The world is changing face.
Even change is changing.
Change. We can see it in our daily lives. We see it on our television sets. We see it in the changing faces of our politicians. Society has never been in such a state of flux, with global mega-trends affecting the fundamental make-up of society as a whole. The 21st century has developed its own principles and its own megatrends: globalization, emerging markets, digitalization, new generations of employees, an ageing society and new set ups of traditional roles of women and men.
Normal isn’t the norm.
Social change means a revolution of norms. And that is what we are seeing today. Gender roles are increasing overlapping; mobile workers move from country to country in pursuit of opportunity; a new class of active, affluent retirees is forming a powerful new voice in the labor market and in the shopping power.
What we are seeing is increased mobility, increased connectedness, increased flexibility and increased freedom. We can call all these developments global megatrends, but we could also equally call them Diversity in practice.
It’s society, but not as we know it.
We are becoming a society of Diversity. Diversity is influencing the very core of our society and culture. And increasingly, these social trends are being seen, not as a threat, but as an opportunity to expand our worldview, share knowledge and experiences, and come up with better approaches and innovative ideas to solving problems and living together.
So change is changing, but what does that mean for Henkel?
Diversity makes the difference.
Competition is fierce, and becoming fiercer. For today’s leading global companies, it is not enough to offer a strong product or service; now there is pressure to be the first to anticipate and adapt to the global trends and fluctuations of the marketplace, and to stay one step ahead of customer needs.
- Globalization
- Saturated markets / increasing competition
- Demographic change
- Digitization
- Social change in values
- The role of women and men in society
- Environmental pollution
Henkel, a global leader in brands and technologies.
Henkel has a clear vision: to be a global leader in brands and technologies. This vision can only be fulfilled through innovation.
To develop new and better – even revolutionary – solutions, we need the diversity of our employees in terms of mindsets, attitudes, competencies, and personalities.
Diversity & Inclusion at Henkel
Diversity the potential principle
Henkel has 48,000 employees. Each one is different. Each one is unique. And the diversity of each one makes his valuable contribution to Henkel’s economic success.
For Henkel diversity is the connecting key between our markets and our strategic priorities and means: Leverage our potential!
Our Diversity is explicit in the variety of genders, nationalities and ages and implicit in our skills, our mindset, our attitudes, the qualities, attributes and abilities of all Henkel employees and business partners around the world.
To release the potential of our talents we need an open and inclusive corporate culture that appreciates all differences as well as all similarities. Together we build ONE Winning Culture @ Henkel.
Inclusion starts with “I”.
Inclusion is giving Diversity a place to realize its potential; this means respecting all visible and invisible differences to gain competitive business advantage and create an equitable, healthy and high-performing organization in which all individuals feel valued and their contributions are appreciated.
Diversity makes us strong
Markus Dinslacken is Henkel’s new Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion. Dinslacken follows Anke Meier who, after three years of successfully heading this unit, will take up new responsibilities in the company.
The 42-year-old Dinslacken has over ten years’ international experience in various functions in IT and HR management at Henkel in both Germany and the USA.
? You became the new Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion Management on May 1, 2011. What are the main duties that make up your new function?
We all know that diversity can provide a significant value-add to an international company such as Henkel, not least in economic terms – as has been verified many times over. Seeking a good mix of international colleagues from all age groups should be regarded as both integral and essential to our corporate philosophy. We need to specifically include and appreciate people who have different ways of thinking and working. For me, reinforcing such inclusive attitudes at Henkel is a top priority.
Another primary target is to further increase the percentage of women in leadership positions. To achieve this, we as a company will need to further promote the flexibility in our working conditions. My task is to define clear objectives and measures in close collaboration with our business sector managements.
? Why are diversity and inclusion so important for Henkel?
We are a global corporation with around 48,000 employees and activities in over 125 countries. More than 80 percent of our employees work outside Germany and over half of them work in the emerging markets. We want to successfully participate in the growth of the relevant markets. To make sure that happens, we need the best teams at the right locations. And it is important that we are perceived as an attractive employer – both internally and externally.
? What have you previously done at Henkel and what past experience are you able to bring to your new position?
I have been with Henkel for ten years and have held various management positions in IT and personnel management, both in Germany and in the USA. So I myself have been greatly influenced by diversity and can make good use of the experience I have gained. During my period in the USA, for example, I found that the issue of Diversity & Inclusion enjoyed a far wider and more natural acceptance, albeit with different points of emphasis. I learned of some good and practical examples that we can surely utilize in our everyday activities here.
