International Women’s Day: What role do women have in your business?

Sunday 8th March marks International Women’s Day #IWD2020, and serves as an opportunity to celebrate all the amazing accomplishments women have achieved across the globe. When you consider that it’s just over 100 years since women were given the right to vote, there are countless examples of women who have overcome adversity and changed the world for the better.

Take Rosalind Franklin, accredited for modelling DNA, and pioneering the use of X-rays, and Grace Hopper, who wrote the first lines of code that would form the basis of modern software development. Not to forget Katherine Johnson, whose mathematical equations helped navigate NASAs first space missions – and still form the basis of modern space navigation. And these are only a few.

In more recent years women have also been moving into more senior leadership positions, and redefining the way businesses operate. Although there’s still a long way to go, there are encouraging signs that women are shifting the focus away from male-dominated leadership roles. At SDL we’re proud that 51% of our top talent are women. We continually monitor our pipeline of talent, with a focus on growing and developing everyone, and this is reflected in our salary framework where an individual’s pay is based on their skills, experience and performance – rather than any other factors including gender. This ensures everyone is treated fairly and we build an equitable workforce. 

On International Women’s Day, it’s important to reflect on the struggles faced by women across the globe on a daily basis, but also celebrate their successes. And not just in their personal lives – but in the business world too. Critical to our success as a truly global organization is that everyone is treated equally, and every year we review and deliver a variety of programs and channels to promote diversity and inclusion for everyone. This year is no different. 

We thought we’d share some insights on how we are focusing our efforts and programs to promote diversity across all our 64 global offices. Our aim is simple – to demonstrate the prominent role that diversity and inclusion plays in our culture, with an emphasis on the many ways in which we create work environments where employees from all walks of life can grow, develop and thrive. The hope is that businesses across the globe can learn from how we welcome diversity, and build their own platform that encourages a level playing field for all. 

Our 2020 diversity and inclusion program includes these core elements:

• Education: To ensure all colleagues understand the importance of inclusion, and the challenges faced by all groups. It’s vital that colleagues know how to spot exclusion, and feel they are equipped to promote a welcoming, diverse workforce.
• Forums: Build communities of affinity groups that encourage a sense of belonging and help people realize their full potential. The aim is to raise awareness, share ideas, thoughts and learnings on how to promote inclusivity throughout our business.
• Communication: This is perhaps the most important element. We’re also using a variety of channels to promote and communicate the many ways that diversity and inclusion exists and are supported at SDL.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Over the coming year and beyond we’re extending our comprehensive CSR activities to promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion. These include continuing our work with Street Business School, which equips women living in poverty with the knowledge they need to build sustainable businesses – and empower them to believe in themselves and seize opportunity.
• Recruitment: We will remain committed to ensuring that the very best people are hired based on their skills, and ability to contribute to the long term success of SDL. Nothing else matters when it comes to ensuring a productive workforce that works together to support the business goals.

Rethinking your approach to diversity doesn’t just make business sense. It makes for a more prosperous global economy. A recent McKinsey Global Institute report found that $12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality. With figures like these, isn’t it time to celebrate the role that women play within your business? In fact, the role we all play as we build a world #EachforEqual?

Watch our short video to see how we're celebrating #EachforEqual globally.