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How Prosegur’s people-oriented approach makes for a healthier company

Socially committed companies are both sustainable and efficient. Which is why Prosegur, whose mission is to make the world a safer place, makes the well-being of its workforce a priority.

Prosegur’s leading position as a global leader in the field of private security is internationally recognized. But less well known is that the company is committed to social development, reflecting its awareness that security and the well-being of society are interlinked.

Juan Ignacio de Guzmán, Director of Institutional Relations and Sustainability at Prosegur, explains by using the analogy of a tree. “The trunk is the purpose, the raison d'être of Prosegur, which is to make the world a safer place. In turn, this means making the world more environmentally and socially sustainable."

It’s a guiding principle that connects the whole tree, from the base to the top and vice versa, "because it is born from consulting thousands of employees on how they see their personal mission within the overall mission".

Prosegur sees itself first and foremost as the sum of its people, as shown by its being the third largest Spanish multinational in terms of global employment generation and the fact that 48% of its income goes to its employees.

Four humanist pillars

This philosophy is supported by a Sustainability Master Plan built on four pillars that highlight the human factor: the environment; ethics, transparency and governance; a safe working environment; and people. In short, the company is a network of professionals linked by this common purpose.

Prosegur’s approach to fulfilling its ESG (environmental, social and governance) commitments is carried out in such a way that the central S becomes the driving force behind the other two. And it does this through a wide range of projects focused on the personal and professional development of each of its 150,000 employees in 31 countries. "We look after our people so that they can look after our customers," says De Guzmán.

In an organization with so many markets and teams in so many different places, this kind of integral objective requires progress on different fronts that, by sharing synergies, mutually reinforce each other:

- A commitment to creating a stimulating professional environment and scrupulous respect for human and labor rights, which is self-assessed through three-yearly due diligence processes. This may seem obvious in any responsible company, but it’s part of Prosegur’s DNA in a sector not characterized by these kinds of principles. "Generating quality employment is a direct way to transform societies for the better," explains De Guzmán.

- Meaningful jobs, and safer ones too, thanks to a strategy that reduces accidents, especially in riskier activities such as fleet movement or physical security. In 2022, serious accidents at Prosegur fell by 48%.

- Programs such as PRO360 that promote healthy lifestyle habits based on a holistic approach: not just physical and nutritional but, particularly important in times of uncertainty, emotional and psychosocial, from stress management to volunteering that defends rights, promotes inclusion and embraces diversity. This reflects a corporate objective of integrating people with different disabilities and a growing presence of women throughout the organization, from management to security guards.

In addition to the four pillars of the Sustainability Master Plan, the company works closely with the Prosegur Foundation and undertakes corporate volunteering to help the human development of the most vulnerable in society.

- Integrity, transparency, good governance and responsible business: "factors that are on the rise today, and which we have developed over the years", says De Guzmán. This is reinforced by the updating of Prosegur’s Code of Ethics and Conduct that takes in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, equality and data protection. It is available to all employees and is complemented by an Ethics Channel available to anyone, beyond the workforce, to report any breach of the Code anonymously. Little wonder that the company has once again obtained the highest Aenor rating certification for good corporate governance.

- Training for the active participation of the workforce in all projects, whether health, safety, ethics, well-being, career development, talent, equality, work-life balance, and sustainability. This model breaks annual records: in 2022, it grew by 17% to 2.4 million teaching hours.

In addition to the four pillars of the Sustainability Master Plan, the company works closely with the Prosegur Foundation and undertakes corporate volunteering to help the human development of the most vulnerable in society, again with education as the main driver.

In conclusion, De Guzmán explains that the company's approach makes its mission a personal one for the workforce. In turn, they become agents of transformation because their proactivity in areas such as rights, ethics and meaningful work is transmitted out into society and the wider world as they contribute to the fulfillment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. “They help to vindicate, in a world that demands security and rights, the role of watchdogs, which is not always understood. Finally, this sense of social usefulness leads to a sense of belonging to the company. The circle is thus closed.”

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