Dow’s Advancing Focus on Inclusion, Diversity & Equity
Originally published in Dow's 2022 INtersections Progress Report
At Dow, we are committed to advancing inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) for all. Our long-term business growth and success is only achievable with a diverse team and an inclusive culture where everyone can grow and thrive. Our ID&E strategy, ALL IN 2025, focuses on leading with inclusion, elevating our focus on diversity and embedding equity into our practices, policies and processes to deliver breakthrough results by 2025.
OUR APPROACH: DOW’S ID&E STRATEGY
How We’re Doing It: Driving Accountability and Alignment Throughout Dow
Top-Down Commitment
- Board and Leadership Team Oversight
- Chief Inclusion Officer
- Inclusion Councils: President’s Inclusion Council, Senior Leaders’ Inclusion Council, Joint Inclusion Council
- The Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Network
- Dow Company Foundation Board
Bottom-Up Alignment and Action
- Inclusion metrics included in our Annual Performance Award program for approximately 3,000 people leaders and senior leaders
- Annual employee survey includes ID&E questions to track and drive progress
- Volunteer-based employee resource groups (ERGs)
- Team Dow engaged and empowered to advance inclusion around the Dow world
2022 Progress
- Best-in-Class ERG Participation 57.3% of employees participate in at least one of our 10 ERGs
- ERGs Driving Engagement ERG participants reported 13% points higher overall satisfaction with Dow than non-ERG participants
- Improved Workforce Diversity Representation U.S. ethnic minority representation increased to 27.5% in 2022 from 26.0% in 2021. Global representation of women improved to 29.5% in 2022 from 28.9% in 2021 and global representation of women in leadership increased to 36.3% in 2022 from 35.3% in 2021
- Increased Certified Diverse Supplier Spend Surpassed $245MM target, achieved ~$275MM spend globally and retained 84% of diverse suppliers
Recognized Externally as a Leader in ID&E
- Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production™ by Great Place to Work® and Fortune • 2022 PEOPLE Companies that Care by Great Place to Work®
- Top score on Disability Equality Index® and recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion”
- #15 on 2022 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list • Named one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality” by Human Rights Campaign
- #1 on 2022 DiversityInc Top Companies for Executive Diversity Councils list
- 5-Stars in the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility Corporate Inclusion Index™ for Employment and Governance
Meet Our New Chief Inclusion Officer
In 2022, Dr. Alveda Williams was promoted as our new chief inclusion officer.
A Ph.D. scientist turned human resources leader, Williams spent the first decade of her career as a researcher and technical leader at Dow. While still working in Research & Development (R&D), Williams created Dow’s BEST (Building Engineering & Science Talent at Dow) Symposium, which introduces under-represented minority Ph.D. talent to careers in industrial research. In 2009, she was named global strategic university leader for Dow’s R&D function. Recognizing her passion for people and talent development, she accepted a role as an associate Human Resources director in 2012.
Williams has previously served as corporate director of Inclusion. In this role, she was responsible for driving and implementing the company’s global inclusion strategy and institutionalizing inclusion into the overall employee experience. This included maximizing employee resource group engagement, diversifying Dow’s supplier network and driving efforts that enable a culture of trust.
Under Williams’ leadership, Dow has moved the needle on key inclusion and diversity performance indicators, ascended to the #15 spot on the 2022 DiversityInc Top 50 list, and been named for the first time to the Great Place to Work® and Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List.
“We’ve made so much progress, but we still have more work to do. Together, we will continue to build on our accomplishments and accelerate our progress toward a more inclusive, diverse and equitable Dow,” Williams said.
