Corporate culture: Making D&I a daily experience for employees

It goes around like a ghost: corporate culture. It seems to be responsible for everything while no one feels responsible for it. From a D&I point of view, there are many opportunities to influence it and within this process the workforce is not only the target group, but also a key player.

D&I encompasses all employees (and stakeholders) and nowhere is this more evident than in the field of corporate culture: it arises from the common values and behaviours of all and they all influence their further development. D&I must therefore offer platforms and tools that not only allow but encourage participation. How extensively and actively is the workforce involved in your corporate cultural D&I activities?

Employees: From target group to key resource

For many years, employees were an important target group for D&I – in communication or at events. But how does the future development of your corporate culture in terms of D&I succeed? Employees become the central resource and the key to success. Our cultural change programmes involve employees in dialogues, encourage feedback and stir the exchange of good practice.

“For the success of D&I in the future, we must unlearn much of what has been successful in the past.” Michael Stuber

Formats: From separate initiatives to integrative platforms

Diversity seems to require topical or group-specific offers. Their dissemination even shapes the perception of the topic. An environment of populism, filter bubbles and fear of loss makes it necessary for your company to use D&I as an integrative approach that appeals to all employees and brings your stakeholders together. Our innovative network concepts, mentoring programs and exchange platforms ensure that D&I stands for ‘you and me’.

Cultural change: From rules and framework conditions to reflection and routines

D&I should be a natural part of the corporate culture. How do you know to what extent this often-proclaimed goal has been achieved in your company? We use various sources of information to record the perception of employees in a differentiated way. Often, deviations from principles and implementation or from intention and effect become visible.

The healthy, accepted development of your experienced corporate culture requires a value-free reflection of the situation and a comparison with the requirements of the future. This creates inspiration for new ways and means of communication and cooperation. Once again, your managers play a key role in enabling and designing new routines. ENGINEERING D&I.

Complementary offers:

Practically-oriented, sound approaches to Unconscious Biases
A robust approach to measuring the success of D&I
Strategically focused work with management and leadership teams

Related topics

Within Volkswagen Bank, the employee network of 'Queerdirect' represents an important part of Diversity. In 2003, this group conducted an interactive policy and training program that European Diversity Research & Consulting had designed and facilitated. In 2005, they initiated the first country-wide Gay and Lesbian business forum, which again European Diversity Research & Consulting professionally and successfully co-ordinated.

Credit Suisse | Eva Ingold, Head Diversity and Inclusion, Oktober 2007

Nobody in Europe is more profoundly acquainted with Diversity as Michael Stuber. He creatively co-designed the ‘Diversity & Inclusion Switzerland’ conference and his facilitation was both energetic and empathetic.

Deutsche Telekom | Stefan Conradi, RTS, 2010

As part of the implementation of a quota for women at Deutsche Telekom, European Diversity research & Consulting led through gender diversity workshops for professionals and executives in the area of recruiting and talent service. The Gender & Diversity models and the interactive discussion on the topic were very effective and appropriate for the target groups and helped to establish a positive understanding as well as to create new approaches to further implementation.

Bayer HealthCare | Corinna Dawkins, Vice President HR, 2011

On the search for competent partners to help with your D&I initiatives in Europe you can't overlook European Diversity - Research & Consulting.

Bayer Animal Health | Dr. Afssaneh Rahbar, Diversity Manager, 12/2011

European Diversity Research & Consulting provided efficient and creative support in designing our Women Initiative kick-off day with almost 200 women at Bayer Animal Health and Crop Science in Monheim. Their experience in this field and Michael Stuber's excellent English communication skills helped to engage global participants and top managers in a lively discussion which resulted in valuable insights. They also were a big support in analysing the workshop’s outcomes and in paving the path for further actions.

Vodafone D2 | Yasmin Wateler, Diversity Manager, 2012

It was a pleasure working with Michael Stuber. Indeed a resourceful and inspiring session with insightful analysis. I would recommend European Diversity Research & Consulting to companies which are keen to capture and realise the value of female economy be it in the workplace, marketplace or consumer space and more importantly gender balanced leadership.

Commerzbank | Uwe Tschäge, Dpty President of the Supervisory Board, 2013

We have known Michael Stuber as an knowledgable and engaged Diversity expert for years. Due to his experience and personality also had the pleasure to have him as a moderated of very hetereogeneous panels - with great success.

Bayer MaterialScience | Maud Wiedemann & Dr. Christine Mendoza-Frohn, Tandem lead of the global Diversity & Inclusion Initiative, 2012-2013

We highly appreciate Michael Stuber being an integral member of our Diversity & Inclusion core team at Bayer MaterialScience. From the beginning of our cooperation, he has been listening to the status achieved so far and contributed with his broad experience and as a knowledgeable subject matter expert. He supports our initiative with high customer-orientation and flexibility according to specific ad-hoc as well as long-term needs. The fruitful cooperation is not only related to the field of Diversity & Inclusion itself but embraces as well change management for sustainable achievements.

Jansen Supply Chain (Johnson & Johnson) | Ellen Driesen, HR Director, 03/2017

Michael Stuber is a passionate guide and role model in the space of diversity and inclusion. He supported us in tackling the challenges and opportunities that a diverse workforce offers, in our daily HR, leadership and collaborative practices. Addressing this “was and is” still key in our global but at the same time extreme multicultural local environment. We first worked under his guidance on a bottom-up approach in which we engaged our supply chain operator population in a direct dialogue on topics as generation, culture, gender etc. Based on this population’s feedback, the need was very clear to create greater awareness around the topic with our line management population. Starting from the propelling potential principle and a framework of various biases that block our perception and thinking, we trained our total supervisory population to make them aware of own bias and to give them some tools to achieve a more objective or at least different kind of point of view when acting as “servant, inspiring leaders”. Seen the size of the group that needed to be trained, he has also been very helpful in training our HR team as facilitators. In working with Michael, I appreciated very much his effort to tailoring messages towards our needs and his huge experience in what works and does not work in this space. He puts things in perspective, not only from a business point of view but also from a societal.

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