‘Diversity’ for Henkel means a ‘multiplicity of people types within the company’ – and it is an important barometer for our corporate success. Henkel is particularly involved in the fields of internationality, family compatibility, the promotion of women and talent management with respect to our employees.

Henkel regards diversity as an important component of our corporate structure. The objective in promoting Henkel team heterogeneity is to utilize even more effectively the economic, creative and innovative potential of our employees and thus further improve our results. The different cultures and competences of our employees make a significant contribution to our ability to better understand our markets and secure our long-term success.

Initiatives for the promotion of diversity
The high value that we attach to ‘diversity’ is firmly anchored in Henkel’s Code of Conduct and also the Code of Teamwork and Leadership. In 2007, Henkel also committed to diversity by signing the ‘Charta der Vielfalt’ [Diversity Charter], in which representatives of German trade and industry publicly embraced the diversity concept. Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel is the patron of the ‘Charta’ initiative.

In addition, Henkel has instituted a new organizational unit under the title ‘Global Diversity & Inclusion’ to promote mutual respect and the acceptance of diversity within the company. In order to enable the success of the various measures instituted to be properly gaged, Henkel also established a ‘Diversity Cockpit’ that reveals the dimensions of internationality, gender mix and age composition in our structures worldwide. The objective is to match our own personnel make-up to the structures of our markets and the societies in which we operate.

Internationality
Henkel has employees from a total of 110 nations. Through the development and expansion of new markets, the proportion of employees working for Henkel outside Germany has now increased to more than 80%.

Henkel’s objective is to provide our international colleagues with a socially integrated platform. In Germany, Henkel is a pioneer in this field having established a ‘meeting place’ for our international employees, the Henkel Expat Network, enabling our international colleagues to quickly make contact with both local people and other newcomers.

In the USA, there are various networks available to Henkel employees serving the same purpose. The objectives of these ‘meeting places’ are, on the one hand, to make employees aware of our other cultures and to encourage their acceptance of their international colleagues, and secondly to promote the professional and personal development of the network members.

Work and family
On April 1, 2008, Henkel signed a joint declaration on the ‘Family as a Factor for Success’ in Berlin. With this public acknowledgement, Henkel has once again emphasized the high value that the company attaches to reconciling working life on the one hand with family demands on the other. And Henkel was placed among the ten top German companies In the ‘Family as a Factor for Success’ rankings of 2008. Henkel’s family friendliness has also been confirmed by the charity Hertie-Stiftung [Hertie Foundation]. We received our Hertie certificate following a ‘Work and Family Audit’ at the end of November 2007. The audit under the patronage of Federal Minister for Family Affairs Dr. Ursula von der Leyen has become a seal of quality in family-aware personnel management. At Henkel, we support our employees in reconciling their professional commitments with their personal plans, whether it be through the operation of two childcare centers or the provision of an external ‘Family Service’. Henkel Social Services also supports our employees in Germany in their search for facilities for their children and also for other family members requiring care and support. We will also find people with special skills and provide employees with counseling and advice.

In Austria, for example, Henkel in collaboration with a company called ‘Employee Service’ offers a range of advisory and support services for our employees in the fields of conflict mediation, health, pregnancy and family. In Spain, we are developing a program at our various facilities in collaboration with the service provider ‘Más Vida Red’ (More Life Network) with various training opportunities and services relating to the field of work and family.

Women at Henkel
In 2007, the number of people working for Henkel averaged 52,303, 35% women and 65% men. The proportion of women in managerial positions has developed positively, growing from 21.9% in 2003 to 25.5% in 2007. Henkel wants to see this figure grow further and is involved in various initiatives such as the ‘Generation CEO’ project and the establishment of a global network of women’s networks. At the moment, there are women’s networks at Henkel in Germany and Henkel in the USA.

Talent management
Diversity makes an important contribution to creativity, innovation and economic strength. In this awareness, Henkel endeavors to develop our employees in their skills and talents, appreciating their individual qualities and special capabilities as important assets for the company.

The Henkel Network Circle (HNC) is a network for young managers in Düsseldorf. It provides a platform for exchanging information and experience with other colleagues and forging links between individual departments, functions and business sectors. It serves to increase motivation and enables its members both to extend their horizons and to gain a deeper insight into Henkel’s corporate culture.

An interdisciplinary working committee under the name ‘Demografie’ is looking into how young employees might profit from the experience and customer knowledge of their older colleagues, and hence how to retain valuable skills available within the company through appropriate knowledge transfer systems. One example of the kind of instruments deployed is that of a regular, open round-table discussion in which experienced and younger Henkel managers exchange views and knowledge.