I had the unique pleasure to interview Anka Wittenberg, and she is truly a positive example of what Diversity Officer’s can do for a company, and people in general. She provides some concrete examples of what SAP is doing on their Diversity front.
1. Anka, please tell us a bit about yourself and your background.
I have - as some people might say - an interesting CV. I actually started my own business when I was 21. My husband and I opened up our own international tennis camp for juniors in Germany – very similar to American Summer Camps. That was during the time when Boris Becker was at the top of his career. Back then I was already taking care of employees – mostly students from America who wanted to gain some experience working abroad and get work permits. During that time I also had my three children. They were all raised in this really vibrant and global system, living with children from all over the world, who were spending their summers in our tennis camp.
2. Before we jump into Diversity, how and why did you get into HR? What has your journey looked like?
After working in my own start-up, I realized that I needed a more profound education to ensure that my business would be successful in a sustainable way. So, I studied economics and got my master’s degree.
After finishing my studies I applied to several German companies but was turned down because I had three small children. That was the time when I decided that I really wanted to have an impact on creating a working environment in the corporate world that values the talent every human being brings to the table. I made my way into the corporate world working the first 20 years of my career only in American companies and held various HR positions in companies like TRW Automotive and in GE (General Electric).
After being self-employed, it was sometimes tough to maneuver in the corporate world. But, in 2008 I finally joined Benteler, a German, family owned business, where I headed the global HR organization with 25,000 employees.
I always believed that HR was the difference between a good company and a great company. To me, this means having the right people with the right skills and passion in the right place. However, it is also vitally important to ensure that our employees have an environment that allows them to work flexibly, in a caring and trusting environment, where respect for one another is the bottom line.
3. Given you are the Diversity Officer for a global company, let me start with the basics. When you say Diversity - what does that mean to you and SAP?
Diversity is to strike the balance of all the demographics. Diverse values in general are all forms and differences that deal with our unique combination of culture, race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental ability, work-life situation.
4. It may sound strange, but does the definition of Diversity differ around the Globe - and if so, how?
Sure the definition differs around the globe and in the U.S. It’s always a matter of perspective if one is a diverse candidate or not. Some believe diversity means different skin color, while others believe diversity means difference in beliefs. Despite having various definitions around the globe, the overall aim of diversity management should be the same – to create a workforce with a group of individuals who are as different as possible – not for the sake of being different, but in order to make a difference.
5. What types of strategies is SAP using in terms of attracting and engaging a diverse workforce?
Diversity is an inherent part of SAP’s business strategy today. For example, SAP committed to increasing the number women in management positions from 18% in 2010 to 25% by 2017. To achieve this goal, SAP continues to support women through mentoring programs. In 2012, SAP’s overall percentage of women in the workforce remained stable at 30%, and the percentage of women in management positions increased from 18.7% in 2011 to 19.4%. Going forward, SAP is trying to continue to make progress with female leadership development and succession planning in the different Executive Board areas.
SAP is also putting a stronger focus on managing generational diversity and recently launched a global recruiting program targeting workers with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. The company is trying to reflect the proportion of people diagnosed as autistic in society within its 65,000-strong workforce - or about 1 percent.
6. Looking into the future 5 to 10 years, do you see Diversity programs being the same or what will they need to be doing differently?
If Diversity and Inclusion Officers do our jobs well, our positions wouldn’t be needed anymore in 10 years, because diversity and inclusion will become part of a company’s DNA.
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