Inclusive Workplace @Siemens

Everyone holds unconscious beliefs which influence our choices. For objective decisions to be made, social stereotypes must be removed from our thinking. To support this, over ¾ of our line managers have attended face-to-face unconscious bias training sessions which are now available to everyone on an ongoing basis.

Culture of acceptance and openness

In all our activities, actions, and programs, we want to make the most of the diversity in our workforce. We establish an open work environment for all of our employees, regardless of cultural background, ethnicity, origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, expression, or characteristics. We create possibilities for diverse experiences and interactions, with the overall goal of achieving a diversity of mindsets throughout the company. To help our employees optimally develop their talents, we offer challenging jobs with numerous development opportunities in a modern working environment. Wide-ranging options for health and work-life integration are included in our modern Siemens office concept.

Exposing hidden thought patterns

Unconscious biases can impact the decisions we make without our being aware of it. All human beings have these unconscious thought patterns in the form of expectations and preferences – for example, with regard to men and women. Often, however, these are based on unsubstantiated assumptions or stereotypes, and can hinder us from making objective decisions. The Implicit Association Test, created by Harvard University, shows that more than 70% of people associate men with career and women with family. At Siemens, we want to sensitize our employees so that they can recognize these patterns and, with targeted training, learn to overcome them.