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At BASF, Diversity Is Front and Center
At BASF Corporation, named one of DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity in 2013, the focus is on attracting and retaining the best people from all backgrounds, and on building an inclusive environment in which differences are valued. The company’s regional diversity council guides the development and implementation of its diversity and inclusion strategy. New Focus, New Partners Recruitment efforts have recently been expanded to include a strategic focus on historically black colleges and universities, as well as externship opportunities with new partners at key schools and universities. BASF’s diversity sourcing professional works closely with the recruitment team to
match diverse talent to existing job opportunities and maintain a pipeline for future opportunities. BASF partners with various organizations, including the American Chemical Society through the ACS/ BASF Scholars Program, to offer scholarships intended to expand the participation of under-represented groups in the sciences and with the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering to achieve the same goals in key Gulf Coast markets. BASF is also working to improve the representation of women and minority groups in science, technology, engineering and math (the STEM disciplines) and looking to deepen the impact of diverse teams on driving innovation. In addition, the company will soon introduce a formal mentoring program dedicated to specific job skill development and knowledge transfer, which will help employees build successful careers. BASF is also in the
Ready for What’s Next A recognized leader in diversity and inclusion (D&I) for many years, Booz Allen embraces the idea that inclusion drives innovation, engagement, and improved business results. The D&I Summit To maintain its status as a diverse employer of choice, the company recently took steps to reshape its diversity and Inclusion strategy for 2013 and beyond. C-suite, senior market executives, D&I professionals, and a cadre of industry experts convened a “D&I Summit” to chart a course forward. The participants noted where progress had been made, identified areas where progress had stalled, and recommitted the firm to D&I priorities for the future. The summit fully positioned D&I as integral part of the C-suite agenda, renewed Booz Allen’s focus and allowed the organization to develop a fresh vision and roadmap for the next three years that would engage leaders and staff across the firm. Taking Three Key Steps Next, the group took the following three steps to ensure that the summit was the start, not the finish, of Booz Allen’s D&I strategic efforts: 1. The group focused on and engaged key diversity con-
process of establishing an employee resource group especially for military veterans. Taking these efforts to the next level is at the heart of “what’s next” for BASF. Tracking Progress Along with adopting an increased focus on diversity recruiting, as well as leadership accountability for recruiting and retaining diverse talent, BASF has created an innovative Talent/D+I dashboard that can track the impact of leader behaviors on building a truly diverse and inclusive organization. These efforts will help BASF move beyond “counting heads” and toward making sure people truly count. Through strategic workforce planning, BASF continues to prepare for demographic shifts in the workforce. Such efforts include the company’s Transitions@Work program, which focuses on knowledge transfer and strategic succession planning to ensure the continued success of the business. PDJ
stituencies, and reestablished comprehensive governing bodies (Diversity Agendas) made up of top-level executives and D&I leaders; aligned employee forum groups (EFGs) with their respective agendas for increased guidance, support and engagement; agenda and forum activities were then aligned to the new D&I strategic roadmap to optimize efforts and drive desired D&I results 2. The group met with market leaders to review the roadmap, collect feedback and gain buy-in, to ensure more deliberate messaging and involvement of the most senior leaders 3. The group shared the roadmap and D&I messages in communications with our staff to ensure a clear approach to building a D&I tradition and adherence to the company’s core value of inclusion Immediate results included an increase in forum participation, cross-forum activities, participation of senior most leaders as keynote/panel speakers at national diversity conferences, and a video from Booz Allen’s CEO in support of National Coming Out Day. So, what’s next for Booz Allen? The organization is achieving a higher level of excellence in D&I with a fully aligned group of D&I professionals, leadership, and staff committed to creating a workplace where people of all backgrounds can thrive and feel supported in an inclusive environment, and where all employees can bring their authentic selves to work every day. For Booz Allen, this is much more than a vision statement. This is the Booz Allen way. PDJ
November/December 2013
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WHAT’S NEXT
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