In Europe May is the month of diversity! The main idea of celebrating diversity is to value, involve and treat everyone equally.
At Stell, diversity is highly appreciated, because all employees are equally valuable to us. We value the principles of equal treatment among our employees, customers, and partners. Out of the company’s nearly 1,500 employees, 74% are women and 26% are men. Stell employs people of very different ages and nationalities in all regions. The average age in the company is 52.1 years, and the oldest employee is 86 years old. Our employees include people of high age and seniority. We have more than 180 employees who have more than 10 years of work experience. The person with the longest experience has been working in Stell since 1995. It is a pleasure to see that people want to stay with us for a long time and share common values.
The theme of this year’s diversity month is building bridges, which focuses on finding common ground between people and communities. Different experiences, perspectives and knowledge complement each other and bring us together – everyone’s contribution counts!
As part of the diversity month, we asked colleagues to share stories and photos of their hobbies. It’s amazing how diverse our staff is! Most of all, Stell has garden enthusiasts, who like to spend their free time in the garden, growing plants and enjoying all this beauty. Music is also a big hobby for many. There is a colleague who has been playing the violin for more than 15 years, and there is one person who has just started learning how to play it. Of course, we have motorcycle enthusiasts, sports enthusiasts, as well as theatre enthusiasts.
We celebrated the diversity day in our company on 20 May. We invited participants in the Estonian Association of Assistance and Therapy Dogs to find out who the therapy dogs are, and how they can help in the health, education, and social fields. The contribution of therapy dogs to activity therapy or the development of the reading skills of young children is very important! In addition, the association aims to promote responsible pet care and to value the connection between a man and a dog.
The lecture by Maarja Tali, the head of the therapy dog association, was very inspiring and eye-catching. In addition, the therapy dog Pärtu visited our office with the owner Teele. We crafted dog toys and admired Pärt’s tricks.
Since 2018 we have been the bearer of the diversity label “We Respect Differences” issued by the Estonian Human Rights Centre and the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Coverphoto: Shutterstock