Diversity of thought in important or strategic positions allows companies to achieve greater growth and a healthier organization. Women in these positions are fundamental to this end, said César Jiménez, CEO of Ternium Mexico, during his participation in the virtual forum “Me uno por ellas”, organized by the home appliance company Whirlpool.
“I think that an organization where everyone has the same opinion is destined to fail. We have a Diversity Policy at Ternium that seeks to have personnel of all genders, races, and cultures and with that, we can share some ideas and debate the best direction to take. Diversity is the key to the success of many companies.”
The forum “Me uno por ellas” was an initiative of Whirlpool as part of its efforts to promote a culture of gender inclusion and to encourage other companies to take similar actions.
According to the Women Matters MX study by the Mckinsey consulting firm, companies with a higher representation of women in high-leadership positions and executive committees have higher financial performance and better organizational health rates. In fact, companies with a higher representation of women in executive positions have 28% higher economic value added and 55% higher profit margins.
Jiménez mentioned as well that generating a culture of inclusion also benefits talent retention in companies.
According to the Women Matters MX study by the Mckinsey consulting firm, companies with a higher representation of women in high-leadership positions and executive committees have higher financial performance and better organizational health rates.
During the forum attended by more than 500 people, Male Mejido, Senior Partner of Korn Ferry, agreed that if an organization has a diverse talent base, the company's opportunities for growth are greater.
María Fernanda Zuluaga, Corporate Manager of Electrodigital & MovilExito Business of Grupo Éxito, emphasized that gender equality does not begin in organizations, but in the home. “We should drop that mindset and start at home to really know what gender equality is”, said Zuluaga.
In that regard, Jiménez pointed out that in the work market it is possible to identify unconscious biases, which must be eliminated. “It is a total war against unconscious biases, it has been many years and many generations receiving information both from home and from social media, which are the ones that link this part”, he said.
“At Ternium we are reviewing all our internal administrative processes to try to remove those unconscious biases. For recruitment, we hired a consulting firm and we use a tool called Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Benchmarks. It is a series of questionnaires with which you compare yourself with the companies that have the best practices in this area. And with that, you create an action plan to see how you are going to reduce those issues.”
The forum was also attended by José Rodríguez Garza, President of Home Depot; Juan Pablo Murra, Rector for Higher Education Programs of the Tecnológico de Monterrey; and Juan Carlos Puente, President of Whirlpool LAR North.