Diversity and inclusion in the workplace

The news on diversity & inclusion is diverse. While McKinsey, for example, emphasised in its study ‘Diversity matters even more’ in March 2024 that diversity in management teams leads to higher financial returns, you can read in the daily press that some Swiss companies are cutting costs, particularly in the areas of sustainability and diversity. The NZZ writes that diversity is now integrated into the processes of internationally active Swiss companies, such as UBS, and that there is no longer any need for special staff.

Aside from the discussion about the profitability of diversity management, we at Angestellte Schweiz asked how companies implement the topic of diversity and inclusion in practice and what organisations, as well as employee representatives, can take away as best practices - especially those that have not officially implemented diversity and inclusion management.

We categorise the terms diversity and inclusion once again and give you an example of implementation from the business world.

Example ABB

How is the topic implemented in Swiss companies? Angestellte Schweiz asked Vera Keller, HR Business Partner & HR Project Lead at ABB, about her work as Diversity & Inclusion Manager and learnt how diverse the introduction of the topic can be in a company.

Vera Keller explains: ‘First of all, it is important to bring the two terms diversity and inclusion together: We are diverse per se anyway. For example, each of us has different life experiences, talents or a different background. Inclusion is actually more important. We can be as diverse as we like, but if we are not open-minded, tolerant and appreciative, it's no use.

At ABB, the topic of Diversity & Inclusion has been introduced with a vision, strategy and various measures and is based on three pillars across the Group. The three pillars include inclusive culture and leadership, governance and partnerships.’

‘In the area of ‘Culture and Leadership’, ABB's goal is to integrate diversity and inclusion into the day-to-day work of managers and employees. We offer various initiatives and mentoring programmes, for example, long-standing employees can work in a start-up for a period of time. This changes their view of their own company. There are also internships for refugees to enable them to gain access to higher education. Furthermore, we offer further training courses on the topic of ‘breaking down prejudices’.

The ‘Governance’ area includes processes, guidelines and tools that promote an environment in which diversity, inclusion and equality are practised. This includes, for example, gender-neutral parental leave, a guide to inclusive language and ABB's certification with the Swiss LGBTI label.* The label is preceded by an extensive assessment process in which the company must demonstrate how it is committed to equality for LGBTI people within the organisation.

The ‘partnerships’ are about internal and external partnerships, such as the various employee networks, the cooperation with ABB Germany to support the Special Olympics Winter Games or the commitment to vocational training.’

Traditionally social

Vera Keller also points out that social criteria and employee welfare have been important to ABB in Switzerland for a long time:

‘Even in the days of the founding company, the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC), we were very socially committed and established crèches, a social counselling service and a welfare foundation at an early stage.

It is very important for us to create awareness within the company that we are all diverse. We focus on the individual strengths of each person and want to make targeted use of diversity in an inclusive environment.’

So what are best practices?

The example of ABB shows that diversity and inclusion management must be implemented at many levels in order to be effective. How can diversity issues be implemented in companies that have not yet implemented diversity management?

Some best practices can be derived here that could be useful for other organisations or for employee representatives:

Anchoring an inclusive culture

Diversity and inclusion should be integrated into corporate culture and everyday management. Create a corporate culture that prioritises social responsibility, offers support to employees and embraces diversity and inclusion.

Mentoring programmes and training help to overcome prejudices. Broadening perspectives also helps: employees can be placed in other work environments through job rotations, for example, to gain new perspectives.

Help from associations and certifications

Information and help is provided by the external certification body Swiss LGBTI. The Swiss LGBTI label helps your organisation to define clear internal content and processes to implement or improve diversity and inclusion management. Find out more about the Swiss LGBTI label at: More talent, more innovation, more success – Swiss LGBTI label.

Swiss LGBTI is committed to helping organisations implement holistic diversity and inclusion management (DIM). That is why the offering is also tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Conclusion

Diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords, but fundamental principles that shape the way we live together in our society. The path to a diverse and inclusive community requires continued commitment, openness and the courage to challenge old structures.