SAP awarded global gender equality certification

SAP has become the first multinational technology company to be awarded the worldwide Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certificate. The award recognises global commitment and actions to achieve and sustain gender diversity and equality in the workplace.

The EDGE certification is the premier standard and methodology for evaluating a corporate commitment to gender equality. Launched at the World Economic Forum, the EDGE assessment methodology is distinguished by its rigour and business impact.

Global certification, which requires that countries comprising 80% of an organisation be included, was awarded to SAP after a third-party review of company data, gender practices and employment policies. In addition, employee survey results were examined from 12 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The review looked at recruitment and promotion, leadership development training, mentoring, flexible working and company culture.

“SAP must be at the forefront to take businesses beyond bias,” said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP. “This global certification marks a major milestone in our ongoing efforts to eliminate bias in the workplace.”

SAP has a board-level commitment to fill 25% of its leadership positions with women by the end of 2017. The company is close to meeting that target already, with women currently comprising 24.1% of the company’s leadership and 32.5% of all employees.

The company also conducted a pay equity analysis on its US employee base, proactively increasing the compensation of employees that lacked pay parity. Additionally, SAP announced a machine-learning tool that, among other capabilities, detects biases in job postings.

“Gender equality is not a corporate social responsibility initiative or simply a cultural benefit,” said Stefan Ries, chief human resources officer at SAP. “It’s a strategic differentiator, a source of innovation and revenue driver for our company. We are proud of the recognition we’ve achieved, but we remain committed to creating a culture where employees of all backgrounds can thrive. We want to be the role model in the technology industry for providing opportunities for women, as well as for all underrepresented groups, and we hope that others in our market will follow our lead.”

Aniela Unguresan, co-founder of EDGE Certified Foundation, said that diversity is very important in the technology industry, because it is home to the world’s innovators.

“While the tech community overall has historically received low scores on gender equality, SAP is leading its peers worldwide through not only its strong public commitment but the impactful programs and efforts taking place on the ground every day,” she said.

“Through this global EDGE certification, SAP continues to set the standard for gender equality in technology. We applaud their efforts to promote a workforce that facilitates a culture of diversity, inclusion and equality.”

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