Retail Buster

Outline 3 HR practices carried out by Carrefour which are unique in Singapore

The success of Carrefour is largely due to Carrefour’s No.1 asset: Employees. Carrefour possess strong HR principles and policies which they practice worldwide and here are some identified being unconventional in Singapore.

Constructive Listening - LES EXOUTES DU PERSONNEL
To improve job satisfaction, Carrefour is using “Les Ecoutes du personnel” (Listening to Staff). In this programme, groups of employee representatives anonymously express their views, thus enabling Carrefour to identify areas in need of improvement. Being an International Retailer, Carrefour monitors compliance with trade union rights on the basis of an agreement signed with Union Network International (UNI).

In 2007, 20,504 employees participated in the groups, representing 180 hypermarkets
and 109 supermarkets in Argentina, Brazil, China, Columbia, Spain, France, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Poland and Turkey.

As an example, Carrefour Turkey signed a collective agreement in 2008 with the commerce union, a sign of real progress for employees in the areas of compensation and benefits. Carrefour encourages negotiations on improving working conditions at every level. Within the retail sector, Carrefour and UNI collaborate in European Union discussions on sector-specific labour issues.

At Group level, in the early 1990s Carrefour created one of the very first European Committees, called the European Consultation and Information Committee (CICE ), which brings together management and labour from throughout Europe for constructive and in-depth dialogue. The CICE is also involved in the Group’s CSR efforts. At country level, management oversees local social dialogue.

Such dialog is not common or even non-existence in Singapore as Singaporean company often see this as a unnecessary program that is a waste of company's resources.




Wide-ranging Career Opportunities Encouraging Diversity in Local Hiring- TRAINING FOR SUCCESS
Worldwide, Carrefour hires approximately 100,000 new employees every year. The large number hired and the wide varieties of jobs (over 120 different occupations) allows Carrefour to offer job and career opportunities for all population segments including young people, seniors, men, women, disabled individuals, graduates and non-graduates. Diversity comes naturally to Carrefour and its equal opportunities policy powers the career ladder. 75% of all Group managers have risen through the ranks.

This policy largely relies on a significant investment in training as well as the “Cap Careers” tool, which provides a detailed assessment of managerial employees. This tool thoroughly and objectively assesses managers’ skills and performance during individual interviews. Tested in France, Poland and Belgium in 2007, it is now being implemented in every country.

The training policy takes different forms. For example, a management and customer focus for managers in China, a campaign against illiteracy in French hypermarkets, and the creation of a Carrefour Institute in Djakarta, Indonesia.

Managers of Carrefour and its Alfa Retailindo subsidiary will be receiving training, with the goal of 20,000 training days for over 1,900 employees every year.

In Singapore, train of staff by company evolves mainly on the company's aim or goals to gain the "Singapore People Developer" certification. Not many company in Singapore adopt employee-centric training programmes benefiting employees more than employers.

Carrefour's Social and Ethical Approach
Carrefour is world's 7th largest private employer worldwide with over 495,000 employees. Carrefour's everyday HR policy evolve around its Code of Conduct as shown: