Diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion
Diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion are already lived and practised at Wintershall Dea – and we set ourselves clear goals to entrench these values even more firmly at the Company.
Diversity comprises visible and invisible characteristics that influence us and condition how all of us act.
Wintershall Dea is an international Company – which can be seen at all levels.
Diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion – what do they mean?
Respect for different perspectives is not only vital to a harmonious relationship – it is the key to success. That view is shared by most German companies, according to a survey by the Diversity Charter – and that is backed up by figures from a recent study by McKinsey. Our ideal is therefore a working world in which everyone can develop their personality freely. One in which everyone feels they are seen and heard.
Our objective is a diverse working world in which all employees can develop freely.
The seven diversity dimensions
We aim to strengthen diversity comprehensively. Our diversity management is therefore based on a model that includes all seven diversity dimensions. That makes diversity more tangible as a goal and thus helps us put it into practice.
We use gender-inclusive language in communication and ensure – with regard to the gender pay gap – equal pay for equal work. We endeavour to assemble teams that are as mixed-gender as possible and we offer part-time models for persons of all genders at all levels of the hierarchy.
We offer mentoring programs for people from non-academic backgrounds. As a result, the mentors and mentees discover new perspectives.
We assemble teams so that they bring together people from different cultures. We look for experts internationally. We also help enhance our employees’ awareness of cultural differences and similarities.
We respect the religions and world views of our employees. We know and take into account the religious holidays of different faiths.
We ensure that our employees have barrier-free access to their workplace as far as possible. Handicapped people are integrated in work processes at Wintershall Dea in a way that reflects their individual needs. We adapt job profiles to skills, not the other way round.
We assemble mixed-age teams. Old and young members interact, share ideas and discuss matters as equals. Wintershall Dea’s Young Professional Network gives its young talents a voice.
We encourage an organisational culture in which no one has to justify their own sexual identity or orientation.
Wintershall Dea’s employees come from more than 60 countries – and together they form a strong team.
As a signatory to the Diversity Charter, we have entrenched diversity in all its dimensions, equal opportunity and inclusion in our corporate culture. As a result, we are committed to respecting the personality of our employees in all its facets. We aim to strengthen awareness of the advantages of a diverse and inclusive corporate culture by means of targeted corporate communication and diversity training at all levels of the hierarchy. We encourage women to take the next step in their career. We attach importance to a family-friendly working environment that enables anyone to hold a leadership position at Wintershall Dea who is interested in doing so.
To meet the standards we have set ourselves, Wintershall Dea is continuously expanding its commitment to more diversity. Among the most important measures are Company-wide standards, adjusted HR processes, internal and external awareness campaigns, and the above-mentioned training. There is also a representative body for the severely disabled at Wintershall Dea’s locations in Kassel and Hamburg. It is the point of contact for severely disabled employees and for employees who want to submit an application for recognition of their disability status. The representative body can be contacted at sbv@wintershalldea.com.
In order to ensure a clear responsibility for all issues related to diversity at the Company, we have created the role of Vice President Diversity & Inclusion, a post which is held by Dionne Konings. She is working on measures to establish an all-embracing culture of inclusion.
How important is diversity for us? We have a separate department dedicated to ensuring that we get better and better at diversity throughout the Company – Dionne Konings is its Vice President.
Wintershall Dea is already a diverse company – and will become even more diverse in the future. We set ourselves ambitious goals as part of that and pursue them uncompromisingly.
“Diversity simply makes our life more interesting,” says Torsten Eden, Subsurface Manager at Wintershall Dea and team leader of 14 experts with backgrounds from eight different nationalities. Find out what he values about his team and how he reacts to exclusion.
“Diversity simply makes our life more interesting,” says Torsten Eden, Subsurface Manager at Wintershall Dea and team leader of 14 experts with backgrounds from eight different nationalities. Find out what he values about his team and how he reacts to exclusion.
“Diversity means equal opportunities for everyone," says Natasya Maura, production engineer at Wintershall Dea. Find out what Natasya has to say about how colleagues can best help fight sexism on the job and why companies need diversity to stay innovative.
“Diversity means equal opportunities for everyone," says Natasya Maura, production engineer at Wintershall Dea. Find out what Natasya has to say about how colleagues can best help fight sexism on the job and why companies need diversity to stay innovative.
Diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion: our goals
We have defined clear goals to drive diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion at Wintershall Dea. Since then, we have been adapting processes so that we achieve these goals.
Increasing the ratio of women in management positions
It is our conviction that diverse teams at all levels of the hierarchy are more successful. One of our main goals is therefore for the proportion of women in management positions to be at least 30% by 2025. That ratio in mid-2019 was 20% and it is now already 27%. To create a better gender balance in our management team in the coming years, we are currently planning measures to make management positions more family-friendly or specifically to motivate women to advance in their career.
Increasing the ratio of international employees
Wintershall Dea is an international Company – that should also be reflected even more strongly its management team. We are delighted to have achieved one of our goals from 2019: 37% of our executive employees now have a nationality other than German.
Fair pay for all
Fair pay is a key component of our diversity and inclusion strategy – and we are currently conducting an equal pay analysis together with PwC and the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation from Switzerland. The results will be communicated in the fourth quarter of 2021 at the latest.
Diversity training
Wintershall Dea organises individual courses and training to enhance employees’ awareness of cultural differences and similarities. We will promote dialogue on that subject to an even greater extent moving forward.
Taking a stand
Wintershall Dea is a founding member of the “Open to Diversity – Closed to Exclusion” initiative. It is a regional alliance of organisations, associations and companies that campaigns in Kassel and North Hesse for diversity in all its dimensions and against any form of exclusion of people in society and the world of work.
