DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI)I am Unique. We are Henkel.
At Henkel, we believe in the power of uniqueness. We believe in equity and a sense of belonging for people with all their differences – in our societies and our workplace.
The diversity of our employees, their backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and the appreciation of all their individual differences are the foundation for our competitive advantage. We believe that a company culture focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is the key driver of creativity and innovation. Our ability to deliver excellent results is fueled by and dependent on our ability to embed DEI in our corporate culture and the way we do business.
We are strongly committed to building teams that match the needs of the markets we operate in and the clients we work with, represented by a broad range of cultural backgrounds, skills, and knowledge. Diverse teams stimulate innovation and new ways of problem solving; yet they need an inclusive culture and leadership to help them function at their best.
Our colleagues make the difference. Our diverse global team and out inclusive company culture enable us to leverage our creativity and innovative culture.
Sylvie Nicol – Executive Vice President Human Resources and Infrastructure Services
In 2007, Henkel was one of the first German DAX companies to establish a dedicated global diversity team. Today, diversity, equity and inclusion is deeply anchored in the company strategy and corporate culture. To embed this in all areas of the company and to put it into action, we have established a company-wide DEI network which works collaborative across all departments and regions.
DEI in Henkel India
At Henkel India, we have cultivated a culture that fosters continuous learning and growth through mentorship and encourages feedback while also addressing unconscious biases through sensitization workshops and training. Having recognized the power of inspiration in promoting diverse role models, we have been regularly showcasing work done around DEI initiatives by our teams on our internal and external platforms. Overall, it helps us in making the work environment safe, open and welcoming for all employees by creating a culture of respect, tolerance, and understanding.
Our Aspiration and Ambitions
Our aspiration embodies our inherent motivation, justification, and guidance towards the successful future of DEI topics at Henkel. Get to know what we believe and stand for.
Gender Ambition 2025 – Fostering Gender Diversity across Henkel
We back our clear commitment to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization with concrete ambitions and actions.
One core dimension of diversity is gender. We are deeply convinced that gender diversity plays a decisive role when it comes to our success. We also see it as our social responsibility to mirror the gender parity of our global population and provide equal access to opportunities. That is why we have decided to pursue a bold ambition:
We strive to achieve gender parity across all management levels by 2025.
We aim to reach a significant increase of women on our top management levels as well as build the pipeline for future leadership positions on the management levels below.
Overall, we are on a good track and have made considerable progress in recent years, increasing the proportion of women to today 38% across all management positions. However, we also clearly see that even more needs to be done and we are fully committed to significantly accelerate our efforts. Learn more on our approach under our core dimensions gender.
Our Global Facts and Figures (2023)
We strive to create a workplace that mirrors the markets and societies we represent. We have continually increased the representation of our diverse talent in recent years, yet wish to accelerate further. Here is where we stand today:
Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
We encourage our employees to form resource groups as platforms for sharing experience, providing mentoring and gaining insights.
There are 58 diversity-related ERGs across Henkel, addressing a wide range of topics like gender, origin, sexual orientation, and disabilities. Our ERG members come together, exchange insights and experiences and partner with our global DEI network on strategic initiatives to strengthen our inclusive workplace.