We see human capital as the main challenge and opportunity that companies must tackle for the future. Taking care of our people is a strategic priority, so we always pursue our associates’ satisfaction in relation to the workplace environment, professional development and career paths, and occupational health and safety conditions.
In the first half of 2021, we are still experiencing a scenario of strong Covid-19 impacts, which made us continue many of the measures taken in 2020 to prevent our associates from being exposed to risks of contamination. We adopt remote and hybrid work models depending on the situation, and we continue to monitor the health of our team, disseminating information to raise awareness of preventive behavior and providing materials and protective equipment for our professionals such as technicians working the field and store staff. All work related to the effect of the pandemic on the lives of our associates was placed on the People Committee’s agenda.
During the year, we made several assessments using digital tools to detect our associates’ feelings in relation to the workplace environment and conditions, and we got very positive feedback. For the abovementioned reasons, we were recognized as one of the best companies to work for by Great Place To Work in 2021.
After 810 new hires and 1,900 terminations, we had 4,600 associates at the end of 2021. Although there were more terminations/dismissals than new hires, the number of associates was up 5.8% against the previous year due to our acquisition of Vogel. Our staff consist mostly of professionals from Brazil’s Southeast region in the proportions of 73.4% men and 26.6% women.
Associates in 2021 by gender
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender/Type of contract | Temporary | Permanent | Temporary | Permanent | Temporary | Permanent |
| Female | 23 | 1,257 | 16 | 1,272 | 81 | 1,131 |
| Male | 65 | 3,145 | 69 | 2,886 | 91 | 3,259 |
| Total¹ | 88 | 4,402 | 85 | 4,158 | 172 | 4,390 |
(1) 2021’s total includes 6 VPs counted in “governance entities” for the diversity indicator.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Customers | Temporary | Permanent | Temporary | Permanent | Temporary | Permanent |
| North | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northeast | 5 | 264 | 3 | 245 | 7 | 218 |
| South | 6 | 271 | 6 | 280 | 13 | 412 |
| Southeast | 77 | 3,741 | 76 | 3,509 | 147 | 3,632 |
| Mid-West | 0 | 126 | 0 | 124 | 5 | 128 |
| Total1 | 88 | 4,402 | 85 | 4,158 | 172 | 4,390 |
(1) Total includes 6 VPs counted in “governance entities” for our diversity indicator.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender/Type of employment | Part time | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time | Full time |
| Female | 25 | 1,255 | 4 | 1,284 | 77 | 1,135 |
| Male | 57 | 3,153 | 21 | 2,934 | 79 | 3,271 |
| Total¹ | 82 | 4,408 | 25 | 4,218 | 156 | 4,406 |
(1) 2021’s total includes 6 VPs counted in “governance entities” for the diversity indicator.
Since 2020, we have acted on an audacious plan to attract and retain talent while tackling the challenges of a potential new growth cycle. This scenario arises from investments made in recent years and higher demand for Telecom services.
Our first objective was to develop a campaign showing that we have adopted the best people management practices and that we offer attractive benefits such as profit sharing, meritocratic promotion and incentives for internal moves or transfers. Our job advertising campaign used videos in which our associates invite viewers to take part in selection processes. We have also strengthened the campaign’s social media exposure.
Other initiatives to attract and retain talent through entry level programs are named Fiber Talents (for interns) and Apprentice without barriers; taking part in student life through events at universities and institutions; partnerships with job sites such as Vagas.com and pro-diversity platforms for special opportunities such as TransEmpregos (for transexuals), Meninas Digitais (digital girls), and Negrê. There are also partnerships with programs such as Super Talents, Opportunities that Transform and Talents of the Future (the last two run by Instituto Algar).
In 2021, we reorganized our hiring practices for interns, who had previously joined as and when needed (depending on vacant positions). So interns now join the Fiber Talents Program, in which they are collectively onboarded and have their development based on corporate and technical programs. Post-training evaluations are held and through them suggestions for improvements may be submitted and accepted for subsequent training groups.
We are convinced of the advantages of keeping the best teams, so we map key business competences and identify professionals who have them as well as any absence of certain skills, while constantly measuring ENPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) of our human talent sub-processes. We also manage and control talent attraction and retention to deliver agreed targets/goals and results; mitigate the risk of any key competences that may be missing; and work to join the best talents together in order to deliver relevant results.
We also have performance management programs assessing associates using the Nine Box methodology, which reviews a professional’s achievements and potential for the future. A total of 2,675 associates went through assessment in the year
| Performance Assessments | |
|---|---|
| Total associates assessed | 2,675 |
| Executives | 110 |
| Promotion | 104 |
| Non-executives | 2,223 |
| Agile | 227 |
| Interns | 11 |
Through Algar’s No Barriers program, we are conducting ongoing studies foster an increasingly sound environment of respect for and tolerance of differences in terms of gender, age, disability, race and sexual orientation. We believe this environment not only translates into good relations for coexistence but also significant presence of associates representing this diversity.
To progress in this respect, we monitor indicators and targets and also run internal campaigns to mobilize leaders and disclose differentials that have been adopted internally. We also mobilize associates to support new projects and post educational content on Workplace, our corporate social network.
In July 2021, we held our 1st Diversity and Inclusion Week for our internal audience in order to publicize and raise awareness of each of Algar’s no-barrier pillars. The event involved meetings, lectures and roundtables, newsletters, a D&I educational trail, gamification and educative awards. In all, there were 6 hours of talks broadcast live with 3 high-profile speakers and a roundtable with Brain and Telecom associates. There were 4,500 views and interactions and 341 comments from associates.
*Census data from 2021 for the following self-reported aspects: Ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and PwD
In 2021, we invested R$3.1 million in occupational training and qualification for our associates. We hold discussion forums, workshops, both physical presence and remotely in addition to training programs. There were 202,644 hours of training programs alone, which means an average of 44.5 hours per associate, including Vogel.
For our Essence Program designed to spread our corporate culture, we held six workshops (two hours each) covering - and listening to 12 of the company’s specific business areas. The program’s level of satisfaction has been rated at over 95%. We also started disseminating culture for our partners by holding a first two-hour workshop in November.
Additionally, in the course of the year, we heightened sensitization in relation to climate management and environmental responsibility for waste management, held virtual meetings and training sessions with our franchisee network and technical partners to highlight the proper way of storing and disposing of all waste generated by our operation.
Grupo Algar’s corporate university (UniAlgar) helps companies boost their competitiveness by triggering changed mindsets and creating space for disruptive moves while stimulating exponential thinking. The most valued experiences are those that address real-world business situations. Many experiences studied in class were internalized and eventually taken up in practice, such as Inovatrix, Customer Journey, Design Thinking, and Balanced Score Card.
Most of our executives’ training requirements are covered by UniAlgar. There are face-to-face, distance and hybrid training programs using the model known as “70x20x10” (for its proportions of practice, mentoring and content) in which exchanging experiences helps consolidate learning.
We also run the ASES Development Program, with four learning axes: Agile, Business Ventures, Customer and Relationship, People and Culture. For each of the paths, directors are designated to support associates being trained. We also develop specific training and webinars for the business area and train content multipliers. In terms of agile learning, we offer courses for this more collaborative and flexible way of working.
Our Startex Academy was set up to develop and train IT, Analytics and Cyber Security associates. It was named for the Star Wars universe and has run initiatives such as online pathways, mapping competencies, training sessions and webinars. Of the 208 competencies that have been mapped, 6% are behavioral, 24% business and 70% technical.
The ‘Future Aces’ program, which prepares talents to tackle challenges and key projects internally, involved 81 associates during the year.
We have partnership agreements with universities such as Fundação Dom Cabral, Fundação Getulio Vargas and others in the cities where we operate, thus enabling our associates to attend courses related to their professional activities helped by our financial support (education assistance), as long as they fulfill requirements under our benefits policy.
Since 2020, we have been working in harmony with Brain Innovation Academy, which is open for internal and external students and partners innovative companies across three training axes: methodology, technology and behavior/conduct. This academy is the education branch of the Brain science and technology institute, of which we are founding partners.
| Gender | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ∆ 2020/2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total hours | Average hours | Total hours | Average hours | Total hours | Average hours | Total hours | Average hours | |
| Men | 120,691 | 38 | 161,287 | 32 | 143,988 | 42.73 | -10.7% | 33.5% |
| Women | 46,335 | 37 | 68,694 | 16 | 58,656 | 48.52 | -14.6% | 203.3% |
| Total training hours | 167,026 | 38 | 229,981 | 25 | 202,644 | 44.5 | -11.9% | 78.0% |
| 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Job category | Total hours | Average hours |
| Executives | 4,012 | 26.4 |
| Promotion | 6,269 | 34.3 |
| Associates | 177,269 | 42.8 |
| Interns | 15,094 | 181.9 |
| Total training hours | 202,644 | 44.5 |
(1) There is no history of the indicator for the years 2019 and 2020
Our highly qualified structure of internships and training for young people offers them a concrete opportunity of being hired after concluding its courses. Fiber Talents, Startex Academy and Future Aces are development programs whose mission is preparing new professionals.
In 2021, our Fiber Talents initiative covered 82 interns and we raised and matched the amounts of our intern grants (R$1,200.00) and ticket (R$250.00) concessions for all our localities. Each intern must have a challenge-project and structured onboarding in the business area that will be taking them on, in addition to a plan to develop their soft skills.
We also run two-month Brain internship programs called Brain Summer Job as an environment for high-speed experimentation and talent spotting. Enrollments for the program’s 2019/2020 iterations totaled 1,486 and resulted in 27 summer jobs in 17 states. Thirteen participants went on to be hired.
Our associates’ compensation comprises fixed and flexible portions based on reaching individual and corporate targets aligned with strategic planning and benefits packages matching normal market levels.
Executives’ compensation follows rules stipulated in bylaws while all other associates - 96% of our staff - are covered by the compensation policy agreed in collective bargaining agreements. Our benefits package consists of:
We have worked to build career pathways for all our associates. For leadership positions, paths may be linear, while for other positions, there may be a Y fork pathway - progression to non-management positions such as specialists for some areas.
Our associates’ performance is evaluated annually with our leaders, and they get frequent feedback during the period in order to guide and adjust procedures for fostering professional development. Performance appraisals include:
