Kotipizza Group
Setting Kotipizza Group Up for Success on Their DEI Journey with a Kick-Starter Package
Strategic DEI | Learning & Development
Kotipizza Group consists of Kotipizza Oyj which operates the biggest pizza chain in Finland and the Nordics. Kotipizza restaurants are all operated by independent franchisees and operate in physical locations and online, with the support of a top-notch franchise concept and training, strong brand and loyalty program, superior online shopping solutions, as well as high-quality and responsible sourcing services. Also, the handmade burger restaurant community, Social Burgerjoint, and the procurement and logistics company Helsinki Foodstock are part of the Kotipizza Group which is owned by the Norwegian multibrand company Orkla ASA.
In the fall 2023, Kotipizza Group wanted to kick-start their DEI journey both on a strategic and action-oriented level, and they decided to get external guidance.
“In selecting deidei as our partner, we were impressed by their ability to grasp our unique organizational context. Their flexibility and genuine understanding of our needs were evident from the beginning. This made deidei an ideal guide for us on our DEI journey, ensuring that our initiatives are tailored to fit our specific needs and context.
Reflecting on our journey thus far, I'm pleased with the decision to seek external guidance, as the impact has exceeded what we could have achieved independently within the same timeframe of four months. One notable outcome has been the increased awareness and dialogue surrounding DEI topics within our headquarters.”
Jenni Salo
Sustainability Specialist at Kotipizza Group
3-step DEI kick-starter package: company-wide training, leadership buy-in, and strategic approach
Kotipizza Group started its DEI journey successfully. As a company where many changes are realized on the franchisee’s table, it was important to approach DEI as something that addresses the complexity of the organization and its business model. That’s why the collaboration with deidei started by building DEI capabilities among the entire headquarters staff with DEI Fundamentals training, ensuring commitment from leadership through DEI Onboarding for Leadership, and building the strategic DEI Approach.
“Given that our operational environment and key stakeholders already are diverse, achieving success, both now and in the future, requires Kotipizza Group and its personnel and partners to strengthen our DEI capabilities. Hence, we understood the importance of laying the groundwork to ensure that DEI could be better integrated into our operations and culture moving forward.
We initiated our organizational DEI journey to establish a strong foundation and foster a shared understanding within our headquarters. As we were developing our new strategy for the next four years, we also recognized the opportunity to align DEI initiatives more closely with our upcoming strategic objectives.
Navigating our unique organizational structure poses challenges, but the collaborative approach, where our team's insights combined with deidei's expertise, has been very valuable”, says Jenni Salo.
Combining deidei's domain expertise and Kotipizza Group know-how
Kotipizza Group has a committed management team that took DEI development seriously from the start. The ambitious and active collaboration resulted in discovering how DEI was relevant for their organization in their most important domains: franchisees and restaurant workers, headquarters, customers, and procurement.
To integrate DEI into everyday interactions at Kotipizza Group, we structured a DEI Approach that defines its DEI purpose, vision, strategic connections to the business model, and long-term objectives. In addition to the management team participation, Kotipizza Group wanted to involve its entire headquarters organization to co-create its strategic approach to DEI.
The result was a DEI Approach that embodies the essence, character, and values of Kotipizza Group. It serves as a solid framework for planning, implementing, and engaging people in the change process. A well-executed DEI Approach helps reflect on future decisions and guides the planning and prioritization of future measures.
“We believe DEI should be a natural part of the company's existing value base, rather than being treated as a separate project. Through this collaboration, we've aligned DEI with our operations and mission to be 'With the Good Ones' right from the start of our DEI journey.
As a partner, deidei is open and insightful and successfully facilitates a deeper and more shared understanding of DEI as a potential competitive advantage in the future.”
Kosti Talala
Chief Commercial Officer at Kotipizza Group
DEI Approach guiding the future journey
Kotipizza Group is continuing the work by incorporating DEI into its new strategy and everyday work with its HQ professionals. The new business strategy together with their DEI Approach will help identify the areas where the next steps in the DEI journey should be prioritized on a Group-level scale.
“Following our DEI Approach, we have chosen two strategic goals for the year 2024. Firstly, we are updating our culture handbook to set the future coordinates for our common culture. The new culture handbook will define how we, as a company and as individuals, should work together to achieve our goals. We aim to foster an inclusive and psychologically safe workplace, and we want our new target culture to better reflect these values and goals.
Secondly, we're committed to providing every franchisee with an equal toolkit and resources they need to thrive. This year, our primary focus is on refining our franchisee training program to better cater to our franchisees' diverse needs”, Jenni Salo sums up.
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