Category: Articles

Simona Scarpaleggia reveals the importance of inclusive language in the workplace and how it helps to attract and retain talent.

Author: Simona Scarpaleggia

Board Member, EDGE Strategy

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Words matter. The way we speak and the terms we use can influence the understanding and the interpretation of what we are saying and what we really mean much more than we realize.

This, in itself, is not a recent revelation. Scholars have been debating the point for years. Everyone understands the importance of language – and indeed the power of oratory – in all walks of life, from politics to marketing, and every point in between. Language can be intentionally blunt, or unintentionally subtle, and linked directly to our subconscious where meaning and associations are created and become somehow ‘structural’ sources of discrimination or exclusion.

Take hurricanes. When the National Hurricane Center first started ‘naming’ Atlantic tropical storms, they only featured women’s names (even in languages such as Italian, French or German where the word for hurricane is masculine!). It was not until 1979 that men’s names were first introduced, by which time the ‘damage’ had been done; women were forever associated with the catastrophic effect that a storm can bring!

I am sure the association was never intended, nor was any sleight intended in an incident in which I was personally involved many years ago. As deputy country manager of IKEA Italy, I attended an awards ceremony hosted by the Government to receive an honour on the company’s behalf. To celebrate the occasion, I was handed an engraved plate, as well as a commemorative tie! As if this wasn’t discriminatory enough, rather than making things better, the Government Minister then compounded the issue by saying simply: ‘Never mind, perhaps you can give it to your husband!’

The story serves to show how words, although not intended to insult, can in fact be most insulting and betray one’s own discriminatory tendencies. Conversely, adopting a more inclusive language, and being more thoughtful about what we say and how we say it, can go a long way to creating an environment where people feel safe, included, and respected. Careful use of language can help initiate and facilitate the change towards a more inclusive and equitable society.

Inclusive language

So, what do we mean by inclusive language? Simply put, it means words and language that avoid expressions that explicitly or implicitly exclude a particular group of people, be they women, ethnic groups, different age groups etc. A typical example, often quoted, is our use of ‘mankind’ instead of ‘humankind’ or using masculine pronouns or endings to indicate plural subjects. At worst it can mean using words that perpetuate prejudice against a particular group. The good news is that both individuals and organizations can consciously adopt an inclusive language and learn how to use it.

One golden rule of inclusive language is the so-called ‘person-first language’. By emphasizing the person, regardless of any specific ‘diversity’, it becomes the uniqueness of the individual that is of value above all else.

The use of inclusive language is not a fad, neither is it something that should be ignored. Inclusive language is important in organizations to prevent unconscious bias.

The use of inclusive language is not a fad, neither is it something that should be ignored. Inclusive language is important in organizations to prevent unconscious bias, to make prospective job candidates feel welcome to apply, and for existing employees to feel comfortable to lean in or to pitch their ideas.

The issue has been debated at the United Nations and there are in fact UN guidelines for gender inclusive language.

The UN guidelines highlight three basic principles: the first is to always use non-discriminatory language (i.e. – use forms of address that are consistent with their gender identity); the second is to make gender visible only when it is relevant for communication (e.g. in a job advertisement, it may be relevant to state ‘he or she must have five years’ experience’); and thirdly, do not make gender visible when it is not relevant for communication (as in the case of mankind, man-made, manpower etc.).

Top Tips

So, how can organizations help themselves to adopt or further improve inclusive language, especially when it comes to attracting new staff? Here are some top tips:

1. Use non-discriminatory language
   A few examples will help illustrate what using non-discriminatory language means. It is inclusive to say: ‘the person living with a mental health condition’ instead of ‘the mentally ill’. Similarly, ‘older adults’ instead of ‘the elderly’ or ‘senior citizens’. Perhaps some of the most blatant examples of discriminatory language relate to gender, especially when used in the workplace. It is not inclusive, for example, to use words like ‘Chairman’. Neither is it inclusive to start a meeting with ‘Hi guys’. Unconsciously, masculine pronouns are used in speeches and conversation most of the time. Some non-inclusive language is even embedded in grammatical structure; several European languages distinguish between male and female by ending words with a gender specific desinence. Simple changes can make a significant difference: appointing a ‘Chair’ or a ‘Chairperson’ immediately resolves the issue, as does starting a meeting with a cheery ‘Hi folks’. And when it comes to pronouns, ‘they’, ‘his or hers’ or ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ requires very little effort but can lead to a very great improvement.
2. Eliminate bias of race, religion and national origin.
   As a simple rule of thumb, never mention an individual’s race, religion or heritage. It is completely irrelevant. It is simple enough to champion diversity by showing different ethnicities through your marketing communications, social channels, website etc.
3. Avoid gender bias
   Be clear in declaring your commitment to an equal and diverse workplace and do not use gender-specific pronouns. Address prospective candidates by using ‘they’ or ‘you’ and use gender-neutral job titles (such as salesperson, sales executive, businessperson etc.). Most important of all is to avoid language that might be perceived (and associated) with a masculine environment, such as talking about meeting ‘aggressive targets’ or ‘dominating a room’. Use more inclusive references to the organization’s purpose and values.
4. Avoid age bias
   Similar to tip 2, make sure that your organization’s brochures, websites and videos feature people of all ages. Do not ask for ‘digital natives’ or ‘young and exuberant’, when in doing so you exclude highly proficient, highly motivated digital experts who may feel unwelcome and disinclined to apply for a role or a promotion on grounds of age.
5. Be inclusive of people with disabilities and neurodiverse workers
   Language that proclaims that an individual ‘must be able to lift weights up to X kg’ will exclude a number of candidates who are perfectly capable of ‘operating equipment that allows weights of up to X kg to be lifted’. Also stating that your organization has ‘sports and other employee clubs’ is more inclusive and more appealing to the majority than ‘you will be participating in sporting competitions’. Explaining your approach to remote working and flexible hours also supports a more inclusive culture.
6. Do not overstate the qualifications required
   Research proves that women are reluctant to apply for a job unless they feel confident that they meet all (i.e., 100%) of the criteria specified in the job application. Men, on the other hand, will apply if they believe they have 60% of the skills required. Stating, therefore, if a qualification or requirement is a ‘must’ as opposed to a ‘nice to have’ is advised.
7. Talk about your organization’s DE&I strategy and policies
   By being open about your organization’s approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) you will go a long way to raising interest in your business to a much wider audience of candidates as well as reinforcing your brand’s reputation as an employer.

Words do indeed matter, and perhaps even more so in an age of new technology and science where gender parity is still far from being a reality.

Words do indeed matter, and perhaps even more so in an age of new technology and science where gender parity is still far from being a reality and where organizations struggle to find female talent.

So, to leave you with another thought: it is the coders, programmers and digital experts of today who will influence how machines will ‘learn’ and ‘think’ in the future, which illustrates why a gender balanced digital workforce is so important to our shared future. And something else to consider: this is all to be achieved in the context of an IT industry where the word to end a program or file is perhaps the most non-inclusive of all: ‘abort’.

Author: Aniela Unguresan

Founder, EDGE Certified Foundation

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‘Activist investors’ are never far from the front page in their efforts – often frustrated – to change how a company is run, despite only having a minority stake in the business. But while the concept of an ‘activist investor’ is not new, what is new is how in recent months they seem to be making Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) generally, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) specifically, their principal battlegrounds. Indeed, in the US in particular, such ‘conflicts’ are unprecedented.

Take, for example, the conservative activist investor Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy, with the support of Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal, recently sent letters to the CEOs of Apple and Disney as part of an anti-ESG campaign. In the letters they urged the recipients to refrain from making political statements on behalf of their companies, or making hiring decisions based on race, sex, or political beliefs.

An opponent of ESG investing, Ramaswamy’s Strive Asset Management seeks to combat what he sees as pressure on companies to consider liberal politics before the bottom line; he wants to use the power of shareholder votes to refocus large companies on maximizing profit and shareholder value, a goal which he says boardrooms have strayed from.

We’re in interesting times and the US mid-term elections demonstrate that it’s very easy for ESG to become highly politicized.

Separate the substance

Of course, one’s view of this depends on how you see ESG as a force for change. But we’re in interesting times and the US mid-term elections demonstrate that it’s very easy for ESG to become highly politicized. This is despite the fact that the term ‘ESG’ itself is far from being a household concept, and those that might have a vague notion of its meaning are still wondering what happened to CSR!

Let’s try to separate the substance from what has become a politically charged anti-ESG conversation and start by asking a fundamental question: what is the true purpose of a company? Are companies simply there to make money for the shareholders? Or do we believe that companies should create value for all of their stakeholders, to benefit not just a privileged few, but a much wider society?

Quite understandably, there are those who feel that companies should be run to generate profit and profit only. Those who adhere to this principle will define their fiduciary duty accordingly and will make investments judged against this singular principle: to make money.

Quite understandably also, there are those who see the role of companies in a very different light. There are business leaders and their supporters who believe that organizations exist to use effective market-based mechanisms to create prosperity for everyone involved. To that end, they will view their fiduciary duty through a somewhat different lens.

Does it have to be, as George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm, ‘Four legs good; two legs bad’, or can opposing ideas co-exist in harmony?

But who is right and who is wrong? Should one point of view be applauded and the other chastised? Does it have to be, as George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm, ‘Four legs good; two legs bad’, or can opposing ideas co-exist in harmony?

The highly polarized world in which we live makes it hard to believe, but the reality is that different ways to run a business have always co-existed. And it shouldn’t be forgotten that it’s ultimately shareholders who decide the rationale for a company’s operations, as they invest according to their own views and objectives. What is particularly interesting, however, is that if we look at the most successful and longest-established organizations, they tend to be those who see their role as being more than ‘just’ creating shareholder value in isolation. US-based Campbell’s and Heinz are two traditional companies that illustrate this point well. They have been successful in adapting to seismic changes within their respective markets over the last 150 years and shaping their offering because they put stakeholders at the center of what they do and their vision of fiduciary duty.

The danger of weaponizing ESG

But there is another element to the anti-ESG movement to consider; that it has been weaponized. This is something that my colleague David Pritchett discussed recently when he commented on the sharp increase in resolutions relating to racial and civil rights and pay equity.

The debate hasn’t been helped by the way in which the anti-ESG movement uses the terms ESG, ESG investments, and ESG orientation to mean whatever they want them to mean to support their own arguments. In practice ESG requires assessing the risk profile of an organization against recognized ESG criteria. This is something that the European Union has seen value in for it has regulated and created clarity around the term.

In practice we apply filters to how we judge organizations on their ESG standards. On pollution, for example, we may consider an organization’s ESG profile and whether its anti-pollution policies are acceptable. This can be seen as ‘negative filtering’. The polar opposite is to apply a positive filter and use a risk assessment profile. Rather than ‘anti-pollution’ we might consider an organization’s pro-active and demonstrable investments in renewable energy.

It could be argued that these are two sides of the same coin. There’s nothing wrong in being in either camp – either being ‘pro’ or ‘anti’ ESG. But we must recognize that the anti-ESG movement is more often than not fueled by a lack of understanding of where risk evaluation and outcome orientation truly lay. It’s not surprising. As NYSE president Lynn Martin recently noted, some companies are trying to water down ESG regulations: “I don’t think anyone can argue the positive effects that, for example, diversity and including additional diversity has had on business… [but] environmental is a bit stickier…”.

It’s therefore perfectly fine to hold opposing views as they can co-exist – and in harmony too. But for this to happen we need to subscribe to the idea of informed debate, the essential attribute of a functioning democracy.

It’s therefore perfectly fine to hold opposing views as they can co-exist – and in harmony too. But for this to happen we need to subscribe to the idea of informed debate, which is the essential attribute of a functioning democracy.

The moral is that we shouldn’t preach. We shouldn’t try to convince others at all costs that our own point of view is superior, neither should we disrespect them because they think differently to us. This naturally brings us back to acknowledging the fundamental need for diversity, equity and inclusion in everything we do in society, in the workplace, in our families and in our communities.

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The importance of transparency in ensuring corporate commitments to DE&I deliver Real. World. Change.

Author: Simona Scarpaleggia

Board Member, EDGE Strategy

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We are all familiar with the subject of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I). Never a day goes by without some business leader providing an interview to the media or making a presentation at an investor meeting promising great change in terms of how their workforce is recruited, treated and paid. And yet the rhetoric rarely, if ever, matches the reality.

The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Index, for example, makes rather depressing reading. While overall gender parity has improved since the report was first published in 2006, the overall gain is a miserly 3.8%. To put this into context, if the pace of improvement was to continue at that rate, it would be a full 132 years until the pay gap is finally closed. And in some countries, the gap has actually gone backwards.

As individuals, we witness – as consumers, employees or management experts – an array of declarations of intent. We hear how leaders ‘aspire’ to make a difference. Whether such aspirations are real or imagined, the fact is that those very same leaders are seldom in place long enough to drive – or be accountable for– the changes that need to happen. They end up being little more than empty words and vague promises that work well for a sound bite, and to be seen to be doing and saying the right things, but rarely result in any positive action.

Change will happen, but at present it is being forced upon an unwilling audience by the hard ‘stick’ of regulation and compliance, rather that the carrot of what a truly equitable workforce can deliver.

The NextGenerationEU post-COVID recovery plan, for example, includes a package of funding specifically allocated to improving gender equality whereas various corporate governance codes of practice with the UK, Germany, Italy and others now require businesses to disclose key information relating to gender equity and pay.

There was considerable excitement around the EU’s plan for gender quotas, and a new Directive that seeks to ensure women have at least 40% of seats on corporate boards. The issue is not the Directive itself, but rather how it is forcing change rather than bringing all parties willingly to the table. Even though bias and a tendency to maintain the status quo of privileges are two factors that tend to hinder the progress towards a more equitable workplace, pressure from stakeholders for greater equity is already strong and growing. Leaders know that they must steer their organization towards having a more diverse top table, but they do not want to surrender their freedom to make their own decisions, neither are they wholly convinced about whether a more equitable board works.

The real solution to improving gender equity is around transparency and being able to measure and evidence real progress towards a more equitable workforce. Indeed, measurement is the most necessary component in turning an aspiration into something tangible and deliverable. It is also essential that progress is measured to a recognized and agreed common standard, so that performance can be compared across countries, industries, and nations, and anchored to an agreed starting point.

So how is this best achieved? Organizations can create a transparent, effective, and sustainable equity system based on three pillars:

• Clear, standardized, and comparable measurement. This means agreeing to third-party certification as the highest-level of quality and objectivity regarding the DE&I policies you have in place and the progress you have made.
• Setting specific, realistic, and achievable short-term goals as well as confirming longer-term ambitions. This means less vague promises that will be forgotten about long after the current CEO has moved on and more immediate and precisely-defined goals where success can be more easily evidenced and monitored.
• Accountability of leaders and organizations. This means making business leaders truly accountable for their promises and their actions, and not simply making bold statements to satisfy the City.

Put simply, increasing transparency will ultimately deliver what everyone is looking to achieve: Real. World. Change.

Increasing transparency in this way will deliver a number of benefits. It will flush out incidents of attempted greenwashing or pinkwashing and avoid accusations from third parties that a business is being disingenuous in its intention of creating a more equitable workforce. It will safeguard those policies that an organization may already have in place relating to ESG, and further strengthen them. And it will put pressure on business leaders not simply to say the right things, but also do the right things too, and walk their talk.

Put simply, increasing transparency will ultimately deliver what everyone is looking to achieve: Real. World. Change.

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Author: Simona Scarpaleggia

Board Member, EDGE Strategy

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Flexible working used to be an issue that caused business leaders and managers a considerable amount of angst. And while the pandemic has necessitated the need for both employee and employer to be more flexible in their thoughts and processes, the issue is far from resolved.

Some leaders are undoubtedly still resistant to change; some also want to go back to the way it was.

Some leaders are undoubtedly still resistant to change; some also want to go back to the way it was. A recent report from Deloitte[1] (Women @ Work 2022 – a Global Outlook), for example, shows that only a third (33%) of women say that their organizations have flexible working policies, and more than nine out of ten (94%) feared that making a formal request for flexible working would seriously impact their future chances of promotion.

And yet over the past two years, many employees have become used to a hybrid model, and how it supports a better work/life balance. They have similarly become accustomed to the significant savings in cost and working hours from not having to commute. It is understandable, therefore, that they are reluctant to give up their newly won freedoms which leaves their leaders in something of a quandary.

But rather than a threat to the workplace of the future, why should leaders of businesses and organizations see flexible and hybrid working as an opportunity?

Three categories of hybrid workers

Firstly, they need to recognize that those in favour of hybrid working tend to fall into one of three categories: primary care givers – those responsible for children or elderly relatives for example; heavy commuters – those with a long, expensive and often stressful daily journey into work; and the more sensitive – those who may struggle with either mental or physical health, and who benefit from quiet and their own ‘space’.

What all three category types have in common is that they all comprise a resource with enormous talent and potential. Put another way, they all constitute a risk that their talents will be lost if their employees fail to be more flexible in their working practices and/or return to the ‘five-days in the office every week’ model pre-pandemic.

Future leaders will have to be more caring and inclusive in their actions. They will need to be clear in shaping and communicating their expectations of others.

At a time when talent is a scant resource, looking after these people is a new imperative, and that will require some leaders to adapt their approach in the future. Future leaders will have to be more caring and inclusive in their actions. They will need to be clear in shaping and communicating their expectations of others. And they will need to adapt their own style of leadership, to lead by example, to inspire the people around them, as a leader they can trust.

Of course, many of the best leaders already demonstrate these traits, but certainly not all. A general lack of trust in society does not help and contributes to an increasing lack of trust in the workplace. Creating an environment of trust and inclusivity, therefore, where individuals feel genuinely free to make suggestions and propose ideas and solutions for better ways of working will be essential, but none of those ideas will be forthcoming without that basic level of trust being in place.

The vital importance of inclusivity

This concept of inclusivity is particularly important; hybrid working means individuals being ‘absent’ from the workplace, at least physically, and there is a natural tendency for leaders to ‘forget’ employees who are ‘out of sight; out of mind’.

The report from Deloitte suggests that almost 60% of women who work in hybrid environments feel they have been excluded from important meetings, and almost half say they do not have exposure to their leaders, a critical enabler of sponsorship and career progression. Only a quarter of those women surveyed for the report say their employer has set clear expectations of how and where they should work, which is particularly stressful for those who need some certainty in order to plan childcare, for example.

It needn’t be so. Inclusive, supportive organizations are proven to gain a competitive advantage. Leaders, in particular, have a crucial role in this. Being inclusive in a hybrid workplace context requires leaders not only to be able to read signals and observe behaviours but also to act upon them; it requires them to enhance their listening skills and improve how they communicate, and ultimately it requires them to become a source of clarity in setting goals and expectations as well as a source of inspiration for the employees.

Leaders who foster genuinely inclusive cultures, and who support the health and wellbeing of their employees, deliver much greater employee satisfaction, and employees tend to stay with those organizations for longer. They also tend to report a much more positive experience of hybrid working.

Shaping the future workspace

Hybrid working at its best can be a tool to unleash the true potential of an organization. It means not only adapting the days and hours that we work, but also the workplace itself.

Many leaders are currently debating whether the space they had prior to the pandemic is still needed now, when actually the conversation should be about how to make the space that you do have more conducive to work. It will likely mean that the physical space in the future may be near enough the same size, but likely to be fitted out and utilized in a very different way by the people who work there.

Leaders who see the concept of hybrid working only in the context of ‘efficiency’ are fundamentally missing the point. The debate should never be focused mainly on the efficiency of the workforce, but rather consider its ‘effectiveness’. Systems and technologies can help improve efficiency over time, whereas it will still be people – regardless of where they work – who will secure the effectiveness of the decisions and of the implementation plans.

The winners in the future will be those organizations who embrace this idea first, who ensure the proper policies and processes are in place that encourage new ways of working.

The winners in the future will be those organizations who embrace this idea first, who ensure the proper policies and processes are in place that encourage new ways of working, and in doing so attract and retain the talent we all so desperately need to succeed in the future.

[1] Women @ Work 2022 – a Global Outlook

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Author: Aniela Unguresan

Founder, EDGE Certified Foundation

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There is a simple truth that we should admire and respect individuals not necessarily because of the positions they occupy, but instead, for what they do and the legacy they leave behind.

… women need to break out of the moulds that they find themselves forced into; they need to cease conforming to accepted and acceptable models of behaviour.

There are, for example, a number of women who, over the years, both through hard work and longevity, have sustained visible positions of power and prestige to become role models that many admire and aspire to be. But we need more women like them, and for this to happen women need to break out of the moulds that they find themselves forced into; they need to cease conforming to accepted and acceptable models of behaviour where power and authority elude them and where their own opinions are held back in favour of the status quo.

In truth, they need to no longer be the perfect woman in a man’s world.

Change is perfectly possible, but it often puts women wishing to advance themselves in positions where they are vilified. Rather, it needs to be possible for them to be able to display and demonstrate power and authority with the confidence that they will remain appreciated and respected as effective leaders.

Indeed, a more balanced distribution of power and authority at home, in society and in workplaces still remains elusive.

Falling behind

Major European banks are a perfect example of where change is both possible and necessary, and yet they are falling behind on their promises to promote more women into senior roles.

According to Bloomberg, in the last two years not a single female chief executive officer has been appointed by one of Europe’s top 30 banks. This is despite almost half of the CEOs in that group being replaced in the same time frame. Put simply, while the banks all had the opportunity to replace the most senior executive with a woman, none did so, even though they had many serving on their boards. (European Banks Promising More Diversity Appoint Only Male CEOs).

Of course, having more women on boards is to be welcomed but that needs to trickle down at the executive level and through the entire talent pipeline for the power and authority to be redistributed more evenly inside organizations.

Of course, having more women on boards is to be welcomed but that needs to trickle down at the executive level and through the entire talent pipeline for the power and authority to be redistributed more evenly inside organizations.

Fundamentally, society needs more inspirational women who don’t conform to what men think is their role. It needs freethinkers who are willing and able to offer strong opinions while holding and exercising power without guilt. And this requires a change in our collective mindset.

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Every year on the 8th of March, the world celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This is a unique moment to be proud of what has been achieved so far and inspire bold action to continue accelerating progress towards workplace equity and inclusion.

 And there is no better way to inspire such bold action than to put the spotlight on the organizations who are doing it. We asked IKEA Switzerland, International Flavors & Fragrances, L’Oréal, Capgemini, Pictet, Dow Switzerland, and the European Central Bank two questions. Read their stories.

IKEA Switzerland

Together we need to join forces around equality and inclusion, it is the human right and it is essential to leverage on the full human potential and by that sustainable development. It is more important than ever to reflect the diversity of society and strive for a 50/50 women and men in all levels and functions.

Why is now the time to act on gender equality in the workplace?

“Together we need to join forces around equality and inclusion, it is the human right and it is essential to leverage on the full human potential and by that sustainable development. It is more important than ever to reflect the diversity of society and strive for a 50/50 women and men in all levels and functions.”

As a leader who has taken concrete steps towards gender equality, how does EDGE Certification support your organization in its journey?

“In 2015, IKEA was the first and only company in the world that reached the highest level of this certification and since then IKEA has been recertified with EDGE Lead every second year. We are very proud of this. The EDGE certification, as one of different actions IKEA took, has contributed in our journey towards gender equality. More specifically, the fact that an external and objective evaluation takes place every second year, gives the result a greater degree of reliability and credibility.”

Jessica Anderen, Country Retail Manager and CSO for IKEA Switzerland

International Flavors & Fragrances

Why is now the time to act on gender equality in the workplace?

“Gender Equality is not just the right thing to do for a better society, it is a business imperative. Change does not just happen, we must take intentional proactive actions to accelerate our journey to gender parity.”

As a leader who has taken concrete steps towards gender equality, how did EDGE Certification support your organization in its journey?

“The EDGE Methodology & Certification sets a high bar and challenged IFF to reach the standards that we’d aspired to achieve on our journey to equality. Their roadmap provided us with concrete steps on how to drive changes in our workplace that helped to close gaps on gender parity in a shorter amount of time.”

Andreas Fibig, Chairman & CEO International Flavors & Fragrances

L’Oréal

Why is now the time to act on gender equality in the workplace?

“Working for Gender equality requires action every day: immediate and long-term. We are more convinced than ever that fostering a welcoming and supportive workplace for people of all genders adds value, boosts performance and powers innovation. At L’Oréal, we have been strongly and proactively committed to Diversity & Inclusion, more broadly, and, specifically, to gender equity for more than 15 years. These commitments are central to our business approach and Sense of Purpose.”

As a leader who has taken concrete steps towards gender equality, how does EDGE Certification support your organization in its journey?

“We know that our commitment to gender equality needs tangible measurements, in order to monitor our progress and identify where we can continue to improve. In this regard, EDGE plays a valuable role with an in-depth assessment of our gender inclusivity, which is essential to determine how to go even further.”

Jean-Paul Agon, L’Oreal Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Capgemini

Why is now the time to act on gender equality in the workplace?

“As a diverse team of 270,000 people spread across 50 countries, we understand the power of inclusion, and our commitment to building this future has never been stronger.  We know the pandemic has had an enhanced impact on women, and we have renewed our efforts to challenge existing ways of working, biases and stereotypes. As a result, the past year has shown a strong improvement in our gender balance; we are proud to say it has progressed like never before. But it is only the beginning of the journey : it’s time to act now.”

Aiman Ezzat – CEO Capgemini

As a leader who has taken concrete steps towards gender equality, how does EDGE Certification support your organization in its journey?

“Currently, Capgemini is EDGE certified in eight countries: Brazil, Canada, France, India, Morocco, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States. The process provided by EDGE allowed us to create a benchmark against our competitors and really examine where  we had successes and opportunities to improve. The recommendations provided by EDGE helped us elevate conversations and create better strategies that get to the root cause of how to grow gender balance across levels. In the US, we transitioned from a broad approach to a strategic focus on actions that would accelerate impact.”

Janet P. Pope – North America CSR Director Capgemini

Pictet

Why is now the time to act on gender equality in the workplace?

The core purpose of Pictet is to build responsible partnerships – with the companies in which we invest and with our clients, colleagues and communities. It is part of our duty as a responsible employer to lead in building an equitable world devoid of biases and discrimination. While it takes time to catch up on years of imbalance, with the global realization of how widespread and common gender discrimination still is, there is currently a formidable momentum for change. There has never been a more urgent moment than now to proactively and consciously support women in their career development.

As a leader who has taken concrete steps towards gender equality, how did EDGE Certification support your organization in its journey?

The EDGE framework provides a valuable guide to prioritizing our actions towards gender equality. We have found the certification process to be a constructive support to our efforts on this journey, bringing credibility to our initiatives, transparency of our commitment to employees, and an unbiased measure of our progress.

Rémy Best, Managing Partner, Pictet Group

Dow Switzerland

I think we need to first acknowledge that positive, productive action has been underway for many years now. A tremendous amount of work remains, but the will is there and both our own internal commitments and external societal expectations are coming together to force positive change. Having said that, the global pandemic has had a devastating effect on female participation in the workforce. Employers the world over are losing the critically valuable contributions of their female workforce, and we’re losing it to the other critical role women predominantly occupy: That of mother and of household and family caregiver. Now is the time to act because the professional workforce thrives on the contributions and diverse perspectives of women. We perform at our best when women have a seat at the table.

Why is now the time to act on gender equality in the workplace?

 “I think we need to first acknowledge that positive, productive action has been underway for many years now. A tremendous amount of work remains, but the will is there and both our own internal commitments and external societal expectations are coming together to force positive change. Having said that, the global pandemic has had a devastating effect on female participation in the workforce. Employers the world over are losing the critically valuable contributions of their female workforce, and we’re losing it to the other critical role women predominantly occupy: That of mother and of household and family caregiver. Now is the time to act because the professional workforce thrives on the contributions and diverse perspectives of women. We perform at our best when women have a seat at the table.”

As a leader who has taken concrete steps towards gender equality, how does EDGE Certification support your organization in its journey?

“We benefit from EDGE certification in countless ways. It is, first and foremost, a gold standard and we are very proud of the affiliation. To me, the most meaningful internal and external benefit we gain is the freedom of transparency. By laying bare our philosophies, programs and metrics, we acknowledge both the progress we have made and the work that remains. It’s a very public commitment to gender diversity in our global workforce, making that EDGE affiliation both a badge of honor and a very visible reminder that we have committed to a standard of gender diversity representation that far exceeds where we stand today. EDGE challenges us to improve, and that is a healthy challenge we gladly and proudly accept.”

Neil Carr, President, Dow Europe, Middle East, Africa and India

The European Central Bank​

Why is now the time to act on gender equality in the workplace?

“The pandemic has the worrying potential to dial back the hard-fought progress on gender equality. We must not let this happen! Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are key to making the world economy more equal and better prepared for crises such as the present one.”

As a leader who has taken concrete steps towards gender equality, how did EDGE Certification support your organization in its journey?

“The EDGE Certification has provided us with an incredibly rich picture of our organisation and a roadmap for how we can continue to improve on gender equality. While our journey is far from over, I am very proud of the progress we have made and our new certification recognises this.”

Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank

EDGE Certified companies are serious about putting gender and intersectional equity at the heart of their business strategy. We sat down with Mieke Van de Capelle, Chief HR Officer at Firmenich, to ask about today’s hot topics in HR, such as valuing Human Capital, workplace virtualization, employee engagement and tangible business results.

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The future of work: How are HR departments dealing with the huge digitalization/virtualization of workplaces that’s taking place because of the pandemic? Is this an opportunity to rebalance the talent pipeline by upskilling and reskilling and repositioning female talents to meet the new workplace’s requirements?

Mieke: The Covid pandemic has been a test for companies and has shown the importance of social capital. Companies that have successfully created shared values and models to work together, like Firmenich, came out as winners. We secured business continuity while transforming how and where we work.

Digitalization and virtualization have been quite disruptive, however, we did not consider this a threat. It gave us the opportunity to focus on impact and performance, and determine which types of work require an in-office presence versus the ones that are more suited for virtual work. It helped us enable employees to make smarter choices to be more productive and efficient, and further build a company-wide culture of accountability and responsibility.

During Covid we continued investing in our people, and provided hundreds of hours of leadership training. We increased our virtual offering, to ensure digital literacy for all and address specific uncertainties through virtual wellness sessions.

Developing a range of new digital skills will help us foster an inclusive work environment. There is significant pressure on recruitment and retention, and highly-skilled talents are sought-after, which requires us to think out of the box, upskill talent and provide them with the digital skills that people need in tomorrow’s world of work.

A positive aspect of our new hybrid work models is that it also brings benefits to the society at large. We believe digitalization can help create a level playing field. Workplace virtualization can be empowering and an opportunity to be intentional around positioning female talents in direct individual conversations on how to balance work and personal needs – the very same goes for men by the way. Virtual also means there is less ‘standing tall’ in the meeting room, or ‘imposing oneself’, etc. and this may turn a hurdle (working form home) into a springboard (career progression).

However, we also see great risk and must pay attention to retain women who still carry the majority of the double burden to manage work and family life. The largest share of the burden continues to fall on their shoulders, regardless of their level of education and income. So despite workplace virtualization levelling the playing field, we should not take the progress that has been made for granted. We must continue to fight gender-based stereotypes especially in a virtual workplace.

How does Firmenich align their internal pursuit of gender balance, diversity & inclusion with their investment activities? Which are the factors that could contribute to a large-scale adoption of gender balance, D&I in the workplace and on Boards as key ESG scoring & reporting indicators?

Mieke: Across all our investments, whether new sites or R&D, we follow industry-leading responsible policies, including Code of Ethics, Anti-Corruption, Global Environmental Policy, Occupational Health & Safety, Diversity & Belonging, and Supplier Expectations.

In line with our ESG ambitions, we developed a responsible investment strategy that we also apply to our own Firmenich pension fund in Switzerland. This fund has over CHF 1 billion in assets under its management. The approach will ensure that our ESG criteria are reflected in our responsible investment strategy. For example, we exclude tobacco, fracking, gambling, etc. from our investment portfolio.

We believe that investing in gender equality creates positive impact, delivering positive long-term financial performance combined with sustainability.

There is still work to be done in this space. We want to raise the bar on effective diversity and inclusion beyond Boards & C-suite female representation, and extend reporting indicators beyond these two levels. We will add fresh scrutiny to our pipeline across Senior Managers and Directors, focus on legislative framework on diversity representation across organizational levels, mandate pay and development equity reporting, and public disclosure.

How can the HR function gain empowerment from being EDGE certified, how is the team supported by access to the toolbox/dashboard and can accelerate equity?

Mieke: Firstly, there is a clear connection between employee engagement and tangible business results. We know that more diverse teams are more innovative, engaged, and creative in their work.

Secondly, as a business-to-business company, we work with the world’s leading brands, and certification is an essential component to be shortlisted on our customer’s supplier roster.

Thirdly, EDGE certification gives us credibility with financial stakeholders. Investors are increasingly disregarding bond issuers that do not meet exceeding ESG criteria. Our certification is an important component in our value proposition for the investment community.

Lastly, EDGE certification has allowed us to underpin our local and global D&B strategies with robust data sets. The HR community at divisional and local levels, as well as Leadership teams, elicit EDGE country results to support local D&B strategies, and ensure the latter are aligned with the company’s global strategy.

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We asked Frédéric Clément, Global Head of Human Resources of AXA IM to share his Expert Point of View on AXA IM’s evolution on gender balance, diversity, and inclusion, and which role those elements have in their broader sustainable agenda. Read more on how the EDGE certification journey contributed to bringing more credibility to the change inside the organization.

How did the business case for gender balance DE&I evolve over the last 18 months?

Global awareness of gender balance and DE&I issues has clearly accelerated in recent years. This is due in particular to the arrival of generation Z in the workplace, bringing strong and uncompromising expectations on employers to align with the social developments and advances of our time and to address the inequalities inherited from the past. This generation is the first one to have spent their whole lives in a digital age and, as a result, they are the most global in their thinking and interaction.

With this evolution, we are entering an age of employee’s expectations and actions that is changing our assumptions about power within organizations. Employees are increasingly voicing their thoughts or quitting laggard companies.

At AXA IM, we’ve understood that creating a truly inclusive and equitable workplace is fundamental to a company’s financial performance. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are increasingly getting integrated into AXA IM’s sustainability agenda and are no longer seen only as a talent strategy. We foster a workplace where no one is defined by a single characteristic and everyone can bring their whole selves and be an active ally.

Achieving EDGE Move certification, four years after achieving the first level of certification, recognizes AXA IM’s commitment and progress towards a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

While we’re convinced of the relevance of our approach, we’re also aware that we won’t have all the answers, there is still a long way to go, and that is why we continue to listen to our lived experiences and educate ourselves.

We have a long-standing commitment to inclusion and diversity, and we are determined to act to reduce these inequalities, both in our role as an employer, as a business, and as a responsible investors.

EDGE Certification brings visibility and credibility to the change happening inside the organization. At the same time, it creates the premises for diverse talent to thrive at work. Tell us some stories about how your employees benefit from the EDGE certification journey of your organization.

We’ve been working a lot to implement actions to continue supporting our goal of tackling both the under-representation of women in the workforce and higher levels of gender imbalance in senior and investment roles.

Our Emerging Female Talent program aims to help manage the unique challenges women face as young professionals that could potentially curtail their future access to leadership positions. This is part of our efforts to improve female progression into senior leadership positions and monitor the gender balance of the successors to leadership positions.

In addition, we continue rolling out our program for all hiring managers globally on inclusive recruitment practices. The program looks at the importance of structured, consistent interview techniques and also how to mitigate potential bias in the process. It also underlines the business case for greater diversity and how it can support the performance of the team as well as our ability to innovate.

We also set up working groups to foster an inclusive and diverse work environment within the context of our missions, values, business practices, and objectives that each employee can join on a voluntary basis. These groups are able to develop internal programs and events that suit the needs and interests of their membership and help support our strategy for inclusion and diversity. And it’s not just words: the valuable brainstorming work done by our employees is then used in a concrete way. We’ve started working on a menopause standard for our company. This idea came from one of these working groups held in Q1 2022.

Also, we have set up an inclusive global parent policy with the same minimum parental leave provision for all our employees globally and we offer 1:1 virtual maternity and paternity coaching both for employees and managers to support individuals throughout the different stages of parental transition.

Finally, we conducted our first global inclusion and diversity survey in September 2021 which has allowed us to obtain aggregated data on the feeling of inclusion amongst different demographic groups, including women, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. The information collected will provide the insights to reinforce our strategy and continue to make progress in line with our commitments and our EDGE action plan.

These examples of initiatives are just one part of our inclusion and diversity strategy and we will continue to evolve them in the future, always with a clear objective: at AXA IM, we assess people based on their skills and what they bring to the team.

What do you think workplace gender balance, diversity and inclusion mean to the next generation (e.g., of leaders / customers / investors)?

Over the years, the demand for stricter inclusion and diversity policies has grown and is finally starting to have an impact, clients are becoming more demanding in terms of commitments to diversity. At AXA IM, we support and encourage this positive dynamic as much as possible, and we are convinced that the impact of this dynamic will be huge. Tackling inequalities and working towards an inclusive and equitable workplace will soon be an economic necessity for any business, especially as younger generations continue to turn their backs on ‘laggards’ and prioritize those with a virtuous and inclusive approach.

We believe that enabling different ways of thinking and varied experiences in the workplace will be key to our success in the long term. A diverse workforce helps us attract the most talented people because they know they can flourish with us and realize their full potential. Diversity can also help us meet the needs of our clients across different markets – both globally and locally – by engaging with investee companies to hold them to the same high standards of achieving greater diversity. Studies have shown that a well-balanced and gender-diverse Executive Committee leads to higher profitability and value creation, overcomes issues of groupthink, triggers debates and innovation, and leads to stronger diversity of representation across the organization.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is proud to announce it has progressed to the EDGE Move level – the second of three certification levels – of EDGE Certification. EDGE is the leading assessment and business certification for gender and intersectional equity in the workplace, worldwide. This certification recognizes the IMF’s significant improvements in gender representation across all levels of its workforce and commitment and progress in monitoring, benchmarking, and achieving workplace gender equality. The IMF initially became EDGE certified at the EDGE Assess level in 2017 and secured a recertification at the same level in 2019. Today, almost 40 percent of the IMF’s senior leadership team are women.

“I am most pleased and proud of the progress the Fund has made toward a more equitable workplace,” said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. “This recognition of our internal commitment to gender equality comes on the heels of the Executive Board’s recent approval of the Fund’s first gender strategy aimed at integrating gender in the IMF’s core activities. The EDGE Move certification could not have been timelier, reinforcing the evidence and IMF’s belief that reducing gender disparities goes hand-in-hand with higher economic growth, greater economic stability and resilience, and lower income inequality. More work still lies ahead.”

The IMF promotes the full participation of women in the workforce globally. This empowers women and makes sound economic sense. The IMF believes it is equally important that women are fully represented in the institution’s own staffing. Since 2019, the share of women at the IMF’s top management has risen from 25 percent to 37 percent in 2022. At the Executive Board, the share of female Executive Directors has improved from 8 percent in 2019 to 17 percent in 2022. The Fund has made big progress in attracting and retaining top female talent and is committed to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion more broadly, beyond gender. The IMF’s efforts in this regard are reported in the biennial Diversity & Inclusion Reports.

“The assessment and independent certification process affirms that IMF is making progress on its workplace gender equity journey. Having reached the second of three levels of EDGE Certification, it is showcasing progress toward a more gender equitable workplace. The EDGE Move certification, along with IMF’s new Gender Strategy, demonstrates a strong and relevant commitment to gender equity and DE&I as a driver of sustainable economic growth and opportunity, not only for the organization itself but also for its 190 member countries,” Aniela Unguresan, Founder of EDGE Certified Foundation said.

About the IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 190 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

Created in 1945, the IMF is governed by and accountable to the 190 countries that make up its near-global membership.

For further information, visit www.imf.org or follow us on Twitter @IMFNEWS and #IMFGender.