DIA Group General Human Resources Policy

As a multinational Group specializing in the distribution of food, drugstore, beauty, and health products DIA is aware of the need to adapt its human resource policies to the different cultural, labor, and business realities (i.e. competitors or customer profiles) within the different countries where it is located to ensure the success of its global project.

Furthermore, franchises and partnerships are a key element of the DIA Group business.  These associates are ambassadors of the DIA brand, and must be committed to ongoing excellence in quality of service and products, in keeping with the Company values.

In this regard, the General Human Resources Policy:

• Contains common bases and principles (i.e. symmetry with business goals, digital transformation), to be considered by the Group as a whole, in keeping with the business cycle stage of each area.
• Acknowledges the existence of idiosyncrasies in the different societies, countries and businesses forming the DIA Group and the need for flexibility in its local adaptation to certain policies (i.e. recruitment, communication, etc.).
• Establishes the directives applicable to the human resources area, to recruitment, and agreement signing with franchises and other partners, always in compliance with business needs, commitments reached and in accordance with the prevailing legislation at each particular time and country.

The purpose of all of this is to enable the:

• Recruitment, training and development of expert professionals;
• Integration of all professionals into the values and culture of the organization;
• Guarantee of a first-rate, stable, and safe employment;
• Design of a relevant offer to the employee throughout his or her working life;
• Promotion of long-term commitment with pride in belonging;
• Raising of awareness with regard to customer value;
• Development of talent management plans in keeping with business goals;
• Leadership of the DIA Group as a benchmark employer;
• Fostering of collaborative relationships and knowledge transfer to franchises, partners, and associates in people management areas.

The General Human Resources Policy is based on the following seven areas of action which guide the DIA Group commitment to job creation and people management:

• Recruitment and hiring of professionals
• Equality and diversity
• Talent management and development
• Work-life balance
• Safe and healthy working environment
• Commensurate income
• Labor relations

Recruitment and hiring of professionals

The DIA Group believes that the recruitment and hiring of the best professionals is critical to its company success and in integrating people into the values and culture of the organization (“DIA profile”), which involves:

• Commitment to employment stability and the promotion of hiring locally. A balance is to be achieved between personal needs and the values defining the DIA Group;
• Efficacy in recruitment processes, ensuring their professionalism and quality throughout the organization;
• Assessment and recruitment of candidates in accordance with the desired profiles, based on strict objective criteria of merit and capacity, and ensuring transparency and professionalism of the process with equal treatment of all candidates;
• Coherent job description and appraisal, with objective criteria;
• Profile specialization in keeping with corporate reality;
• Horizontal and vertical mobility for professionals to cover internal vacancies in their own or a different area of the business.

Equality and diversity

In the DIA Group respect for people stems from an open, inclusive, and collaborative working culture based on merit, where team work is rewarded and people are encouraged to perform their best. 

The DIA Group respects prevailing legislation in all countries and centers of work, and promotes equal opportunities, non discrimination in the workplace, cultural diversity and respect for human labor rights, which involves:

• Compliance with prevailing labor laws and best practices in equality and employee diversity;
• Acknowledgment of different abilities, ensuring equal opportunities and promoting the integration of all employees (people with different abilities) and the mostdisadvantaged groups;
• Promotion of equal opportunities and equal pay for all employees within the organization;
• Awareness-raising and sensitization of employees through the development of initiatives and joint projects promoting equality and diversity in the labor force.

Talent management and development

The DIA Group job assessment system continuously and distinctively manages and develops the talents of the DIA Group employees. This is a basic tool for consistently developing the mechanisms of people management to fit in with the realities of the organization, enabling it to:

• Identify and acknowledge the value an employee and his or her different functions may offer at the different levels of company structure;
• Provide the organization with a flexible tool with which to carry out the integration and reorganization processes to better respond to customer demands;
• Detect needs and provide opportunities for international mobility;
• Participate in continuous training and development of skills, in accordance with business and customer needs;
• Be transparent, professional, and dynamic in company talent development procedures;
• Implement and develop a talent management system;
• implement and develop a succession plan for core-ability posts and professionals within the organization;
• implement and develop a plan for identifying high-potential individuals in the organization;
• Develop positive aspects which have an effect on the high performance of employees through the implementation of action plans;
• Foster internal mobility opportunities through a global vacancy system;
• Assess performance and the establishment of incentives for harnessing and retaining talent;
• Actively listen and involve employees.

International mobility in the DIA Group is a tool for expansion and professional development.  The DIA Group promotes international mobility processes in addition to its commitment to the development of local talent and employment, and promotes the spread of knowledge and subsequent location, thus controlling the costs associated with these relocations.

Work-life balance

The DIA Group recognizes the need for a balanced working environment which takes into account employees' personal and working lives. This leads to better performance in the workplace in addition to increasing pride in belonging to the organization, through: 

• An open and transparent working culture based on confidence, understanding, and commitment between professionals;
• The establishment of a working environment where professional, personal, and family lives may coexist harmoniously.
• The develoment of certain initiatives and benefits for employees to ensure their well-being.

Safe and healthy working environment

The DIA Group is aware of the importance of health and safety at work for all employees and collaborating third parties. It therefore promotes a safe and healthy working environment in all areas of the organization, through the following commitments:

• Compliance with prevailing legislation and best practices in health and safety;
• Diligent action in individual protection and that of those who form part of the DIA Group environment, including suppliers and associates;
• Reduction in the rate of accidents and an improvement in security in all value chain stages;
• Implementation, development, and securing of necessary prevention measures in the organization;
• Promotion of a culture of prevention and well-being through awareness and constant training of employees throughout the organization;
• Fostering of all employees' participation in the promotion of health and safety,cooperating jointly to increase the organization's safety standards;
• Monitoring of employee health with regards to workplace-related risks;
• Improvement of employee well-being through healthy behavioral habits;
• Demand for compliance of the safety regulations established by the DIA Group from suppliers and associates, involving them in the risk-preventative culture established in the organization.

Commensurate income

The DIA Group maintains a remuneration policy aimed at attracting, motivating and retaining a workforce capable of meeting all its business challenges. The DIA Group pursues the right balance of excellence among its employees through a carefully executed indemnity process comprising:

• A remuneration system based on the principles of balance and positioning in keeping with market forces, which acknowledges employee abilities, responsibilities, merits, and performance;
• The assurance of transparency and equal salary policies for the same jobs;
• A competitive salary base which complies with legislation;
• A variable salary based on short and long term incentives to promote business goal accomplishment and challenging personal objectives;
• The linking of a major part of the DIA Group Management salary to value creation objectives, aligning remuneration with shareholder interests and medium term strategic plans;
• The incorporation of best practices and directives from corporate investors and other international bodies, for the administration and design of remuneration;
• The drive to offer a benefits package to employees in keeping with local particularities.

Labor relations

The DIA Group recognizes the right of its employees to both freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining within the established legal frameworks of the company sector environment. 

Furthermore, the DIA Group promotes a culture of continuous representation and dialog with all of its employees, both individually and collectively. The Group aims at firsthand knowledge and understanding of any concerns and of the level of satisfaction, to ensure long-term company success.

The DIA Group Board of Directors approves the General Human Resources Policy and adheres to it, ensuring its respect for legislation and internal regulations relating to the people who form part of the organization.

The DIA Group Human Resources strategic plan will establish the specific objectives and define the specific actions to be accomplished in the short, medium, and long term.

The DIA Group has a flexible, transparent, and constantly evolving human resources management system enabling it to adapt to a fast-changing business climate. 

The system is supervised by senior management and is able to achieve organizational coherence, appreciate strategic issues and manage the workforce through common criteria.

The General Human Resources Policy is applied to all companies and countries forming part of the DIA Group.

The contents of this Policy must be complied with by all persons forming part of the DIA Group. Awareness and outreach of this Policy is therefore dependent on the communication tools available within the organization.

For further information: Dia Corporate.