A talk with… Andrea Euenheim
“METRO’s goal is to offer all employees the space to develop as personalities and thus be able to fully exploit their potential.”
In recent years, Metro has developed its own diversity approach, based on the conviction that diversity has a positive impact on business results. How is this contribution noticeable?
Andrea Euenheim: As an international wholesaler we are as colorful as our millions of customers. 169 different nations work for us worldwide. In Germany alone there are 127. This diversity has a very positive effect on problem solving, decision-making and the increased creativity of our employees towards our customers.
You organize events such as the Diversity & Inclusion Days for your staff. How well are such initiatives received?
Andrea Euenheim: We are convinced that we must make the various dimensions of diversity tangible for our employees. The D&I Days help to create visibility and awareness of the issue. The commitment and constructive discussions of our employees in the events show us that the initiatives are right and important.
All six dimensions of diversity play a role at METRO: sexual orientation and identity, disability, gender, ethnic origin, belief and age. Sexual orientation is the one that is most likely to be hidden. To what extent is it important that managers in particular stand by their sexual orientation?
Andrea Euenheim: METRO’s goal is to offer all employees the space to develop as personalities and thus be able to fully exploit their potential. Our managers act as role models here. They stand for who we want to be. It is therefore very important that they can bring their whole self to work in a very authentic and unprejudiced way – this also includes sexual orientation.
A talk with… Stephan Meier
“Every corporate culture mediates a certain image of people. Only those who can find themselves in these values will do their utmost to contribute.”
Audi has become increasingly involved in LGBT*IQ topics recently. What steps are necessary to create an open and tolerant corporate culture?
Stephan Meier: I see people who describe themselves as open and tolerant and then still have unconscious reservations about the topic of LGBT*IQ. There is still a lot of educational work ahead of us. I therefore advocate consistently creating visibility of the topic within the company. For example, by participating in CSD’s, our queer network „queer@audi“ or activites on the annual Diversity Day.
What role do managers or leaders, who are out, play?
Stephan Meier: A big role, because of their visibility and their reach. There is no need to talk about it all the time – the very fact that they deal with their sexuality openly and as a matter of course is a clear signal.
How does a LGBT*IQ friendly environment pay off in recruiting?
Stephan Meier: I would want to broaden the topic much further: How does an appreciative and inclusive work environment pay off in terms of recruiting? Enormously, of course. High qualified young people have very different demands on the employer’s attitude and canon of values nowadays. That changes dramatically. Every corporate culture mediates a certain image of people. Only those who can find themselves in these values will do their utmost to contribute.
A talk with… Stephan Meier
“Every corporate culture mediates a certain image of people. Only those who can find themselves in these values will do their utmost to contribute.”
Audi has become increasingly involved in LGBT*IQ topics recently. What steps are necessary to create an open and tolerant corporate culture?
Stephan Meier: I see people who describe themselves as open and tolerant and then still have unconscious reservations about the topic of LGBT*IQ. There is still a lot of educational work ahead of us. I therefore advocate consistently creating visibility of the topic within the company. For example, by participating in CSD’s, our queer network „queer@audi“ or activites on the annual Diversity Day.
What role do managers or leaders, who are out, play?
Stephan Meier: A big role, because of their visibility and their reach. There is no need to talk about it all the time – the very fact that they deal with their sexuality openly and as a matter of course is a clear signal.
How does a LGBT*IQ friendly environment pay off in recruiting?
Stephan Meier: I would want to broaden the topic much further: How does an appreciative and inclusive work environment pay off in terms of recruiting? Enormously, of course. High qualified young people have very different demands on the employer’s attitude and canon of values nowadays. That changes dramatically. Every corporate culture mediates a certain image of people. Only those who can find themselves in these values will do their utmost to contribute.