German Railway operator DB (Deutsche Bahn) wants to significantly increase the number of women in management positions and has decided on a 30 percent target for management positions. Over the next four years, the proportion of women in management should increase from the current 20 percent to 30 percent. The declared goal is to ensure equality of women and men.
DB Chief Human Resources Officer Martin Seiler commented: “We are convinced that diversity and equality promote DB’s innovation and performance. The decision to increase the proportion of women in management positions to 30 percent is a success factor and an important step towards equal opportunities.”
DB sees this decision as an important impetus for its recruitment campaign. Seiler: “We have to be attractive to top performers on the external job market. By pledging to be treat men and women equally as an employer, we are setting an important social signal, also on the job market.”
The Executive Board has decided on a comprehensive package of measures to ensure consistent implementation. For example, a veto right is newly introduced for top management positions. It applies if a suitable female candidate is not considered when filling a management position. In addition, the new target will in future be anchored directly in the target agreements of the managers.
The new targets relate to all around 4,000 senior employees of the group and concern the management of the 33 co-determined group companies as well as the two management levels below.
DB had already reached the milestone of 20 percent women in management positions at the end of 2020 in 2018 and has now set itself a new target ahead of schedule. The group thus complies with the legal requirements and at the same time meets the demands of the top managers of DB and the network “Women in railways”. In the long term, DB is striving for a target that enables truly equal participation.
The proportion of women in the total workforce is also to be increased further. Of the approximately 211,000 DB employees in Germany, more than 49,000 are currently women. This corresponds to a share of 23.3 percent.
Source: Deutsche Bahn
12.05.2020
