DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices are crucial to ensure a diverse range of perspectives, enhance employee engagement and foster innovation. At CDL Group, women make up a significant 44% of our global workforce, representing 36% of our HODs. At the Company’s corporate office, women make up 68% of our workforce and 45% of our HODs. The Group also has a diversified workforce across all age groups.
Employee Demographics – Breakdown of Global Workforce according to Gender and Management Positions
| Employee type | Total no. of employees | Total no. of female employees | Total no. of male employees | % of females |
| Total workforce | 8,354 | 3,693 | 4,661 | 44% |
| Junior Management | 543 | 260 | 283 | 48% |
| Middle Management | 1,180 | 524 | 656 | 44% |
| Senior Management | 60 | 24 | 36 | 40% |
| Revenue-generating departments | 2,703 | 1,163 | 1,540 | 43% |
| STEM | 959 | 123 | 836 | 13% |
CDL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TASK FORCE
Creating and expanding opportunities for women are fundamental to the Group’s sustainable growth and beneficial to society. The Company’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force was established in 2017 to promote diversity and inclusion within our workplace and the wider community. Under the leadership of CDL’s Group CEO, the Task Force is co-chaired by the Company’s Sustainability and the HR departments.
PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
In 2017, CDL’s Group CEO, Sherman Kwek, joined over 1,600 leaders globally in pledging CDL’s support for the Women’s Empowerment Principles. Developed through a partnership between the UN Women and UNGC, the principles offer practical guidance to the private sector on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. In 2022, CDL’s Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), Esther An, became an advocate for the G20 Alliance for Empowerment and Progression of Women’s Economic Representation. The G20 Empower aims to accelerate women’s leadership and empowerment in the private sector. With a workforce that is majority female at the Company, empowering women and supporting their pursuit of career and personal development is fundamental to our corporate sustainability strategy.
RACIAL AND DISABILITY INCLUSION
The Group embraces an inclusive workplace with a multi-racial workforce from diverse backgrounds globally. Where possible, we also provide fair employment opportunities for the less physically-abled. As at end-2024, the Company has one wheelchair-bound employee who has been employed for 16 years.
RACIAL DIVERSITY
| 4 | Ethnicity disclosure excludes CDL Group’s EU-based employees data due to the EU data protection regulations |
ANTI-BULLYING AND ANTI-HARASSMENT
The CDL Workplace Anti-Harassment and Anti-Bullying Policy communicates the Company’s stance for all employees to be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subject to any physical, psychological, verbal or sexual abuse. The Company’s employees are encouraged to be culturally sensitive, tolerant and respectful towards one another at all times. This policy also deals with incidents involving external customers and stakeholders who conduct themselves in a manner that constitutes harassment, within and beyond company premises. To reinforce our stance on anti-harassment and anti-bullying, a compulsory workshop on professional workplace boundaries was launched in January 2021 for all staff, including a session for management. In 2024, the Group recorded one case of harassment involving a member of our workforce. Immediate actions were taken to investigate the incident and resulted in the cessation of employment for the offending employee.
FAIR AND COMPETITIVE REMUNERATION
Fair and competitive remuneration attracts and retains talents to build strong human and organisational capital, enabling the Group’s continued and robust business growth. Aligned with internal parity and market benchmarks, the Group’s equitable remuneration packages are based on employees’ performance and their scope of work.
Employee Performance Management System
The Group uses a well-structured and open annual performance appraisal system, which is reviewed and enhanced periodically to encourage two-way feedback between employees and their reporting officers. The Group utilises a range of performance appraisals methods, including (1) Management by objectives – systematic use of agreed measurable targets by line superior, (2) Multi-dimensional performance appraisal, and (3) Formal comparative ranking of employees within one employee category. 100% of the Group’s employees are appraised using one or more of these performance appraisal methods. Appraisals are conducted on a yearly basis.
Pay Parity
A fair and inclusive workplace is one where employees are remunerated equally for the same role, regardless of gender. CDL Group’s breakdown of our global workforce according to gender pay is as follows:
| 5 | Calculated as the mean salary of female staff over the mean salary of male staff. Executives: Executives to Assistant Vice Presidents, and secretaries; Non-management: officer grades and below; Management: Vice Presidents and above |
| 6 | Calculated using bonus earned in FY2023 and received in FY2024. Computation of FY2024’s bonus will only be available in 1H 2025 |
Competitive Remuneration
Remuneration is recommended by the Company’s Human Resources department and approved by the Remuneration Committee which comprises members of the Company’s Board. Salary benchmarks against market surveys are conducted to ensure the relevancy of the Company’s salaries with the industry and overall market. An external consultancy firm is engaged biennially to conduct an Employee Engagement Survey for employees’ feedback and their perception of the Company’s remuneration and reward system.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-linked Remuneration
Incorporating ESG issues into executive management goals and incentive schemes promotes greater recognition and accountability in our sustainability practices. Since 2015, the Company has established stronger linkages between employee and executive remuneration and our ESG performance. Performance indicators that are aligned with global standards such as ISO 26000, ISO 14001, GRI Standards, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and others have been incorporated in the individual goals-setting of all employees, including the Company’s ExCo and senior management.
In 2021, the Company increased the alignment of our ESG performance with the ExCo members’ remuneration. 30% of our ExCo members’ remuneration is contingent on hitting the Group’ ESG targets, with a respective weightage of 5% for Environmental, 10% for Governance targets and 15% for Social targets. With HODs reporting to the respective ExCo members, the ESG key performance indicators (KPIs) are cascaded down to every level in our organisation. HODs are held accountable for their ESG performances, which are then captured in their annual performance appraisals that correspond with their remuneration and promotions.