured and ‘seen’, both personally and professionally.
Raising the percentage
Good intentions, for sure, but as yet women in the workplace comprise only about 35% of the total. bpostgroup intends to redress this balance, and keep gender diversity awareness high on the list of priorities, with a targeted increase of the representation of women in management to 50% by 2030.
Why women specifically in management? – Because the bpostgroup strategy is to develop leadership in an entirely new way from the old, traditional ‘Command and Control’ model. This evolution of leadership into a more motivational and collaborative environment is a crucial step towards future success for the whole group.
Holding up a mirror to change
Sometimes it’s hard for people to change and develop without external feedback and encouragement. WIN, an initiative of one of the bpostgroup’s entities Radial, has the vision to ‘inspire and support members to achieve their full potential both personally and professionally’.
May 2022 saw the first WIN event, built on diversity and inclusion, with the focus for the remainder of the year on motivation, both professionally and personally.
Thanks to WIN and the XandY initiative, the obstacles faced by many women in the workplace are now being addressed more fully. There’s still a way to go, but the journey has begun. The understanding of issues, and ways to improve gender balance are being presented to all bpostgroup colleagues, to create a new and more holistic approach to the working culture.
Within bpostgroup it’s essential to have places to exchange ideas and offer support, and this is happening, with one particular focus being on how women are encouraged to take leadership roles in the business, and how the success of female managers will then ‘trickle down’ throughout the whole organization.
