DIVERSITY AT

VOLKSWAGEN

We are currently driving into a challenging future for the automotive industry, and

we want to work on making our business more sustainable for all generations. The

challenge is significant, and to fulfill this role, we need committed and competent

employees. Diversity is much more than the advancement of women. It is about having

the right person in the right place at the right time in the right job – at every level,

regardless of their cultural background or other attributes.

We need to not only attract new talent but also retain the current employees. That's

why creating a diverse work environment where everyone feels safe and included is so

important.

What happens when a homogeneous group of people designs and bring a product to

market? Who do they think of when developing and testing the product? That's right

– other members of their mono-culture! It's how the Homo sapiens’ brain works. One

real-life example is the smartwatch, whose heart rate monitor only worked on white skin

and thus excluded many other target groups with more heavily pigmented skin. Another

is crash test dummies, which in the past almost always simulated only the male body –

when a different physique, such as that of women, causes very different injuries. There

are numerous examples of how harmful thinking inside the box can be for a company,

especially one with global operations that deal with very different groups of customers.

What appeared to go well for a long time can give rise to significant losses – financial

and even worse.

Diversity is an essential pillar in the companys culture, but it is also a matter that we

have to put in practice in our everyday lives. Not only as a part of our strategy but also

as part of our humanity.