40% employees from foreign countries
Like all companies in Malaysia, rapid economic growth means that Unisteel relies on foreign employees. 60% of the workforce comes from Malaysia, 25% from Nepal, 10% from Indonesia and 5% from other countries. Overall, specialists from ten different countries work at Unisteel Malaysia. This diversity ensures workforce stability, reduces training periods and boosts both productivity and flexibility. Having colleagues from multiple countries also reduces the company’s dependence on individual nations, which can be advantageous in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Member of the Responsible Business Alliance
Of course, this multitude of nationalities also poses some challenges. Unisteel continuously strives to create a discrimination-free environment and gears these efforts towards the principles of the Responsible Business Alliance. Employees are given many different opportunities to express themselves, report problems at an early stage and contribute new ideas.

In the interest of promoting social diversity and improving working conditions within the company, Unisteel not only implements an internal audit program for labor and human rights, but also conducts RBA self-assessments and RBA audits. Unisteel was just recently ranked with the “RBA SILVER” award in recognition of these efforts.

Unisteel Malaysia has set up a complaints mechanism for reporting misconduct, which can be triggered for incidents that take place both at the workplace and in the connected dormitory. Unisteel provides foreign workers with interpreters to overcome language barriers.

Equal opportunities for all
Unisteel is convinced that the different cultures help the company advance and that its customers benefit from the widely diverse range of skills, mindsets and perspectives.

Offering equal opportunities throughout all phases of employment makes Unisteel an attractive employer. All candidates – regardless of gender or ethnicity – have the same opportunities with respect to the application process, hiring, training, career development and pay. Appropriate training is offered for people with impairments. Employment contracts are issued in the language of each individual employee, which ensures transparency from the very first day onward.

Women well represented
Diversity is also seen in the high proportion of women working at Unisteel Malaysia. 25% of the leadership positions are filled by women. Unisteel also promotes employees’ work/life balance by offering maternity and paternity leave as well as other measures that are designed specifically to meet the needs of mothers.

Focus on employee well-being
Consistent attention is paid to maintaining the highest standards in areas defined by the RBA, such as efforts to end child labor, as well as to ensure appropriate working conditions, flexible working time arrangements and fair wages. Other key issues include employee well-being and the protection of personal data.

What’s more, a great deal of energy is being invested in awareness-raising measures for employees and managers, in particular, to promote responsible conduct and, doing so, implement a working environment free of violence, pressure and fear. Managers attend a developmental program, for example, that is designed to motivate them to implement and maintain a team-based culture where differences are viewed as assets and leveraged to boost productivity.