Kia UK is a leading automotive brand offering one of the industry’s largest range of models across multiple vehicle segments and was the fourth most popular UK car brand in 2024. With 190 Kia Dealers across the country, Kia is now widely known for its advanced electrified products offering the technology of tomorrow, today.
People are central to Kia UK and every day is an opportunity to learn something new and to grow personally and professionally. This was recognised with Kia UK named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ 2024 and 2025 by Great Place To Work®, and also ranked in the 2024 Best Workplaces™ for Women, Development, Wellbeing, and Manufacturing, Production & Transportation. Kia employees report positively on areas such as working atmosphere, trust in management, corporate strategy, pride in working for the company, benefits, facilities and much more.
The Kia UK Inclusion Plan was launched in 2023 following internal research carried out by Utopia on our behalf. The research gathered anonymous feedback from various minority groups to better understand their experience of working at Kia. A leadership team workshop was then run to start to shape our plan of action.
The plan has 4 key pillars:
• Leadership – Develop leaders and managers that champion and role model inclusive behaviours
• Recruitment – Attract diverse talent through an inclusive Employer Brand
• Talent – Development and progression of diverse talent
• Support – Supporting and celebrating our diversity
Each pillar is sponsored by 2 members of the senior leadership team and then owned by member of the People & Organisation team.
Since it’s launch, we delivered the following actions in line with the plan:
› Inclusive Leadership development offered for all employees
› International Women’s Day events
› Continued external mentoring through Moving Ahead
› Launched an Internal mentoring programme
› Leadership & Women In Leadership Apprenticeships
› Communicated diverse celebrations
› Policy & Support Updates: Enhanced Family Leave (including maternity & paternity pay and leave) + Coaching, Smart Flexible Working, Menopause Policy and awareness training, Carers Policy and awareness training, Fertility & IVF policy, Pregnancy loss policy and enhance Neonatal Leave policy
› Reviewed job descriptions e.g. Interns to ensure inclusive language
› Continued partnership with Automotive 30% Club
› Launched Kia Elevate – event & recruitment to help drive a focus on diversity and inclusion across the Kia dealer network
› Launched a Dignity @Work Policy & Active Bystander Training
› Launched a Loughborough scholarship programme enabling 2 females from a challenging socio-economic background to study STEM subjects
› Inclusive Recruitment Policy launched + toolkit & manager training both within Kia UK as well as resources for the dealer network
› Launched new Online KUK Inclusion Training for all employees and manager
› Re-launched our Kia UK Women’s Network – Thrive
› Recognised as a Great Place to Work & Best Workplaces for Women
Our Kia UK Inclusion Policy was launched in 2024 and underpins our ongoing commitment to supporting inclusion.
We have aligned questions within the Great Place to Work survey to inclusion and also ensure we review the various demographics within the data to try and close any gaps that may exist.
Since our initial participation in 2023, our survey results have continued to increase with significant improvements year on year:
• Females increased from 93% to 98% and Males increased from 93% to 96% on GPTW Statement (+5 for females)
• Increase in overall average female score by +6 to 88%
• Difference between male and female scores reduced from 4 to 1
• People here are treated fairly regardless of their gender increase from 83 in 2023 to 90 in 2025
• This is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work increased from73 in 2023 to 88 in 2025
• People here are treated fairly regardless of their race from 90 to 96
• People here are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation 92 to 97
• People here are treated fairly regardless of their age 76 to 88
• I am able to take time off from work when I think it’s necessary 82 to 94
• Management shows a sincere interest in me as a person, not just an employee 69 to 89
• People are encouraged to balance their work life and their personal life 68 to 86
Our International Women’s Day event this year was all focused on the real stories and examples from employees on how they had benefitted from just some of the initaitves and support we have put in place including enhance family leave, women in leadership apprenticeships, mentoring, carers policy and flexible working.
