“We make our customers more productive and the world more sustainable. We do this through a culture of inclusion that enables all employees to do their best work. It is a journey we are on together.”
This statement by Rockwell Automation describes the Culture of Inclusion (COI) journey the company has embarked on since 2007. The testament to its success is the top rank in the 2020 Corporate Equality Index for the eighth consecutive year and the Diversity and Inclusion Program Award from The Society of Women Engineers.
WHAT IS ROCKWELL AUTOMATION’S CULTURE OF INCLUSION INITIATIVE?
Started in 2007, this is an initiative by the leaders and the white employees’ commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This culture-change initiative comprises strategies, programs, and projects proposed & initiated based on the data related to women and people of color. This data is used to attract, hire, and retain more diverse employees in the company.
The COI is facilitated by the Center of Expertise, which works with Inclusion Change Teams to address any barriers to inclusion and to inculcate COI’s core values within the everyday working of the company. Not just this, but they regularly partner with the Employee Resource Groups and employees to bring sustainable long-term change.
THE CORE ELEMENTS THAT ARE BRINGING THE CHANGE
Rockwell Automation’s Culture of Inclusion is based on some core elements: Awareness & Learning, Understanding & Removing Barriers, Creating Differentiation, Sustainable Culture Change, and Employee Resource Groups.
Awareness & Learning – Rockwell Automation encourages courageous conversations on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The company realizes the impact of the privilege and thus wants to create stronger workplace partnerships by understanding what’s getting in the way of an inclusive work environment. The inclusion learning programs include global unconscious bias training, experiential learning labs and summits, leadership training, and inclusion-related workshops.
Understanding & Removing Barriers – Recognizing, identifying, and addressing barriers to the inclusion process are integral to Rockwell’s culture. This element is strongly based on analytics, tools, data, and systems that ensure women and minorities get the right exposure, mentorship, chances, and opportunities to grow in the company.
Creating Differentiation – This goes beyond just the internal team. Differentiation happens with the help of clients, distributing partners, and the community in general. It includes STEM outreach and education programs that solidify Rockwell’s place as a diverse and inclusive employer in society.
Sustainable Culture – No purpose in creating programs and strategies if the culture is not sustainable. Change must start from the top where leaders commit to the measurable results, as Rockwell emphasizes. There are multiple programs through which leaders cultivate a workplace where diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences are welcomed, respected, and valued.
Employee Resource Groups – There are 14 global ERGs with 61 chapters in more than 20 countries engaging more than 6000 employees. They work especially within the Black and Latinx communities to provide support and to empower them. Rockwell Automation also provides financial support to ERGs to fulfill their missions.
“Rockwell Automation is one of the examples of the companies that actually care about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and are not engaging in it in the wake of the BLM movement. If other companies follow suit, they won’t only have a diverse, satisfied workforce but can be as successful as them too.”