Schneider Earns 2019 Catalyst Award for Diversity and Inclusion

Jan 27, 2019

Schneider Electric has been named a prestigious 2019 Catalyst Award winner for bold and forward-thinking initiatives that help create safe and inclusive workplaces where women can advance. The Catalyst awards will be presented at a New York conference in March.

Following a turbulent time for women in the workplace, this year’s event will focus on the Future@Work and what it takes for companies to transform workplace cultures and remain innovative and competitive, now and in the future. Three other companies are also receiving Catalyst awards.

“This is a critically important moment where diverse and inclusive workplaces matter more than ever,” says Catalyst President and CEO Lorraine Hariton. “We honour and celebrate these companies and leaders that have the ability to make a change and are choosing to do so. The four organizations awarded this year — Bank of America, Deutsche Post DHL Group, Eli Lilly and Company, and Schneider Electric — support and celebrate women. Each of us has a role to play, and these four companies are leading the charge.”

Schneider Electric’s award results from its efforts to attract and retaining women in Schneider Electric India. Grounded in a commitment to equal opportunity and inclusion as a business imperative, this initiative in India serves as a role model for the global company’s diversity and inclusion transformation. It uses a holistic approach with a focus on the recruitment, professional development, and retention of women at all levels. From 2015 to 2018, women’s representation across all levels increased from 15.9% to 20.8%.

Highlights of the initiative include:

    • robust recruiting and retention programs, including targeted campus hiring and outside sector recruitment, intentional recruiting and retention of people across the various dimensions of diversity, including disability and LGBTI.

    • efforts to re-engage women following a career break through programs such as Her Second Innings, which eases women professional’s transition back into the workforce.

    • men’s engagement and inclusion in all aspects of the initiative to encourage and support their participation as allies and champions.

    • flexible work arrangements for all. Many employees shared stories with us about their ability to work remotely for extended periods with the support of their managers and colleagues to care for sick loved ones. Additionally, more fathers are taking parental leave.

Other Catalyst award winners include Bank of America, Deutsche Post DHL Group, and Eli Lilly and Company.

Find out more about
    • Schneider Electric’s efforts in India
    • diversity and inclusion and Schneider Electric