Our People

Our management: commitment to people

With a headcount of approximately 215 thousand people (including company employees and permanent third-parties), Vale is committed to caring for people, acting to eliminate accidents, support the development of competencies, promoting an environment open to dialogue and maintaining compensation compatible with the complexity of each function

Performance

Headcount

Company employees

71,149

2019

74,316

2020

72,266

2021

64,516

2022

Third-parties

78,143

2019

111,921

2020

188,314

2021

150,831

2022

By gender 

2021

19%

Female

81%

Male

2022

22%

Female

78%

Male

Persons with disabilities

2021


5.3%

2022


5.4%

Number of Brazilian professionals with special needs

Number of own employees by country

   Per business area

Ferrous minerals
2018
43,504

2019
42,077

2020
44,342

2021
44,235
Base metals

2018
14,349

2019
13,738

2020
13,762

2021
12,903

Coal

2018
2,350

2019
2,970

2020
3,320

2021
5,492

Other

2018
10,067

2019
12,407

2020
12,892

2021
9,636

Total

2018
70,270

2019
71,149

2020
74,316

2021
73,596

 Per geographical location

Brazil

2018
55,230

2019
55,439

2020
58,249

2021
55,067

Canada

2018
6,029

2019
6,078

2020
6,166

2021
6,443

Indonesia

2018
3,128

2019
3,095

2020
3,082

2021
3,040

New Calendonia *

2018
1,359

2019
1,373

2020
1,255

2021
0

Australia

2018
19

2019
11

2020
8

2021
10

United States

2018
3

2019
4

2020
3

2021
5

China

2018
152

2019
179

2020
164

2021
153

Mozambique

2018
2,664

2019
3,279

2020
3,698

2021
5,399

Peru

2018
29

2019
33

2020
31

2021
31

Chile

2018
10

2019
12

2020
12

2021
12

Other

2018
1,647

2019
1,646

2020
1,648

2021
2,106

Total

2021
73,596

2018
70,270

2019
71,149

2020
74,316

Country

2020

2021

2022

Brazil

58.249

55.067

53.341

Canada

6.166

6.443

6.561

Indonesia

3.082

3.040

3.023

Malaysia

389

392

360

Oman

637

611

597

Other

5.793

6.713

634

Total

74.316

72.266

64.516

Per business unit

Number of own employees

2021

2022

Solutions for Steelmaking

44.235

41.816

Coal³⁹

5.492

-

Materials for energy transition ⁴ ⁰

12.903

13.318

Corporate

9.636

9.382

Total

72.266

64.516

³⁹In early 2021, Vale announced its goal to no longer own coal assets, focusing on its core businesses and its ambition to become a leader in low-carbon mining. Accordingly, we began the process of divesting responsibly from Coal assets - Moatize Coal Mine and Nacala Logistics Corridor."

Number of contractors

Number of third parties employees by country

   Per business area

Ferrous minerals
2018
26,714

2019
27,749

2020
34,042

2021
46,327
Base metals

2018
8,850

2019
10,828

2020
10,395

2021
15,207

Coal

2018
4,212

2019
5,900

2020
6,076

2021
7,416

Other

2018
14,868

2019
33,666

2020
61,408

2021
72,197

Total

2018
54,644

2019
78,143

2020
111,921

2021
141,147

 Per geographical location

Brazil

2018
40,371

2019
57,388

2020
90,877

2021
114,757

Canada

2018
2,918

2019
3,892

2020
4,617

2021
4,311

Indonesia

2018
3,242

2019
5,657

2020
6,499

2021
7,515

New Calendonia *

2018
1,203

2019
1,081

2020
192

2021
0

Australia

2018
-

2019
1

2020
6

2021
6

United States

2018
3

2019
4

2020
3

2021
5

China

2018
18

2019
18

2020
20

2021
18

Mozambique

2018
5,543

2019
8,731

2020
8,016

2021
11,085

Peru

2018
2

2019
2

2020
2

2021
3

Chile

2018
11

2019
28

2020
89

2021
110

Other
2018
1,336

2019
1,345

2020
1,603

2021
3,342
Total

2021
56,979

2018
54,644

2019
78,143

2020
141,147

Country

2020

2021

2022

Brazil

90.877

161.924

136.467

Canada

4.617

4.311

4.633

Indonesia

6.499

7.515

7.278

Malaysia

730

909

916

Oman

686

1.140

1.115

Other

8.512

12.515

422

Total

111.921

188.314

150.831

Per business area

       

    

Third parties

Number of employees

2021

2022

Solutions for Steelmaking

60.921

59.373

Coal³⁹

7.416

-

Materials for energy transition ⁴ ⁰

18.778

18.901

Corporate

101.199

72.557

*In 2021, Vale completed the sale of Vale New Caledonia to Prony Resources.

Year to year details about employee numbers (company and third-parties)

  • 2018 – The number of third-parties in the Iron Ore area grew by 39% due to the following factors:
    • increase in the production of iron ore and pellets with the ramp-up at Serra Sul, the return of Mills 1, 2 and São Luís, among others;
    • start up of the new Contract Management System
    • new rule for counting third-parties by their tax number (CPF) and no longer by work post.
       
  • 2019 – The number of third-parties grew by 43% – 31% among those contracted for projects and 12% of third-parties among the permanent workers – due to:
    • execution of dam containment projects;
    • increase in the current project portfolio;
    • increase in works for major projects approved in the second half of 2018 (Salobo III, Programa 240 and Programa do Gelado);
    • increase in volume of works for two major projects in Canada (VBME and CCM Phase 1).
       
  • 2020 – In 2020, the number of third-parties increased by 43% as a result of:
    • Reparation works;
    • increase in the current project portfolio;
    • the resumption of works in 2020, after the shutdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic; and
    • the inclusion of third-parties associated with hiring by service level – “outsourcing” (not reported in previous years).
       
  • 2021- In 2021, the number of third-parties increased by 26% as a result of:
    • Reparation works;
    • Increase in the portfolio of projects such as Capanema, FICO, and the resumption of works after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, including the filtration plants, in Salobo III and S11D+10 Mtpy.
       
  • We highlight that the number of third-parties in 2021 was adjusted, from a total of 141,147 to 188,314, reflecting the help of the concept of “outsourced workers” in Brazil.
     
  • In 2022, under revised and equalized criteria, the total number of outsourced workers was reduced by approximately 20% compared to the total in 2021, mainly verified in support for corporate functions.

Diversity and Inclusion

In 2019, Vale established a commitment to value diversity and promote inclusion by approving a global diversity strategy. This has four drivers: the promotion of a safe environment and respect for each person’s singularities; ensuring transparent and fair processes free of prejudice in hiring, assessing, promoting and involving a diversified labor force; not tolerating any type of harassment or prejudice; and stimulating debate and expanding awareness about diversity.

We recognize we are at the beginning of a long journey. Our focus is on creating conditions and opportunities that will enable all talents to realize their full potential and contribute towards the achievement of company strategy, driving results for all stakeholders. The condition for this is the establishment of a relationship of respect and inclusion, anchored in open and transparent dialogue, elements which are also indispensable for the construction of psychologically health environments and the sustainable development of our businesses.

It is important for us to understand our culture, the nature of our people and our stage of learning in order to make robust progress. This has happened with the gender and LGBTIA+ agendas and, more recently, in the ethnic-racial and local talent areas.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report aims to increase transparency about how we are performing, objectively presenting our advances, challenges and opportunities in this long journey.

Some initiatives

We recognize that there are gaps and that we have a long way to go in promoting equality and effectively practicing inclusion.

We have implemented diverse structural measures that have contributed to the evolution of the company’s situation.

Below there is an overview of the initiatives – other points will be addressed in the course of this channel:

Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • To stimulate debate and share information and ideas among our employees, we supported the formation of affinity groups. In 2020, we formed ethnic racial equality and LGBTQ+ groups in Brazil. The women’s group was formed in 2019.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • We provided technical training programs for more than 500 newly hired women to work in operational functions on our sites in Brazil and Canada.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • Hiring more than 1,200 women from the communities where Vale operates during the year via the Technical-Operational Professional Training Program.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • The Global Trainee Program has contributed, since 2020, to the training of future leaders for Vale, prioritizing talent diversity. Among the 113 trainees selected in 2022, in Brazil, 67% are women and 71% identified themselves as black or brown.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • Launch of the “Potencializando Talentos”programs, to promote the development of black and disabled employees, with the offer of 450 vacancies in the year, and professional  qualification for 100 black women from communities in socially vulnerable situations.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • Adhesion to Mover – Movement for Racial Equity, a joint initiative with 46 other companies to promote opportunities for black people, reduce inequality and combat structural racism in the labor market.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • Actions to combat harassment were intensified, such as the launch of the Hub Against Harassment and Paradões against harassment in operations around the world, with the participation of more than 19,000 employees.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • To learn more about initiatives and projects that contribute to the journey towards fulfilling our commitments, check out page 26 of our Integrated Report.

    Gender equality

    In 2019, Vale established the target of doubling the number of women in its work force from 13% to 26% by 2025. 

    During 2021, it reached 18.7% representation of women globally, the equivalent of adding 4,400 women to its workforce. In 2022, 22.1% more women in the workforce was achieved, Vale ended 2022 with over 5,000 more women in the workforce compared to December 2019. Since we made our commitment to gender equity in 2019, the number of women in senior leadership positions has increased by 88%, reaching 22.6% of female representation in senior leadership by 2022.

    Why 26%?

    This definition took Vale’s current context into account, in addition to the overall situation of the mining sector which historically has a predominance of men.
    In the locations in which Vale operates, specific initiatives and training programs are being implemented aimed at preparing women to occupy positions in operational areas and to expand their participation on our sites both in Brazil and in Canada.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • We created a Professional Training Program in the operation in Brazil and Canada exclusively for women, hiring approximately 500 women.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • We reduced the voluntary termination rate for women by 33.5%.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • We reduced the voluntary termination rate for women by 33.5%.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • In February 2020, Vale also conducted a workshop on Diversity and Inclusion, with the participation of all the company’s senior management.

    Ethnic and Racial equity

    Our diversity, equity and inclusion strategy aims to strengthen a culture that promotes and values an inclusive environment and addresses the challenges mapped out through affirmative policies. Since 2019, we have been addressing structured initiatives to create working conditions and opportunities that promote representation related to gender, race, and people with disabilities, among other fronts.

    In 2021, our priority focus involved the preparing the Vale Diversity Census, to understand our challenges, and reviewing processes and systems, as well as initiatives to strengthen a culture oriented toward the promote diversity, equity and inclusion. The complete results of the Vale Diversity Census are reported in the 2021 Integrated Report.

    From the census results, we identified that Vale Brazil is made up of 64% black and brown professionals and that we have a great opportunity to expand this representation in middle and senior leadership positions. To this end, Vale has made the following commitments:

    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • One of the commitments we have made to the ethnic and racial equity agenda is to have 40% of our leadership (coordinators and above) in Brazil made up of black employees by 2026. In 2022, we reached 32.1%, an advance of more than three percentage points over 2021.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • Implement educational programs to intensify the professional training for black and brown people from the communities where Vale operates.
    Pessoas e comunidades
  • Identificação e indenização
  • Educação e cultura
  • Saúde e bem-estar
  • Comunidades tradicionais e indígenas
  • Engajamento e diálogo
  • Fomento à economia
  • Strengthen anti-racist positioning.

    Workforce composition per age group (2021):

    9,988 (13.8%)

    Under 30 years old

    54,980 (76.1%)

    Between 30 and 50 years old

    7,298 (10.1%)

    Above 50 years old

    Workforce composition per age group (2022):

    7,919 (12.3%)

    Under 30 years old

    48,089 (74.5%)

    Between 30 and 50 years old

    8.507 (13.2%)

    Above 50 years old

    Median salary by gender and seniority level (corporate and operational) - 2019

    Corresponds to the number ( %) above or below the median salary of our professionals by gender, seniority level, and also by area (corporative or operational)

    Corporative

    Operational 

    Number of employees per gender and seniority level (%)

    Composition per gender (2022)

       22%     78%

    Female         Male

    Commitment: We are signatories of the UN Women's Empowerment Principles

       Seniority level (2021)

    Female (%)

    Director
    10%

    Manager
    24%

    Specialists
    38%

    Supervisor
    13%

    Operational Technicians
    13%

    Male (%)

    Director
    90%

    Manager
    76%

    Specialists
    62%

    Supervisor
    87%

    Staff
    87%

    Gender equity

    Women by functional category  

         

    2019

    2020

    2021

    2022

    Progress in the year

    Staff

    8.457

    10.638

    12.433

    13.110

    5,4%

    Supervisor

    239

    374

    412

    426

    3,4%

    Management and Coordination

    329

    397

    598

    631

    5,5%

    Executive Managers and Directors

    25

    34

    45

    47

    4,4%

    Total

    9.050

    11.443

    13.488

    14.214

    5,4%

    Maternity and paternity leave per region

    In line with the best practices in the market, our company has adhered to the Brazilian Government program ‘Empresa Cidadã’, wich extends the maternity leave by 60 days (from 120 to 180 days), and the paternity leave by 15 days (from 5 to 20 days).

      Number od days

    Brazil

    Maternity Leave
    180

    Paternity Leave
    20

    Oman

    Maternity Leave
    60

    Paternity Leave
    3

    Mozambique-Vale

    Maternity Leave
    100

    Paternity Leave
    3

    Mozambique - Corredor Logístico Nacala

    Maternity Leave
    90

    Paternity Leave
    5

    Uruguay

    Maternity Leave
    98

    Paternity Leave
    -

    Singapore

    Maternity Leave
    112

    Paternity Leave
    10 working days

    Switzerland

    Maternity Leave
    112

    Paternity Leave
    5 working days

    Malasya

    Maternity Leave
    120

    Paternity Leave
    2 working days

    Malawi - CEAR

    Maternity Leave
    100

    Paternity Leave
    N/A

    Dubai

    Maternity Leave
    65 working days

    Paternity Leave
    3 working days

    China

    Maternity Leave
    128

    Paternity Leave
    10

    Japan

    Maternity Leave
    56

    Paternity Leave
    2 working days

    Australia

    Maternity Leave
    120

    Paternity Leave
    14

    Number of days

    Maternity Leave

    Paternity Leave

    Brazil

    180

    20

    Oman

    60

    3

    Mozambique - Vale

    100

    3

    Mozambique - Nacala Logisttics Corridor

    90

    5

    Uruguay

    98

    -

    Singapore

    112

    10 working days

    Switzerland

    112

    5 working days

    Malasya

    120

    2 working days

    Malawi - CEAR

    100

    N/A

    Dubai

    65 working days

    3 working days

    China

    128

    10

    Japan

    56

    2 working days

    Australia

    120

    14

    Cultural Transformation

    To transform Vale into one of the safest and most reliable companies in the mining sector worldwide and to promote full reparation in Brumadinho, Vale remains committed to transforming its culture. This process seeks to promote culture as a facilitator of strategy, influencing and modeling systems, integrating initiatives, as well as positioning the company’s leaders as drivers of change.

    The main behaviors for the organization were defined based on the company’s essential values:

    • obsession with safety and risk management;
       
    • open and transparent dialogue;
       
    • empowerment with accountability;
       
    • responsibility for the whole;
       
    • active listening and engagement with society.

    A cultural diagnosis was undertaken in 2020 and indicated the need to build a culture of joint learning, with humility, discipline, a sense of the collective and, most importantly, a feeling of chronic discomfort in relation to safety. At this moment, the behaviors are being scaled up, with the measurement of advances.

    Vale’s ambitions for the next five years have been defined within this context:

     
    • to be a large company recognized by society as a benchmark in safety;
       
    • the best and most reliable operator; 
       
    • oriented to talent;
       
    • leader in low carbon mining; and
       
    • a benchmark in creating and sharing value.

    Five levers are worthy of note in this construction: Safety, the Vale Production System (VPS), People, Innovation and ESG.

    An integrated plan is driving the initiatives related to comprehension of the company’s organizational culture and behaviors, including leadership development and the review of organizational processes and systems. The cultural elements have also been integrated into the Vale management model - VPS. Indicators will measure the advances in strategic aspects and will permit the monitoring of the process over the coming years.

    Leaders’ Forum

    Held in 2019 as a space oriented to the development of Vale leadership, the Leaders’ Forum marked the company’s commitment to propagating the practice of the expected behaviors and to engaging everyone in the cultural evolution journey. In 2020, two meetings marked the continuity of the cultural transformation by means of collective learning.

    The following actions stemmed from these meetings:

    • 5 culture workshops with the Board of Executive Directors and focus on the cultural evolution in 2019 and monthly meetings complemented by individual coaching in 2020;
       
    • 1 workshop with the leadership teams in Iron Minerals and Global Business Support;
       
    • 6 meetings with the leverage (systems) leaders, with the objective of mapping the functional initiatives from a cultural perspective in 2019 and; coaching with the leverage leaders and sponsors of the Board of Executive Directors to work on the organizational systems in 2020;
       
    • 2 cultural diagnoses that provided a quantitative and qualitative mapping of the organizational culture and involved the participation of more than 500 employees (at all levels);
       
    • 3 workshops with the Board of Directors and interviews with all the members;
       
    • 4 workshops to train approximately 60 executives with a focus on culture;
       
    • 2 workshops on leadership at times of crisis and the conscious impact on culture with senior management at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic;
       
    • Global launch of the Impact program for management level, with a focus on key behaviors – by the end of 2020, around 1,300 managers had participated in this development journey. In 2020, the version of the program for supervisors was also launched, with around 200 participations.
       
    • Engagement of 200 executives in the theme cultural evolution in 2019 and expansion of the awareness of the role of leaders as role models for behavior in the cultural transformation through the curatorship of relevant contents in 2020;
       
    • 360º assessments focused on living the behaviors conducted with approximately 60 executives.
       
    • Implementation of pilots of the business transformation plan integrating culture and the management model (VPS) in 4 operational sites in Brazil with the participation of around 100 leaders;
       
    • Formation of a global network of change influencers, with 40 catalyzers selected to influence and disseminate the key behaviors; and more than 50 HR leaders prepared to exercise the role of influencer and coach;
       
    • Onboarding of suppliers and key stakeholders, focused on consistency, alignment of concepts, methodology, language and connections with Culture;
       
    • Development of the Vale Purpose through engagement, listening and co-construction involving more than 50 executives and the participation of the Board of Directors and the Board of Executive Officers.

    Held in 2019 as a space oriented to the development of Vale leadership, the Leaders’ Forum marked the company’s commitment to propagating the practice of the expected behaviors and to engaging everyone in the cultural evolution journey. In 2020, two meetings marked the continuity of the cultural transformation by means of collective learning.

    The following actions stemmed from these meetings:

    • 5 culture workshops with the Board of Executive Directors and focus on the cultural evolution in 2019 and monthly meetings complemented by individual coaching in 2020;
       
    • 1 workshop with the leadership teams in Iron Minerals and Global Business Support;
       
    • 6 meetings with the leverage (systems) leaders, with the objective of mapping the functional initiatives from a cultural perspective in 2019 and; coaching with the leverage leaders and sponsors of the Board of Executive Directors to work on the organizational systems in 2020;
       
    • 2 cultural diagnoses that provided a quantitative and qualitative mapping of the organizational culture and involved the participation of more than 500 employees (at all levels);
       
    • 3 workshops with the Board of Directors and interviews with all the members;
       
    • 4 workshops to train approximately 60 executives with a focus on culture;
       
    • 2 workshops on leadership at times of crisis and the conscious impact on culture with senior management at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic;
       
    • Global launch of the Impact program for management level, with a focus on key behaviors – by the end of 2020, around 1,300 managers had participated in this development journey. In 2020, the version of the program for supervisors was also launched, with around 200 participations.
       
    • Engagement of 200 executives in the theme cultural evolution in 2019 and expansion of the awareness of the role of leaders as role models for behavior in the cultural transformation through the curatorship of relevant contents in 2020;
       
    • 360º assessments focused on living the behaviors conducted with approximately 60 executives.
       
    • Implementation of pilots of the business transformation plan integrating culture and the management model (VPS) in 4 operational sites in Brazil with the participation of around 100 leaders;
       
    • Formation of a global network of change influencers, with 40 catalyzers selected to influence and disseminate the key behaviors; and more than 50 HR leaders prepared to exercise the role of influencer and coach;
       
    • Onboarding of suppliers and key stakeholders, focused on consistency, alignment of concepts, methodology, language and connections with Culture;
       
    • Development of the Vale Purpose through engagement, listening and co-construction involving more than 50 executives and the participation of the Board of Directors and the Board of Executive Officers.

    Engagement

    At Vale, engagement is the degree of connection between employees and the company and the energy they have to be active participants in achieving organizational ambitions.  

    Vale's engagement strategy, created in 2022, is composed of five pillars: Culture, Leadership, Career, Well-being, and Belonging. These pillars are evaluated by our employees through the engagement survey, named Echoes Pulse. 

    The table below shows the results of the favorability of the five pillars in the surveys conducted with digitalized employees (with access to Vale e-mail) during 2022: 

    Culture 
    Culture 
    Leadership 
    Career 
    Well-being 
    Belonging 
    Favorability
    75% 
    73% 
    69% 
    81% 
    85% 

    Performance

    The Vale Career and Succession process is aimed at creating a culture based on merit, development and mentoring, with transparency and ongoing dialogue, generating value for Vale’s people and for its businesses. The process is aimed at (a) assessing the deliveries executed and how they are underpinned by the main expected behaviors, (b) assessing people’s competencies and (c) identifying employees’ potential and orientating their development and their capacity to lead their own career paths.

    At the same time, development and qualification guide Vale’s educational strategy by means of a portfolio of training courses and assessments that reinforce the competencies that the employees need to work in the company. The internal and external recruitment model has been intentionally reformulated to drive greater adherence to the cultural goals and the focus on diversity.

    The performance review process for Vale employees is based on the key behaviors defined for all the company’s leaders and is intended to reinforce the pursuit of better performance, recognition of merit, as well as stimulating the cultural transformation desired by Vale.

    Regarding the process itself, in addition to performing a self-assessment and being assessed by their immediate manager, employees may request feedback from other employees, via system, to better understand their opportunities for development. The assessments are also discussed by a committee comprising the immediate superior and his/her peers. The objective is to ensure weighting of the performance of the employees compared with the other appraisees in pursuit of greater balance in terms of merit.

    The reviews impact the annual bonus of the executives, their eligibility for the long-term incentive program, as well as merit increases in their fixed remuneration. It is worthy of note that development measures are also based on the employees’ performance and there are incentives for ongoing feedback throughout the year and not just during the annual performance review.

    The combination of the conducive environment and the management model is a powerful tool for driving cultural change. For this reason, the implementation of the revised management model has been integrated into the movement of cultural awareness for leaders with a view to accelerating the connection between the aspirations and the impact on the daily routines of the operations.

    Training

    By means of its Corporate University –Valer, Vale has developed a portfolio of training courses and development measures for its diverse audiences. The focuses include technical, management and leadership skills, as well as cross-cutting topics that are key to company strategy, such as safety, the VPS management model, risk management and sustainability.

    In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, with the migration of a large part of our work force to remote working, we managed to expand our digital learning platform, Valer Digital, to more than 30,000 employees globally.

    An example of the speed of adaption to the new situation was the organization of the Annual Meeting of Specialists and Operational Improvement. The format was 100% virtual, with more than 8,000 employee accesses over a two-day period, with programming that included presentations of projects, talks, an exhibition fair and a great deal of networking, constituting an incredibly immersive experience for our employees worldwide.

    What would be considered an unfavorable context for learning ended up opening new paths that reinforced mobility, networked learning, diversification of formats and the proactive stance of our employees in pursuit of self-development.

    Succession

    Succession planning measures the organization’s capacity to provide opportunities for people demonstrating superior performance over time, to develop behaviors aligned with the desired culture, to constantly stimulate high performance, to foster the expansion of skills and to unlock individual potential, ensuring the future success of the business.

    In this respect, in November 2019 we established the Global Talent Review to identify and develop successors, not only for positions on the Board of Executive Officers, but also for critical leadership positions, with a focus on generating future value for the business.

    In 2020, we established that, on average, 30% of the company’s critical positions should have options of successors in the short, medium and long-terms. The purpose was also to foster the oxygenation of talents between the businesses and promote gender diversity. We exceeded this target, reaching an average of 50% of positions meeting these criteria.

    In 2022, we reviewed our critical positions: 94% of them have at least one successor mapped out and 55% have successors for the short, medium, and long term.

    Attracting Talents

    As part of Vale’s cultural transformation, we want to attract and retain the best professionals, aligned with our purpose and our culture and to be recognized as a talent-oriented organization. In 2020, the concept of strategic recruitment, aligned with the Vale Production System, was implanted throughout Brazil. This focuses on the candidate’s experience and uses artificial intelligence to ensure a more effective search for suitable profiles. Furthermore, diversity is a key pillar in the company’s talent attraction and selection strategy. In 2021, we are seeking to stabilize these practices in Brazil and initiate global expansion, starting with Canada.

    We included the elaboration of an Employer Brand Value Proposition to reinforce the qualities of the organizational culture and more attractive work experiences for employees and candidates. The EVP provides the main attributes and topics that sustain all the employer brand activities and communications. It is the basis for the underlying content to be transformed into messages and a communication strategy to bring the culture to life and to connect different groups of candidates.

    Turnover of professionals - 2021

    Vale Answer

      Turnover (%)

    Global

    Turnover (%)
    1.68%

    Involuntary (%)
    5.97%

    Total (%)
    8.06%

    Vale S.A.

    Turnover (%)
    1.36%

    Involuntary (%)
    6.54%

    Total (%)
    7.93%

    Year

    Hires

    Rate of Turnover by Gender

    Turnover Rate by Age Group

         

      

    Turnover Rate

    Total

    Men

    Women

    Under 30 years old

    Between 30 and 50 years old

    Over 50 years old

    2018

    9298

    14,3%

    12,9%

    21,0%

    12,0%

    14,0%

    14,0%

    2019

    6529

    8,2%

    12,1%

    14,0%

    7,0%

    10,0%

    9,0%

    2020

    9187

    9,3%

    19,7%

    20,7%

    8,4%

    12,6%

    10,7%

    2021

    6485

    7,0%

    14,5%

    16,4%

    7,0%

    4,8%

    8,2%

    2022

    4912

    5,2%

    15,2%

    14,1%

    5,6%

    8,7%

    7,1%

    Turnover of professionals (per gender) - 2021

      Gender

    Men

    Turnover (%)
    1.56%

    Involuntary (%)
    6.31%

    Total (%)
    8.34%

    Women

    Turnover (%)
    2.23%

    Involuntary (%)
    4.40%

    Total (%)
    6.75%

    Turnover (%)

    Voluntary (%)

    Involuntary (%)

    Total (%)

    Men

    1.56%

    6.31%

    8.34%

    Women

    2.23%

    4.40%

    6.75%

    Turnover of professionals (per seniority level) - 2021

      Seniority level

    Officer

    Turnover (%)
    5.50%

    Involuntary (%)
    11.01%

    Total (%)
    16.51%

    Executive Manager

    Turnover (%)
    0.00%

    Involuntary (%)
    10.25%

    Total (%)
    10.25%​

    Manager & Tech. Specialist

    Turnover (%)
    2.03%

    Involuntary (%)
    7.67%

    Total (%)
    9.88%​

    Coordinator

    Turnover (%)
    1.93%

    Involuntary (%)
    3.85%

    Total (%)
    5.78%

    Supervisor

    Turnover (%)
    1.09%

    Involuntary (%)
    7.61%

    Total (%)
    9.87%

    Staff

    Turnover (%)
    0.85%

    Involuntary (%)
    6.01%

    Total (%)
    7.30%

    Seniority level

    Voluntary (%)

    Involuntary (%)

    Total (%)

    Officer

    7.96%

    7.96%

    18.58%

    Executive Manager

    1.75%

    7.58%

    9.91%

    Manager & Tech. Specialist

    2.98%

    6.27%

    9.79%

    Coordinator

    4.16%

    4.81%

    8.97%

    Supervisor

    3.02%

    5.01%

    9.28%

    Staff

    1.56%

    6.01%

    7.95%

    Relationship with unions

    Vale maintains good relations with unions worldwide, seeking to resolve any potential conflicts by means of ongoing meetings with representatives of these associations.

    Our direct employees in Brazil have not embarked on a strike since 1989. In this time, we have favored negotiation and the resolution of collective conflicts through dialogue with the unions, and the training of the company’s leaders on labor relations issues. However, in 2021, we an employee strike in Sudbury, Canada, for about two months. At the time, Vale continued negotiations for ratification of a new agreement, signed in August 2021.

    Worthy of note is the fact that from 2011 to 2020 there were no strikes or stoppages, in accordance with the terms of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) – which defines as a “strike” or “stoppage” movements lasting longer than 7 days.

    Since 2005, company employees elect the effective members of the Administration Board and their respective alternates by direct vote. The elections are conducted jointly by the company and the unions.

    Company labor relations representatives at different levels meet union representatives weekly to discuss routine questions and reinforce mutual dialogue.

    A total of 94% of the labor force in the direct operations are covered by collective agreements.

    Workforce of direct operations covered by collective bargaining agreements (per location)

      Location

    Brazil

    Collective bargaining agreements % – base date: 2020
    100%

    Canada

    Collective bargaining agreements % – base date: 2020
    65%

    Mozambique

    Collective bargaining agreements % – base date: 2020
    98%

    Indonesia

    Collective bargaining agreements % – base date: 2020
    100%

    Oman

    Collective bargaining agreements % – base date: 2020
    100%

    Location

    Collective bargaining agreements (%) – base date: 2020

    Brazil

    100%

    Canada

    65%

    Mozambique

    98%

    Indonesia

    100%

    Oman

    100%

    Legal working time in the countries where Vale operates

      Local

    Brazil

    Weekly hours
    44

    Canada¹

    Weekly hours
    40

    Mozambique

    Weekly hours
    56

    Indonesia

    Weekly hours
    40

    Malaysia²

    Weekly hours
    48

    Oman

    Weekly hours
    45

    Location

    Weekly hours

    Brazil

    44%

    Canada

    40%

    Mozambique

    56

    Indonesia

    40

    Malaysia²

    48

    Oman

    45

    ¹ Up to 48 per week under compensation regime.

    ² It may exceed this number if the average over a period of three weeks does not exceed 48 hours.

    Read Also

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