Meet the Spanish hotel group that sets new standards of diversity and inclusion

Alejandro Oñoro, chief executive of Spanish group Ilunion, has been partially blind since childhood. So it will come as no surprise that he has made diversity and inclusion a key priority for the group’s businesses, which include a hotel chain, call centres and cleaning, laundry and security services.

Ilunion claims to be the world’s leading employer of people with disabilities, who account for about 38 per cent of the 35,000 people on its payroll. Of those with disabilities last year, 55 per cent had a physical disability, 25 per cent had a learning difficulty and 11 per cent had trouble hearing with the rest experiencing difficulties with their sight.

And, in a break with traditional corporate practices, the majority of the group’s board of directors and management are also people with disabilities. There has traditionally been a disability employment gap in the labour market, with many disabled people facing prejudice and being far less likely to move into senior management roles.

Ilunion strongly believes it is worth paying attention to this massive and mostly untapped pool of talent – for the simple reasons that it helps stave off staffing problems, boosts team performance and helps the company relate to all its customers.

Mar Almagro, manager of Ilunion’s Malaga hotel, said in 2019 that these progressive values bring “immense value” to the business. “It’s only because of this diversity and harnessing the talent of all its collaborators, regardless of whether they have disabilities or not, that it’s possible to have a successful company,” she said.