IHG has
partnered with Steps, an organisation that empowers employers
to realise the potential of neurodivergent people.
As part of the agreement, five IHG hotels in
Bangkok, Thailand will this year become ‘disability inclusion ready’.
The hotels taking part
will follow a wide-ranging programme that includes workplace
accessibility plans and consultations, disability training,
empowerment of inclusivity champions, recruitment and onboarding
of disability employees, and the setting up of an inclusive
employment model that embodies a culture of inclusion.
Using the findings from the first five hotels, the project will be
extended to other IHG properties and destinations across the
country. The findings will also be used by the Neurodiversity at
Work Research Centre (NWRC) which is in the process of conducting
evidence-based research of real, actionable value to businesses
who wish to hire inclusively.
It’s the latest milestone for
IHG on its ‘Great DE&I Conversation’ journey, which sees its
colleagues in South East Asia supporting causes as part of a commitment to serve local communities and positively impact lives
and creating an inclusive workforce that welcomes people with
disabilities and celebrates differences.
“Our goal is to have every IHG hotel in Thailand
employing people with disabilities. We already have 70% of our
properties achieving this and now, through this fantastic
partnership with Steps, we can bring about long-term, sustainable
change and provide equal and meaningful opportunities for people
in an environment that is truly understanding of others,” said Rajit Sukumaran,
Managing Director, South East Asia and Korea, IHG. “Diverse, equitable and
inclusive workplaces are a wonderful way to support the
communities in which we operate as we strive to make a difference
every day by delivering our purpose of True Hospitality for Good.
This partnership and many other initiatives, across the region and
globally, support our Journey to Tomorrow 2030 responsible
business plan commitments which includes improving the lives of 30
million people.”
Steps is committed to creating a more
inclusive world through education, modelling of inclusive and
sustainable business, and empowering employees. Its partnerships
are designed to
lead to successful pathways to employment for graduates, and
challenge pre-conceptions about neurodivergent people, leading to
more inclusive workplaces.
Max Simpson, CEO, Steps, said,
“We are delighted to work with IHG Hotels & Resorts on becoming
part of a larger movement to build an inclusive community across
the country. At Steps, we are on a mission to change lives
and for all neurodivergent people to be seen, heard, respected and
empowered. Only one in four people with disabilities of working
age are employed and even less within the neurodivergent
population – we need to increase this through meaningful
partnerships, such as our fantastic new collaboration with IHG.”
Thailand is a key market for IHG with 30 open hotels, and
a further 35
hotels in the pipeline.
Globally, IHG has more than 6,000 hotels
in over 100 countries and 345,000 employees representing a wide
variety of nationalities, cultures, religions, abilities and
backgrounds.
