Applus+ is supporting Ukrainian refugees in Spain

Applus+ has operations in more than 70 countries across six continents, encompassing a huge variety of nationalities, cultures, races, and ethnic and religious groups. This diversity of human capital is embedded in the very core of our identity as a company contributing greatly to our success.

Because of that, Applus+ has joined the Empresas que Ayudan initiative of the CEOE (The Spanish confederation of business organisations), an employment and training platform to assist Ukrainian refugees, as well as other groups displaced by the war. The goal is to assist in the long-term inclusion of refugees, to help them find decent work and offer them free training.

Applus+ publishes all its vacancies on this platform, available in Ukrainian, English and Spanish, so users can search for information about positions that match their skills and interests. At the moment, 28% of all openings on the Empresas que Ayudan website have been published by Applus+, and the company has already made its first hires through the framework of the initiative. Furthermore, Applus+ has been selected, along with another Spanish company, as a pilot company for the project.

As Carolina de Velasco, the Applus+ Head of Diversity, Culture and Talent, said: “Our experience is that professionals from Ukraine bring with them high levels of training, skills, responsibility and commitment. We hope they will stay with us but if, after the war, they decide to return to Ukraine, we are convinced that the professional experience they will have gained here will help with the future development of their country”.

Diversity is one of the strategic priorities for Applus+, and the company has linked the remuneration packages of management teams globally to ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) goals. The company’s actions in this area are based on its Diversity and Equality Policy and its Code of Ethics, and Applus+ has renewed its adherence to the EU’s Diversity Charter for three more years. The group has launched programmes and initiatives ensuring that there is no prejudice or stereotyping of any kind in the recruitment process, with regard to promotions, or training. 86% of our employees are natives of the countries in which they operate, strengthening ties between the company and the communities where we are based.

The initiatives Applus+ has launched to promote diversity within the company have received external recognition, and we were chosen as one of the seven best European companies in the European Diversity Awards. our Proyecto Sin Límites (Without Limits) project, aimed at the inclusion of people with disabilities, has been recognised by the UN Global Compact. The same program received further recognition as the most innovative business initiative at the Cinco Días awards, organised by the Spanish economics newspaper. The company was also recognised as being amongst the top three large companies for diversity and inclusion at the Randstad Foundation Awards, and selected amongst the best ten companies, out of 393 entrants, for work-life balance in the Alares Awards. Meanwhile, the company’s team in Galicia won first prize for equal opportunities and first prize for work-life balance at the Premios Transfronterizos (Cross-Border Awards).

As a result of this work, diversity was one of the most highly-regarded areas by our employees during the commitment survey carried out in 2021.