Encourage employees’ professional growth

The Group has launched a programme called OPEN (Our People in an Empowering Network) to develop employees’ potential and anticipate new ways of working.

Its goal is to create value for all Saint-Gobain stakeholders. The OPEN programme is aligned with the values that have underpinned the Group’s human resources policy for many years:

• The Principles of Conduct and Action;
• Respect for employee health and safety;
• Exemplary managerial practices; and
• Social dialogue.

The OPEN programme is underpinned by four key priorities: professional mobility, team diversity, employee commitment and development of talent. 

Professional mobility

Enhancing mobility between regions, functions or activities is a priority path for helping employees grow and broaden their horizons.

It is the best way to stimulate inter-team collaboration and offer new solutions for customers.

A number of tools have been put into place to encourage mobility in the Group, including:

• Annual performance reviews, individual reviews and succession plans, which provide key opportunities to identify an interest in mobility;
• Mobility committees, which make it possible to share information on job offers; and
• The OpenJob platform, which allows Saint-Gobain employees to see numerous offers in the Group and apply for positions online.

Team diversity

Numerous networks have been created at Saint-Gobain to promote diversity (gender, nationality, training, career background, generational and disability) in sub-Saharan Africa.

Enhancing gender diversity in teams involves an assertive hiring policy and action plans for professional promotion, equal pay for equal work, training and work-life balance.

Employee commitment

Saint-Gobain’s long-term objective is to guarantee a level of remuneration that is sufficient for each employee to have access to decent housing, in keeping with the standards of his or her country.

Numerous initiatives have already been implemented, including: 

• Employee share ownership;
• Health coverage;
• Labour agreements;
• Onboarding and integration programmes;
• New information technologies such as the internal social network; and
• Flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting.

Development of talent

Saint-Gobain is one of eight companies worldwide to receive this label from Top Employers Institute, an independent body that studies corporate human resources practices.

Saint-Gobain stands out, in particular, for paying close attention to talent management and skills development. Another decisive factor was its corporate culture, rooted in strong values that form the basis of its corporate social responsibility policy.

Six hundred practices and indicators regarding working conditions were approved and audited for each of the 21 countries certified where Saint-Gobain is present: Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

This illustrates the strength and cohesion of the Group’s human resources policy at the international level.

The Saint-Gobain School of Management

The Saint-Gobain School of Management, in particular, is responsible for carrying out this mission among managerial staff. The development of talent is also the responsibility of all managers who want to see their teams succeed and grow.

Celebrating achievements with the Saint-Gobain Pride Awards

The Saint-Gobain sub-Saharan Africa Pride Awards were launched in 2011 as a way of highlighting and celebrating the achievements of Saint-Gobain’s employees.

Every year, the awards recognise businesses, departments, teams and individuals who bring the Principles of Conduct and Action, values and strategy to life.

The competition is open to all employees working for Saint-Gobain in sub-Saharan Africa.

Winners are invited to an awards ceremony and dinner in Johannesburg (South Africa).

The categories are:
- EHS;
- Internal customer service;
- External customer service;
- Innovation;
- Leadership; and
- Teamwork

Management and social dialogue

Led by local managers in Group sites, social dialogue is based on relations with all social actors, from employees and their representative bodies internally, to customers, suppliers, communities and local public officials externally.

Social dialogue contributes to Saint-Gobain's overall performance.