Telenor puts diversity and inclusion on the supplier agenda

Telenor has set high expectations for itself in terms of its diversity and inclusion agenda. Now the company wants to know more about its suppliers and how they view diversity and inclusion in their business.

As a first step, Telenor will request more information from their top 40 suppliers, asking them about their policies, targets, and future ambitions for a well-balanced workforce.

Continuing to challenge

“Diversity is important to Telenor’s business. Our purpose of empowering societies is about including everyone so they can connect to what matters most to them. Today, this has become more important than ever to us and our diverse customer base. That’s why we will continue to challenge ourselves and our partners towards improvement in this area. We are excited to embark on this initiative, to take our commitment to diversity and inclusion one step further – both in the workforce and society,” says Cecilie Heuch, Chief People & Sustainability Officer for Telenor Group.

This questionnaire to the top 40 suppliers is a first step in Telenor’s journey to put diversity and inclusion on its agenda when engaging with partners. Over time, the company aims to make diversity and inclusion one of its considerations as part of its assessment and evaluation of partners. In the long-term, Telenor intends to work with suppliers who share its stance on the importance of diversity and inclusion.

“Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is important to Ericsson and something we’ve been actively striving to continually improve. As a partner to Telenor, we are pleased to be working with a company that also shares our values, as together, we can combine our efforts and experiences to improve diversity and inclusion within the ICT industry,” says Nadine Allen, Head of Global Customer Unit Telenor at Ericsson.

Empowering women in the workplace

On International Women’s Day 2021, Telenor’s President and CEO, Sigve Brekke will also be signing the UN Women Empowerment Principles. Upon signing, Telenor will be included among the companies who share this commitment, which requires compliance with seven key gender equality principles.

“This milestone is representative of Telenor’s diversity and inclusion development over the past years. I’m proud that we are putting important topics such as pay equality and hiring practices on the agenda and taking action to increase the share of women in senior leadership positions. Constantly working towards higher targets to create a more diverse Telenor is essential to our future success,” says Brekke.