MILWAUKEE—Rockwell Automation has been announced as a 2017 Catalyst Award winner and will be recognized on March 8 in New York City for the company’s Culture of Inclusion journey. The Catalyst Award honors innovative organizational approaches that address the recruitment, development and advancement of women and have led to proven, measurable results.
“We are thrilled to receive this recognition from Catalyst for our Culture of Inclusion journey, demonstrating our commitment to our employees, customers and community,” said Blake Moret, president and chief executive officer, Rockwell Automation. “Our people are the foundation of our company’s success, and so we must create an environment where employees can and want to do their best work every day.”
The Culture of Inclusion journey began in 2007 with senior leaders renewing their commitment to diversity, inclusion and engagement. This was in response to employee data showing that women and people of color at the company had lower retention rates than white men, and there were gaps in the levels of representation for key demographics. A driving force of this strategy is the knowledge that in order to effect sustainable change, the dominant group—in this case, white men—must be aware of the impact of their privilege, be engaged, and partner with women and underrepresented groups in a meaningful way.
“I’m incredibly proud that we are now a benchmark company for this work,” said Susan J. Schmitt, senior vice president, human resources, Rockwell Automation. “Our strategy is designed to position Rockwell Automation as the place where the most talented people want to work and make a difference; our strategy is also sustainable for the long term because inclusion is embedded in our business processes, not just a program driven by a person or function.”
Results demonstrate that the Culture of Inclusion approach contributed to the advancement of women across businesses and functions at the company. Between 2008 and 2016, women’s representation in the U.S. increased from 11.9 percent to 23.5 percent among vice presidents, from 14.7 percent to 23.2 percent among directors, and from 19.3 percent to 24.3 percent at the middle-manager level. At the most senior leadership levels, women’s representation doubled, increasing from 11.1 percent to 25.0 percent among the CEO’s direct reports and from 11.1 percent to 20.0 percent on the board of directors. In addition, the Rockwell Automation voluntary turnover is well below the benchmark average for women.
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