Schneider Electric Finland partnered with Inklusiiv to identify which actions can be taken in Finland to advance their global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy.
Our 10-month partnership focused on building foundational knowledge and supporting key stakeholder groups in making DEI topics relevant to their contexts.
A need to localize global objectives
As a global company, Schneider Electric has an established diversity, equity, and inclusion policy. The Finnish branch realized that to make these global objectives meaningful and effective locally, they needed to adapt them to Finland’s unique cultural and organizational landscape. They sought to understand:
- What specific challenges exist in Finland?
- What do their employees think they should focus on?
- How can we translate global goals into meaningful local actions?
Moving forward with clarity
To tailor their efforts effectively, Schneider Electric Finland needed a clear understanding of their current situation. This meant identifying their strengths, uncovering areas for improvement, and gauging employee perspectives on equitable and inclusive culture and practices.
Inklusiiv experts conducted a current state assessment of Schneider Electric Finland’s DEI work. The comprehensive work includes a review of internal documents, a self-assessment survey, and key stakeholder interviews.
Informed by the findings, Schneider Electric Finland sparred with Inklusiiv on a set of strategic recommendations. With the consultative support, they gained the clarity and confidence to drive their work forward.
Establishing ownership of the process
One of the recommendations was to establish ownership of the process.
Schneider Electric Finland formed a dedicated DEI Working Group, involving representatives from key functions and the senior leadership team.
The first step for the Working Group was to identify roles and priorities relevant to their team. They had consultation meetings with Inklusiiv to set up their work, gather industry best practices, plan for sustainable progress, and ensure representation from key functions of the organization.
Connecting diversity, equity and inclusion to business strategy
Cultural development requires commitment from all levels. The senior leadership team at Schneider Electric Finland understands this, and they invested time in a workshop to understand diversity, equity, and inclusion and identify the links between these values and their business strategy.
“Improving our workplace is a continuous journey. Inklusiiv helped our senior leadership team build consensus and understand what DEI means in practice for our teams on the ground.” – Jani Vahvanen, Managing Director, Schneider Electric Finland
Managers develop inclusive leadership skills
Schneider Electric Finland invested in inclusive leadership training facilitated by Inklusiiv to strengthen managers’ ability to support their teams. The training enabled them to:
- Identify key competencies of inclusive leaders.
- Support their teams effectively in daily operations.
- Build an environment where every employee feels valued.
“The training not only helped us understand diversity and inclusion concepts but also showed us how to translate them into everyday actions. This has made a tangible difference in how we support our teams.” – Maria Lehtovaara, HR Business Partner, Schneider Electric Finland
A foundation for sustainable organizational change
By raising awareness and understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics, Schneider Electric Finland built foundational knowledge and started an important dialogue. This helped them find the language to explain what works in Finland, what diversity, equity and inclusion means in day-to-day work, and how to support every employee.
“With many factors to consider, Inklusiiv made it easier for us to build a roadmap and develop meaningful, locally relevant inclusion efforts.” – Maria Lehtovaara, HR Business Partner, Schneider Electric Finland
Inklusiiv is proud to support Schneider Electric Finland in their journey.
Curious about how this could work for your organization? Let’s chat.