- Short Introduction to organization
The name ‘LEGO’ is an abbreviation of the two Danish words “leg godt,” meaning “play well.” It’s our name and it’s our ideal. The LEGO Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The company has passed from generation to generation and is now owned by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, a grandchild of the founder.
Our products are sold in 130+ countries and there are more than 20,400 colleagues worldwide, working to bring LEGO® play to children everywhere and guided by our mission – to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. We continually challenge ourselves to innovate and bring new dimensions to play.
- What was the motivation to join Workplace Pride?
The LEGO Group is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive organization with a unique sense of belonging, to inspire and develop ALL builders of tomorrow. We believe that LEGO® play is for everyone, regardless of race, colour, gender, how we identify, or whom we love. The LGBTIQIA+ community is dear to us and that’s why we’re working towards a happier, safer workplace and allyship for individuals to thrive and realize their potential. We are delighted to be a member of Workplace Pride and this partnership helps us to find innovative and new ways to give employees a genuine sense of belonging and pride in our organization.
- Which of the programs and services are you most excited about?
We are on a journey to expand employee engagement through our Employee Advocacy Groups, local community engagement as well as analyzing and improving our systems and ways of working, including recruitment and talent. As we continue to build on best practices, such as the Workplace Pride Global Benchmark, these enable us to identify more effective ways to support LBGTIQIA+ colleagues. Recently, we launched a Senior Leaders’ Mentoring Program and invited employees of a variety of underrepresented backgrounds to join, including people from the LGBTQIA+ community. The Program will enable senior leaders to be mentored by underrepresented employees on their life experiences and challenges both inside and outside the LEGO Group workplace and for those employee mentors to gain insights on leadership skills and to grow their personal networks.
- Where are we on our LGBTQIA+ journey?
As part of our commitment to an inclusive and diverse workplace, we invest in building awareness at all levels and our leadership model is focused on building a safe space to energise everybody every day. Our global Conscious Inclusion training builds capabilities for employees and we complement it with LGBTIQIA+ specific training resources. Our six Global Employee Advocacy Groups including one for LGBTIQIA+ are central to our work. Last, but not least, the recent launch of our LEGO® Everyone is Awesome set demonstrates our commitment to being true to our values on diversity and inclusion. We are also proud members of Stonewall and Open for Business and recognize that change should happen on a personal level as well as from a systems perspective – that’s why we host regular Campfires bringing diverse colleagues together to share their ideas and opinions in a safe and inclusive space.
- What are our key areas of focus in the coming period?
Our global D&I priorities are to improve representation and value difference: Our people initiatives are designed to engage and inspire employees, building inclusion capability, and peer-to-peer learning, connecting global and local to ensure relevance at all levels. We believe that everyone should drive change so that we all feel respected and valued in the LEGO Group workplace and in society.