Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Corporate Responsibility
• Employee Engagement
• Diversity & Inclusion

Social Achievements

• Kilimanjaro climb by 13 Hays employees raised £250,000 for Action for Children.
• Asia Pacific division organised a fundraising day for the Queensland Flood Appeal, raising £40,000.

Governance Achievements

• Compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code.
• Introduction of a new Group-wide anti-bribery and corruption policy and training for all employees.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Difficult economic conditions impacting performance.
• UK Government’s austerity drive severely impacting public sector recruitment.
• Natural disasters in Brisbane, Christchurch, and Tokyo.
• Fragile client and candidate confidence in the UK.

Mitigation Strategies

• Diversification of operations across geographies and specialisms.
• Actions taken to reduce cost base and defend profitability in the UK.
• Investment in technology systems, people training, and brand identity.
• Quick response to challenges and capitalizing on opportunities.
• Cost reduction measures in the UK (closing 23 smaller offices, restructuring).

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Employee well-being
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Ethical Conduct
• Community Investment
• Environmental Sustainability

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced employee intensity per tonne CO2e from 2.22 to 1.98
• Implemented 'Switch-it-Off' campaign to reduce energy consumption
• Recycled paper and encouraged teleconferencing to reduce travel emissions

Social Achievements

• 84% employee engagement level (80% participation rate in TALKback survey)
• Over 70 employees relocated internationally
• Supported various local charities and causes through employee volunteering and fundraising
• Named one of the Best Places to Work in the UK by Glassdoor
• Partnerships with universities and organizations to support youth employment and skills development (e.g., Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Poland, UK, Belgium, Colombia, Spain)

Governance Achievements

• Commitment to Code of Conduct and Ethics Policy, including Equal Opportunity Policy
• Supplier Code of Conduct implemented
• Independent verification of carbon footprint by Carbon Smart

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Youth unemployment
• Skills shortages
• Global economic conditions
• Changing demographics
• Under-representation of women in certain sectors (e.g., science and engineering)

Mitigation Strategies

• Blueprint for jobs growth in the UK (collaboration with education and business, retraining older workers, fiscal incentives for apprentices, fast-track visas)
• Partnerships with universities and organizations to support youth employment and skills development
• Initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion
• Supporting employee learning and development programs

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Greenhouse Gas Protocol

Certifications: ISO 14001 (UK)

Third-party Assurance: Carbon Smart

Awards & Recognition

• One of the top 25 Best Places to Work in the UK (Glassdoor)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Gender Equality

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced single-use plastic across UK & Ireland business by 70%
• Secured a deal for renewable electricity in UK offices, expected to save roughly 629 tonnes of carbon dioxide over two years

Social Achievements

• Launched Hays Thrive, a free online training and wellbeing platform with over 17,000 client sign-ups and 51,000 individual learning accounts
• Launched #HaysHelps, allowing employees in UK&I one paid day of leave to volunteer
• Hays UK offices raised over £70,000 for End Youth Homelessness’ Employability Fund
• Hays Australia partnered with National Australia Bank to deliver workshops for their African Australian Inclusion Program

Governance Achievements

• Created an ED&I Council to globalise equality, diversity & inclusion efforts
• Hays plc complies with all provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Severe impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic
• Macroeconomic conditions deteriorated in H1 2020, further impacted by Covid-19 in H2
• Brexit uncertainty impacting UK trading
• Competition from digital technologies and outsourced recruitment models
• Talent retention, especially internationally
• Regulatory and compliance complexities across 33 countries
• Reliance on technology and cybersecurity threats
• Data protection and privacy regulations
• Complex and onerous contract terms

Mitigation Strategies

• Transitioned to remote working almost overnight
• Active cost base management while protecting core operations
• £196 million equity raise in April 2020
• Strong credit control and working capital management
• Diversification of operations across countries and sectors
• Investment in online presence and key relationships with digital platforms
• Structured induction and ongoing training programs for employees
• International Leadership Management Programme for senior leaders
• Tailored compliance and monitoring processes
• Robust data protection and information security policies
• Minimizing risk in contract negotiations
• Robust IT Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning processes

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Companies Act 2006

Certifications: FTSE4Good Index Series

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Goal 5: Gender Equality

Hays' purpose aligns with Goal 8, and initiatives promote gender equality

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Hays Thrive

Awards & Recognition

• Great Place to Work® awards (Luxembourg, Greater China)
• Best Workplaces™ in Asia 2020 (Greater China)
• TheJobCrowd’s ‘Best Large Company for Graduates’ (UK)
• Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Graduate employers (Australia)
• Top Employer 2020 Award (Austria, Germany, Switzerland)
• Building Equality Awards ‘Partner of the Year’

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate Action
• Gender Equality
• Decent Work & Economic Growth

Environmental Achievements

• Became a carbon neutral company in FY21, offsetting Scope 1, 2 and main Scope 3 GHG emissions.
• Set a target to reduce GHG emissions by c.50% versus 2020 levels by 2025.

Social Achievements

• Launched Hays Helps programme focusing on supporting workers living with a disability; ethnic minorities; LGBTQ+ communities; under-utilised talent; the mature aged workforce; and young people.
• Set a target to reach 50% female in top 560 senior leaders by 2030 (FY21: 42%).
• Hays Australia launched a Diversity Data collection portal for temp workers.

Governance Achievements

• Established a Global ED&I council.
• Set stretching targets on female senior management (45% by 2025, 50% by 2030).

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted the global economy and Hays' business, particularly in H1 FY21.
• Macroeconomic/cyclical business exposure leading to reduced candidate and client confidence.
• Competition from digital technologies and insourced/outsourced recruitment models.
• Talent acquisition challenges due to increased competition for high-quality talent.
• Regulatory/compliance complexities across 33 countries.
• Reliance on technology and cybersecurity threats.
• Data protection/privacy regulations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Contractual risks with clients.

Mitigation Strategies

• Implemented cost control measures, protected core infrastructure, and increased headcount in H2.
• Diversified operations across temporary and permanent recruitment, sectors, and geographies.
• Invested in online presence, data science, and client relationships.
• Provided career development paths, training, and competitive remuneration packages.
• Tailored compliance processes to specific specialisms and regions.
• Implemented robust IT security measures, including disaster recovery and penetration testing.
• Established comprehensive data protection policies and procedures.
• Minimized risk in contract negotiations and implemented robust insurance coverage.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Opportunities

• Growth in Green Economy recruitment

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: UN SDGs

Third-party Assurance: ClimatePartner

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
• Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
• Goal 13 (Climate Action)

Hays' initiatives contribute to these goals through carbon neutrality efforts, promoting decent work and economic growth, and supporting gender equality.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Hays Thrive platform

Awards & Recognition

• At Work Australia Disability Employment Services Award
• Best place to learn award (Germany)
• Top Employer award
• Gold Trophy in Recruitment Consultancy category (France)
• 1st place in Recruitment & Selection and Executive Search categories (Poland)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate Change
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Governance
• Community Engagement
• Employee Wellbeing

Environmental Achievements

• Increased renewable energy share in offices to 73% (from 13% in 2021), saving 5,325 tCO2e.
• Reduced business travel by 79% from pre-pandemic levels, saving 867.41 tCO2e in Australia alone.
• Increased proportion of electric or hybrid vehicles in company car scheme.
• Achieved carbon neutrality in 2021 and had Science-Based Targets approved by SBTi in 2022.

Social Achievements

• Launched and expanded the 'Helping for your Tomorrow' program, resulting in over 10,000 volunteer hours.
• Improved employee engagement score to 80% (from 78% in 2021).
• Increased female representation in top senior leaders to 42.4% (from 41.6% in 2021).
• Helped approximately 350,000 candidates secure new roles.
• Offered over 870,000 online learning courses to candidates.

Governance Achievements

• Established a Global ED&I Council and regional committees.
• Developed and implemented an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) strategy.
• Published a Supplier Code of Conduct.
• Implemented annual compliance training for all employees covering anti-bribery, data protection, and competition law.
• First TCFD disclosure published.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Supply chain disruptions due to climate events (indirectly mentioned)
• Attracting and retaining diverse talent.
• Reducing Scope 3 emissions.

Mitigation Strategies

• Transitioning to cloud-based hosting for data centers to mitigate physical risks.
• Developing alternative sourcing strategies (implied through supplier engagement and responsible procurement).
• Implementing ED&I initiatives and setting targets for female representation in leadership.
• Setting Science-Based Targets to reduce GHG emissions.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Preference for suppliers with Science-Based Targets

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events (cyclones, floods) disrupting data centers.

Transition Risks

• Disruption in high-transition-risk sectors (e.g., fossil fuels).
• Increased competition in low-carbon markets.
• Increased costs associated with carbon pricing.

Opportunities

• Growth in low-carbon markets.
• Cost savings from reduced energy use and travel.
• Attracting and retaining talent through sustainability commitments.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: TCFD, Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

Certifications: Top Employer 2022 (Germany), Investors In Diversity (Ireland)

Awards & Recognition

• Top Employer 2022 (Germany)
• Investors In Diversity (Ireland)
• Great Place to Work® Certification (Netherlands)
• 2021 RPO Talent Solutions Company of the Year (ANZ)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)
• Climate Change (Net Zero)
• Community Engagement
• Employee Wellbeing
• Responsible Business Practices

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced GHG emissions by 29% versus 2020 baseline (restated figures)
• Increased renewable energy use in 132 offices globally
• Achieved carbon neutrality for scope 1, 2, and selected scope 3 emissions through offsetting
• Conducted most comprehensive GHG data collection to date

Social Achievements

• Increased senior female leadership to 44.3% (up 1.9%)
• Increased employee volunteering hours by ~85% to 17,673 hours
• Launched mental health awareness training for managers and established a network of mental health first aiders
• Launched partnership with Finwell to support employees during cost-of-living crisis
• Acquired Vercida Consulting, a UK DE&I consultant

Governance Achievements

• Orderly and transparent CEO succession process
• Appointment of new Chief Executive Officer
• Annual Board effectiveness evaluation
• Review and update of internal governance processes
• Continued compliance with UK Corporate Governance Code 2018

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Challenging macroeconomic conditions (inflation, interest rates, recessionary fears)
• Slowdown in Perm recruitment market
• Increased competition in recruitment market
• Talent shortages
• Geopolitical uncertainties

Mitigation Strategies

• Cost reduction measures (headcount reduction, travel, property, back-office efficiency)
• Focus on increasing fee margins and higher-value roles
• Investment in technology and data analytics
• Diversification of revenue streams (Temp & Contracting, Technology, Enterprise clients)
• Strategic investments in key growth areas (Technology, Green Economy)

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Preference for suppliers committed to Net Zero

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events (cyclones, floods) impacting data centers

Transition Risks

• Changes in market supply and demand due to low-carbon transition
• Increased competition in low-carbon markets
• Carbon pricing

Opportunities

• Growth in low-carbon and sustainability-related markets
• Attracting and retaining talent through sustainability commitments
• Cost savings from energy and GHG reduction

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: TCFD, UN SDGs

Certifications: ISO 14001 (UK)

Third-party Assurance: Climate Partner

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
• Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
• Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
• Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)
• Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
• Goal 5 (Gender Equality)
• Goal 4 (Quality Education)
• Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
• Goal 13 (Climate Action)
• Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

Hays' contributions to these goals are detailed in the report

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Not disclosed

Awards & Recognition

• Top 1% in 'Leading Employers' 2023 survey
• 6th in Germany's Women's career index
• Finalist in Australian HR Awards 2022
• 'Great Places to Work' awards (Japan, Belgium, Netherlands)
• Gold Accreditation from Irish Centre of Diversity
• Armed forces gold covenant accreditation (UK)
• 'Best Financial Wellness Initiative' (UK)