SAP is the first multinational technology company to be awarded the worldwide Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certificate.
The certification, launched at the World Economic Forum in 2011, recognises its global commitments and actions in achieving and sustaining gender diversity and equality in the workplace.
SAP became the first tech company in the United States to achieve EDGE Certification earlier in 2016, and then began the global certification, which was awarded after a third-party review of company data, gender practices and employment policies, and employee survey results in 12 countries – Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Among the criteria considered by the review were recruitment and promotion, leadership development training, mentoring, flexible working and company culture.
“SAP must be at the forefront to take businesses beyond bias,” said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP. “This global certification marks a major milestone in our ongoing efforts to eliminate bias in the workplace. We are very proud of our investments in technologies and programs to drive inclusion. This certification is another step in our leadership on this critical issue, all geared toward helping the world run better and improving people’s lives.”
SAP has a board-level commitment to to reach 25 per cent of its leadership positions filled by women by the end of 2017, with women currently making up 24.1 per cent of the company’s leadership and 32.5 per cent of all employees.
“Gender equality is not a corporate social responsibility initiative or simply a cultural benefit,” said Stefan Ries, chief human resources officer, SAP. “It’s a strategic differentiator, a source of innovation and revenue driver for our company. We are proud of the recognition we’ve achieved, but we remain committed to creating a culture where employees of all backgrounds can thrive. We want to be the role model in the technology industry for providing opportunities for women, as well as for all underrepresented groups, and we hope that others in our market will follow our lead.”
SAP last month conducted a pay equity analysis on its US employee base, and increased the compensation of employees that lacked pay parity.
“The technology industry is home to the world’s innovators, which is why diversity is of special importance. While the tech community overall has historically received low scores on gender equality, SAP is leading its peers worldwide through not only its strong public commitment but the impactful programs and efforts taking place on the ground every day,” said Aniela Unguresan, cofounder, EDGE Certified Foundation. “Through this global EDGE Certification, SAP continues to set the standard for gender equality in technology. We applaud their efforts to promote a workforce that facilitates a culture of diversity, inclusion and equality.”
