Bridging the gender tech gap

Ownership of Tailor-Made Diversity Targets drives Success | Best Practice by Swisscom

As a leading Swiss Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company, Swisscom is primarily active in technological business areas and hires employees in professions that are still predominantly held by men. Be inspired by how business unit ownership of gender goals increases engagement and goal achievement – a measure that works and advances diversity at Swisscom. 

This Best Practice was first published in the Gender Intelligence Report 2022.

Tradition in motion

Swisscom has been connecting people for 170 years. In 1852, we started with the beginnings of telecommunications, with the first telegraph service, and are now the leading ICT company in Switzerland with around 16,000 employees. We drive digitization with innovations, connect Switzerland and its people, and live sustainability. Within this is inclusion and diversity. Diversity creates potential, inspiration and creativity – to the benefit of all employees and the company. Diversity in all its facets is an important topic, especially for young talents, whom we want to attract, retain and promote at Swisscom.

In the area of gender diversity, Swisscom is showing good development. Despite the traditionally high number of male graduates in IT professions, 26% of all positions are already held by women. On the Board of Directors, 33% of all members are female. However, the industry is in a state of upheaval and the demand for IT specialists is enormously high. We therefore pursue broad diversity goals and focus on diversity in terms of gender, generations, origin and language, as well as inclusion of employees with physical or mental disabilities. We have defined very clear objectives at all levels, with the intention of building the necessary skills we need across the board in the company. One of our diversity goals is to increase the proportion of women in all areas and at all levels. This Best Practice explains how Swisscom intends to achieve this goal.

• Sabrina Lehmann

  Responsible Diversity at Swisscom

Starting point: create transparency on the status quo

Our diversity report in 2019 revealed that among the approximately 16,000 employees at Swisscom Switzerland, 25% were women in the overall workforce and 11% were women in management. An internal diversity team was established with the mission of establishing diversity targets and measures. One goal was to increase the proportion of women where it was still relatively low.

Clear commitment from top management is crucial

Far-reaching changes to personnel structures must not be seen merely as an HR department issue. They must be ‘business-oriented’. At the highest level, on the Board of Directors and in the Executive Board, there must be a declared commitment to such changes. With the unequivocal commitment of our top management to recognize the high business importance and thus further development of diversity, the most important decision in this change process has been made. Our top management has prioritized diversity and inclusion as goals and initiated further transformation processes. However, we are convinced that the formulation of a diversity target that is imposed from above and on all areas in exactly the same way cannot be effective.

“As a strong employer and major player in the Swiss market, Swisscom has a great responsibility and role model function. We want to fulfill this in all respects and above all toward people of all genders, ages and origins, both internally and toward our customers. To do this, we need transparency, a clear vision and a shared awareness of inclusive structures, processes and culture. It is important to us that, when making personnel decisions, the respective competence profile must always meet the requirements in addition to the diversity criteria. It makes me proud to see how motivated our management team and employees are to implement these positive changes together, step by step”, states Klementina Pejic, Chief People Officer at Swisscom.

Defining meaningful goals per business unit

So how do we initiate the transformation processes? How do we achieve our goals? In our opinion, far more productive than a rigid, generalized target is to involve the individual divisions in their target formulations – better still, the various divisions define their own diversity targets. Each of our divisions defines the ambitious goal to be achieved, based on the relevant requirements within the division, according to their respective culture, strategy, regional nuances and other factors. Based on the status quo, i.e., the reported proportions of women in the workforce and management, the division heads formulate the targets that are realistically achievable yet ambitious for their division and set these as key performance indicators. These are always dependent on the number of new positions that can be created and also the number of new hires in general. Clear analysis coupled with a sensible approach are the keys to success.

Ownership bears fruit

We have recognized that not only the commitment of the management levels is decisive for change processes, but also the transfer of responsibility to the divisions and the concomitant commitment. It is important to us that the heads of the divisions stand behind their objectives, that they are able to take the appropriate measures, and that they do everything in their power to achieve their (milestone) goals. To do this, we have to equip the responsible people with the knowledge, the tools (e.g., analyses, detailed reporting) and the motivation. And it works!

In addition to pursuing quantitative diversity goals, Swisscom is also continuously on the move in qualitative terms. Together with Advance, we are committed to equal opportunities and the necessary cultural change toward gender inclusion, as well as to targeted talent management with a unique training, mentoring and networking program for female talent. Swisscom also supports the internal WoMen’s Empowerment Community and organizes courses just for women and events such as the Ladies Drive bar talks. With the Digital Days for Girls, the company promotes initiatives that start as early as the career choice stage. And for us, it goes without saying that we promote part-time working models and are committed to equal pay for men and women.

Diversity management is a marathon, we are aware of that. We are moving along the early marathon stages, but we are already seeing the first successes!

For an exchange on the topic of ownership of tailored gender targets, please feel free to contact Sabrina Lehmann, Responsible Diversity at Swisscom and the entire Diversity Team, at sabrina.lehmann@swisscom.com or diversity.andinclusion@swisscom.com.

www.swisscom.ch

This Best Practice was first published in the Gender Intelligence Report 2022.

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