Stadtwerke Gießen has signed the Diversity Charter. The aim is to firmly anchor diversity in the company.
Diversity is high on the agenda of many German companies. For good reason. Because it combines what is right for people with what makes economic sense. Numerous studies have shown that companies that are diverse and whose employees recognise and embrace diversity as a positive value are more successful. They can react more quickly to market needs, are more attractive as an employer and, last but not least, have a more satisfied workforce.
Establishing true diversity in a company requires hard work. Structures need to be created that enable participation, allow human diversity and ultimately also endure it. Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) is now systematically tackling this complex task.
Positioning SWG for the future
SWG needs all kinds of specialists to fulfil its numerous tasks in the provision of public services - today and in the future. Consequently, those responsible are already focussing on personnel policy. And here in particular on structured diversity management. SWG has laid the foundation for this by signing the "Diversity Charter". This commits the company to reviewing equal opportunities for its employees, establishing them where necessary and actively promoting them.
Diversity management at SWG should be in place by March 2025 at the latest. The necessary preparatory work is already underway and the first workshops with employees have already taken place. "We are deliberately involving our employees in this process," explains Jens Schmidt, the outgoing Commercial Director of SWG. On the one hand, many minds ensure many different perspectives and therefore, by definition, more diversity. Secondly, such a process increases acceptance. After all, diversity naturally also brings problems. "We would like to minimise the frictional losses that we have to reckon with," says Matthias Funk, Technical Director of SWG, explaining the approach.
The first step is to examine the state of diversity at SWG. For example, equal treatment of women and men: a gender pay gap - i.e. lower wages or salaries for female employees - is simply out of the question due to the applicable collective labour agreements. With flexible working hours, SWG also makes it possible to reconcile work and family life.
These two examples show that although all dimensions of diversity - i.e. gender, age, religion, nationality, social background, physical and mental abilities and sexual orientation - are equally important at SWG, they are not equally relevant. "Basically, everything revolves around two central aspects: treating each other with respect and ensuring the company's competitiveness in an increasingly tough economic environment," says Jens Schmidt, describing the situation.
One central aspect is, of course, the situation on the labour market. The primary goal here is to make SWG an attractive employer for as many potential applicants as possible. Matthias Funk puts it this way: "SWG's future viability depends crucially on how well it succeeds in embracing diversity, recognising it as an opportunity and exploiting its potential."
As many points of view as possible
The key advantage of a corporate culture based on diversity is that diversity inevitably means numerous different perspectives. "And that's exactly what will matter more and more in the future. Because the demands on municipal utilities are becoming increasingly complex," says Jens Schmidt. This approach makes it clear that diversity is not just about the workforce itself, but above all about how people work and communicate. "Different perspectives and life experiences broaden horizons and will therefore become a valuable resource for companies in the future," Matthias Funk is certain. This also applies to the development of future products and services. This is because increasingly diverse employees represent the reality of life for increasingly diverse customers within the company. This should make it easier to recognise their wishes and needs and ultimately satisfy them - in the form of suitable offers. "Diversity at SWG is not just lip service, but a business necessity," Jens Schmidt points out. This is why SWG is consistently pursuing its chosen path and setting the course for more diversity in the company.
31.07.2024