An essential facet of communication and development

Given that this is a core topic for both employees and management, diversity and inclusion is an essential component of the company’s communication and development, and actions to this end in 2024 included publication of a DEKRA inclusive language policy. At the end of May we celebrated the range of cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives represented within the company’s global community with the DEKRA Diversity Day, while the company’s “Language Tandem” program brought together employees from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, to promote intercultural understanding and enable language sharing. The “Grow Beyond” global mentoring program successfully facilitated more than 100 connections between mentors and mentees with the goal of improving collaboration across the organization.

One focus of our D&I work in fiscal year 2024 was the advancement of women. In March the worldwide DEKRA Women Circle marked International Women’s Day with an event that used the tagline “#InspireInclusion.” The “EmpowHER” global training program for female employees was another notably successful initiative. Led by a team of 24 trainers, this involved more than 150 participants completing 12 courses in five languages. Moreover one of the targets set for the end of 2025 has already been achieved: The ratio of women in management positions is now just under 20 percent.

DEKRA intends to continue fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. Plans in this area include establishing a global employer brand that appeals to a broad range of young talents and professionals, which will be achieved via a range of measures including work to develop job descriptions and onboarding programs. There will also be an additional focus on achieving diversity in ways of thinking, looking at topics such as emotional intelligence and neurodiversity.