Case: Pandox

Development of an international DEI strategy

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About Pandox

Pandox owns, develops, and leases hotel properties to skilled hotel operators under long-term, turnover-based leases with minimum guaranteed levels. Since our inception in 1995, we have grown into one of the largest hotel property owners in Europe. Our portfolio consists of 162 hotel properties with approximately 35,000 rooms across 11 countries in Northern Europe. The portfolio's market value is approximately SEK 70bn. The head quarter is in Stockholm, and we are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

Since 2022, Mitt Liv has been Pandox’s strategic partner to integrate DEI into its DNA and ensure long-term change. 

The challenge

With a vision to become one of the world’s leading hotel property companies, attracting the right talent is critical for Pandox. Today’s job market spans five generations, necessitating new knowledge and inclusive leadership to foster a workplace where everyone thrives. This is essential not only to attract new talent but also to retain existing employees. Pandox has set a goal to become a leader in equality and inclusion.

The challenge was to develop and implement a unified DEI strategy that reflected Pandox’s core values while adapting to the diverse local contexts in which the company operates. Having previously not worked strategically with DEI initiatives, the company needed a clear roadmap. A key aspect was to engage the executive team through targeted training to strengthen their commitment and understanding of DEI work. The strategy also required ongoing training at all levels and strategic advice to drive sustainable change and integrate DEI into the company’s daily operations.

”Mitt Liv has professionally and concretely supported Pandox in highlighting the clear business link between D&I and the company’s operations, grounded in research and credible evidence. For Pandox, a data-driven company, this was a crucial step in engaging the organisation to prioritise this important work, resulting in a D&I strategy, goals, and an activity plan tailored to different local markets.”

- Caroline Tiveus, SVP, Director of Sustainable Business at Pandox

Solution and delivery

Arbetet inleddes 2022 när Mitt Liv fick i uppdrag att leda utvecklingen och implementeringen av Pandox DEI-strategi som omfattade Tyskland, Belgien, Nederländarna och Storbritannien. Förändringsarbetet pågår fortfarande och förväntas fortsätta under 2025.

Strategy development and alignment

Mitt Liv led the project using DEI research, the “D&I Fundamentals Model,” and insights from initial inclusion measurements. In the first six months, the focus was on:

  • Strategy development: Together with a core group, including the CEO, CFO, SVP Sustainability, and operational managers, a clear vision and goals were established.

  • Alignment efforts: Hotel directors and a DNA group with representatives from the hotel operations were engaged to ensure both strategic and operational alignment.

  • Inclusion measurement: Comprehensive surveys using Mitt Liv's Inclusion Survey were conducted across all Pandox operations to provide a data-driven foundation for the strategy.

Strategy implementation

Since 2023, strategy implementation has been underway. Key initiatives include:

  • Inclusive leadership training: Leaders are equipped to lead with diversity and inclusion at the forefront, supported by self-assessments linked to the inclusion measurement.

  • Inclusive recruitment: Tailored training and development of inclusive recruitment processes to attract and retain talent from diverse backgrounds.

  • Unconscious bias training: The entire organisation, including hotels and headquarters, underwent training to increase awareness and gain tools for fostering a more inclusive workplace culture. Mitt Liv’s train-the-trainer model enables ongoing internal training for new employees.

  • Annual inclusion survey: An annual measurement has been introduced to monitor progress over time.

  • Skills development and tools: A D&I toolbox has been launched to support leaders in integrating DEI into daily work.

Results

The strategy has significantly impacted Pandox’s organisation and culture by enhancing the understanding of inclusion as a critical business issue and securing strong support from leadership. Recruitment processes have improved, broadening the talent pool, while a strategic and data-driven approach has led to behavioural changes that strengthen Pandox’s culture and employer brand.

After two years, Pandox has a firmly established DEI strategy with three measurable goals tracked annually:

Maximum 60% representation of any one gender identity

The goal is for no more than 60% of the workforce to identify as the same gender.

  • 2023 result: 51% women and 49% men.
  • 2024 result: To be updated after the 2024/2025 year-end

From 2024, a more developed definition of gender identity has been implemented in surveys, which will be reflected in future results.

All employees should feel included

Pandox monitors this goal through annual employee surveys. No incidents of discrimination were reported in 2023.

  • 2023 baseline: 87% inclusion score (48% response rate)
  • 2024 Year 1: 82% inclusion score (65% response rate)

Although the inclusion score dropped initially, this is expected, as increased awareness often highlights areas for improvement. The substantial increase in response rate indicates greater trust and psychological safety. Inclusion levels at headquarters rose from 79% to 87%, with 7 out of 19 hotels also reporting improvements.

Locally tailored goals for marginalised groups

New goals focus on supporting marginalised groups in different markets, such as ethnic minorities, older individuals, or people with disabilities.

  • 2023: 94% have set goals for 2024.
  • 2024: Goals for 2025 are under development.

Ongoing efforts

Pandox views DEI as a long-term and integrated part of its operations, not a temporary project. By placing DEI at the centre, Pandox strengthens both its workplace culture and competitiveness.

In 2025, the strategy will continue to evolve as part of the overarching business strategy, focusing on:

  • Further development of inclusive leadership.

  • Continued enhancement of inclusive recruitment.

  • Integration of DEI into onboarding and professional development to maintain high competence levels.

  • Ongoing work on culture and values at the leadership level.

Our consulting team

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FAQ

What do you mean when you talk about “diversity”?

Diversity is a term that refers to the amount of significant differences and non-normative perspectives that exist in a group or organisation. One possible approach is to base an assessment of diversity on the seven grounds of discrimination (gender, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation and age) as well as other factors such as experience, educational background and language skills, although diversity is really much more than this – in principle, diversity relates to everything that constitutes a significant difference and makes a person unique in relation to his or her surroundings.

What do you mean when you talk about “inclusion”?

Inclusion is a term that refers to the active actions that individuals encounter at their workplace every day – behaviours, personal treatment, group norms, leadership styles and structures – which determine the extent to which individuals can be themselves while also feeling that they belong to the team or group. At an inclusive workplace, individuals are treated as part of the fellowship of the group while also being valued for their uniqueness.

What is the difference between diversity and inclusion?

We usually say that diversity has to do with the strategic work undertaken by an organisation to ensure that there is a mix of significant differences – and thus different perspectives – represented in the organisation. Inclusion relates to the behaviour we practice each day at our workplace, and how we interact with each other. Research shows that the existence of both diversity and inclusion in an organisation can contribute to a greater level of innovation, creativity and well-being, which in turn contributes to higher profitability and greater business value.

Does Mitt Liv work with different types of diversity, for example gender equality?

We work with aspects of all 7 grounds of discrimination, and gender equality is one of these aspects. We have a broad and holistic view of the term diversity, which means that we work with diversity from a broad perspective (please take a look at how we define diversity in the question above). Naturally we provide support to your organisation based on the aspects we identify together as areas where there is a need for more focus.

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Are your methods scientifically based?

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