Kathleen O. Mathisen, CHRO of Grieg Seafood: Anchoring Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives may have been paused due to the pandemic as companies went into survival mode. However, it is time for organizations to restart D&I efforts to reap benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce. According to McKinsey & Company, the likelihood of diverse companies out-earning their competitors have only grown in the past five years. 

Grieg Seafood, a multinational salmon farming company headquartered in Norway, has been a strong advocate for human rights and diversity in the workplace, in addition to sustainable fish farming practices. We speak with Kathleen O. Mathisen, CHRO and Internal Communication of Grieg Seafood, about the importance of D&I, closing the gender gap and what it means to be a HR leader today.  

 

Diversity as a Core Focus Area

 

According to the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), fish catching is male dominated in most regions around the world. Offshore and deep fishing in ocean-going boats is delegated to male crews, while women work onshore carrying out skilled and time-consuming tasks such as processing and marketing catches.  

Mathisen says more women are found in the support function in the seafood industry. “Many women didn’t want to go into [the seafood] industry years ago because it was hard work,” she says. However, advances in automation and technology have drawn more women to the industry. Laborious tasks are now automated and simplified at Grieg Seafood with technologically advanced control rooms.  

Machine learning and AI has enabled remote feeding of fish which increases fish welfare and reduces fish waste. Digital farmers are now able to remotely feed seven million fish living in 12 farms, all from Grieg Seafood’s land-based operational center in Rogaland.  

“The key here is to balance and minimize the gender gap without losing the core competence that you have,“ Mathisen says.  

 

D&I as a Top-down Approach 

 

Once a culture of inclusion is fostered at the level of an organization’s decision makers, it will eventually trickle down to the management team and the rest of the employees. Mathisen stresses that “it’s about making those long-term plans, it’s about being strategic, it’s about anchoring the decision to minimize the gender gap at the top.’‘  

To start this process, Mathisen advises C-levels initiate a change of mindset and behavior. Management teams should look inward and analyze communication practices with their peers.  

“Are we different? Or are do we always agree? If we always agree, that should be a big question mark!” With that said, leaders should not be afraid of addressing shortcomings in the diversity department. It’s a matter of being bold and transparent in sharing information with their peers and employees. This will instill trust and confidence that C-levels will follow through with D&I initiatives.  

However, Mathisen is concerned that these initiatives are still at the drawing board and not fully implemented. ”It’s sad that we need to have those discussions – that gender balance is important, that diversity matters, because of course it matters!” 

   

A Competence-based Hiring Policy 

 

Grieg Seafood has a goal of increasing the percentage of female employees at Grieg Seafood to 40% by 2026. According to her, the 50/50 ratio of male to female employees should not be in the end goal, and is neither right nor wrong.  

Additionally, Grieg Seafood has a gender-based hiring policy in place where the organization tries its utmost to have a man and a woman as the two final candidates for a position. However, Mathisen says that that’s not always the case. Shortlisted candidates may be two women or two men. This is because at the end of the day, Mathisen stands behind a competence-based hiring process.  

”You shouldn’t be asking where people come from or [look at their] gender. You should look at competence, and that should be the final measurement when you’re recruiting people.” 

Occasionally, Mathisen comes across a disruptive candidate that challenges the status quo of the role’s requirements, pushing the organization to remove their biases and ultimately revise the job criteria to be more inclusive. There is a number of benefits when it comes to hiring based on competence such as consistency in the hiring process, accurate predictions of future performance and lower turnover rate. 

 

Creating a Culture for Sustainable Employability  

 

As sustainability is one of Grieg Seafood’s main focus areas, it’s no surprise that it extends to the company culture as well. Mathisen says that having sustainable habits at the workplace stems from the employees themselves. 

”It’s not a corporate initiative that starts at the top [that forces] people to [work and think in a sustainable way]. It comes from the people, and that has a totally different dynamic.” 

In an employability context, sustainability carries a different meaning. The right conditions need to be in place to ensure employees are happy, healthy and motivated. Capable employees who are motivated and passionate about their jobs stay at their company three times longer, generating long-term ROI for an organization. 

Mathisen reveals some of the ways Grieg Seafood creates an environment for sustainable employability: 

• Listen to your employees: Pulse surveys are used to collect feedback from employees on how the company is doing and what can be improved. 
• Provide training and development programs: Employees have access to a wide range of e-learning programs. Another pilot project has been taken on to provide more programs to employees so they can educate themselves.  
• Instill trust and flexibility: Employees are treated fairly according to their needs. A working culture that is rooted in trust and flexibility is key to unlock employee engagement and productivity.  
• Implement proper hybrid work policies and regulations: It is important to have planned meeting points, face-to-face onboarding sessions and revised insurance packages in the future. 

“If you have a good culture, you don’t have to [spend] a lot of money on branding,” Mathisen says. She adds that companies with a “walk the talk” mentality will attract and retain the right talent.  

“Young talent comes in all shapes and sizes. [People] will look for companies that have values they can identify themselves with.” 

Mathisen says that the CHRO role has become broader in the post-pandemic era. Today’s HR leaders must focus on the future of work for their companies — finding new solutions, pushing innovative strategies and ensuring team members feel connected in a hybrid work environment.