At Beiersdorf, we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone can
thrive and shape the future of our company and our iconic brands.
Living Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Beiersdorf
We celebrate uniqueness
Our corporate culture and success are based on the principles of openness, trust, mutual respect, cultural diversity, and internationality. Our approach to Care goes beyond skin care, which means that Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) are integral parts of our company culture and corporate strategy at Beiersdorf. Caring for the uniqueness of our employees and leaders means we actively embrace and celebrate their differences so that everyone feels safe and encouraged to be their authentic self and can benefit from equitable opportunities.
Our goal is to build a leadership and employee base that reflects the rich diversity of our consumers and the communities in which we operate, one which embraces uniqueness and stands for inclusion. We want to be the honeypot for diverse talent!
Continue reading to learn how we walk the talk and approach DE&I at the workplace.
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In September 2023, the share of women in management positions at Beiersdorf reached 50.3%, two years ahead of our 50:50 Gender Parity target. We are proud to have achieved gender-balanced leadership across all management levels worldwide. Currently, three out of seven positions of our Executive Board, and seven out of twelve positions on our Supervisory Board are held by women.
The current status quo can be found here
In addition to achieving gender-balanced representation in our leadership positions worldwide, we are taking action to create equitable conditions for all genders to succeed at work through upskilling opportunities, parental support, and flexible working arrangements.
Flexible working models
As the needs of our people evolve and change, we remain committed to offering and exploring various flexible working models like flex time, part-time work and sabbaticals. In addition, job sharing - where two employees share a position in a job tandem - has been a standard practice at our company for several years, including the top management level. Our “senior meets junior” model enables part-time study, knowledge transfer or a transition to partial retirement.
Inclusive and supportive leadership
We want to develop the most inclusive leaders, representative of the diversity of our consumers, with a focus on ensuring our future talents reflect our future consumers so we can best fulfill the needs of our growing markets. Our annual Wo*Men in Leadership Convention is one successful example for leadership empowerment. The event is dedicated to all employees worldwide and offers inspiring keynotes, interactive masterclasses, and a space for exchange on the topics of inclusive leadership and equal opportunities for everyone working at and with Beiersdorf.
Parental leavers
We offer on-site childcare for our employees in Hamburg, provide an online portal with information for all expectant parents, and run two parental leavers programs in collaboration with the start-up MyCollective. One is aimed at managers, the other at all employees. Both programs enable those on parental leave worldwide to remain in contact with Beiersdorf throughout this period if they wish, so we can support their return to work in the best possible way. Through our partnership with the network conpadres, we aim to better identify the needs of fathers and help them to make their own idea of fatherhood a reality.
Our employee communities dad.icated, a community of fathers and fathers-to-be, and #SisterhoodisPower, fostering a supportive environment for women, are important examples of how we live gender equity at Beiersdorf.
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There are over one billion people with disabilities worldwide. They are often overlooked when it comes to equal rights, visibility and opportunities. They face many barriers such as workspace inaccessibility, stigmatization, and disadvantages in the hiring and promotion process.
At Beiersdorf, we are dedicated to changing this through concrete actions. We are still at the beginning of our journey but our ambition is clear: We champion the rights, visibility and potential of people with disabilities as part of our inclusive WE culture at Beiersdorf. We are committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all by breaking down barriers, challenging preconceptions and providing equitable career opportunities for all people, regardless of their disability status.
To increase the representation of people with disabilities at Beiersdorf Germany, we partnered with MyAbility to grow our diverse talent pool and ensure an accessible and equitable talent acquisition process. Additionally, we joined Unternehmensforum to share best practices and exchange DE&I learnings and knowledge with other companies. To strengthen the inclusion competencies of our people at Beiersdorf, we worked with INNOKLUSIO and Inclusion Studio. These projects help us train and certify in-house inclusion managers who share knowledge and skills, and serve as multipliers for positive cultural change. Part of this is focused on challenging our preconceptions and broadening our understanding of disabilities through immersive team experiences that enable people to explore the rich diversity within the spectrum of disabilities, inspiring empathy and understanding.
To become a more inclusive employer, we, among other things, create inclusive working conditions in our production facilities. Further down you can find an example from our Care Beyond Voice project from our plant in Itatiba, Brazil.
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‘Be proud in your skin’ is one of our guiding principles. Beiersdorf is committed to positive change regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. We maintain a safe and inclusive work environment by upholding LGBTIQ+ human rights, allowing all our employees to thrive and bring their authentic selves to work. We encourage our people to become active allies, raising awareness and promoting mutual respect, acceptance and togetherness as global values that unite us.
We push to always advance on structures and processes for an equitable workplace, but our work does not stop here. Beiersdorf is proud to partake in the annual Pride Demonstration in Hamburg and many other cities across the world, and to use our voice and the reach of our brands to support and celebrate the LGBTIQ+ community all year round.
In Germany, we collaborate with external partners like WELCOMING OUT, Prout at Work and Olivia macht Schule e.V. to advance equal rights and inclusion for LGBTIQ+ people at work and beyond. We also have various local partnerships around the globe.
Our employee community Be You @Beiersdorf provides a network for our LGBTIQ+ colleagues and allies in our global organization, championing the contribution of the community and being the leading voice to drive the topics of sexual orientation and gender identity at Beiersdorf.
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To drive real and lasting cultural change, we have to model inclusive behavior, give our employees the knowledge and tools to act as DE&I champions, and make sure we take everyone on the journey with us. The following initiatives set us on track to becoming a truly inclusive company.
Inclusive Leadership Training
The Global DE&I Essentials Journey is our investment in developing an inclusive leadership population. The tailored program includes upskilling our leaders on DE&I topics and equipping them with a sustainable foundation of DE&I knowledge within Beiersdorf, enabling critical dialogues, and role-model inclusive behavior. For this, we invested in internal change makers who have went through an intense training program to become certified DE&I trainers, coaches and inclusive facilitators. They will guide through the journey, lead the discourse and pass on their knowledge throughout our company, reaching more than 3,000 people leaders by the end of 2025.
Inclusive Language Guidelines
Language plays an important role in making people feel included and developing a sense of belonging, especially in the digital world. We are committed to fostering an inclusive corporate culture, including through the development of guides, tips and tools to make sure we are choosing our words with Care.
Employee Communities
We see our employee communities as culture generators. They are organized by employees for employees on the basis of shared identity or experience. Their purpose is to create safe spaces where employees can connect, raise awareness and support, and amplify their voices to inform leadership about the needs of their communities. Take a look at six of our employee communities at Beiersdorf to learn how we advance our agenda for a more inclusive culture – both within and outside of our company.
