Talanx rolls out worldwide strategy for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

"As an internationally operating group, intercultural collaboration shapes our everyday work routine and is a core element of our culture. People with very different cultural backgrounds and life stories are active in our Group all around the world. Working in more than 100 different professions, they dedicate themselves to our customers, the Group and our purpose," comments Talanx CEO Torsten Leue. "This diversity enriches and connects us. It enables us to take better decisions and achieve more effective results. We want to build on this strength and further consolidate our good level of performance and efficiency."

"Diversity improves collaboration and strengthens community. Not only can employees feel safe and appreciated with their various career paths and identity markers, they can also bring their different perspectives to their work environment and their tasks," notes Talanx Board member Dr Christopher Lohmann, whose scope of responsibility encompasses the Retail Germany Division, IT and Diversity. "This gives rise to new forms of exchange that benefit us in our daily working lives. What is more, it’s just fun to get to know different people and new sides of long-standing colleagues."

The Group's commitment to diversity is expressed in six strategic principles: Talanx fosters DE&I on all hierarchical levels (1). The work environment is characterised by equal opportunities, fairness and respect (2) and Talanx takes a decisive stance against discrimination as reflected in its zero-tolerance threshold. Any suspicion of bullying, harassment and discrimination in the Group is rigorously followed up on (3). Nobody who stands up for this guiding principle within the Group need fear any negative consequences. On the contrary – special commitment is highlighted through recognition (4). As part of further training activities, all employees are able to explore the foundations, elaboration and relevance of the strategy – in part so that together as a Group the common understanding of DE&I can be optimised, reviewed and, as necessary, modified (5). Talanx regularly publishes central metrics on DE&I and in this way ensures that progress is communicated clearly and openly (6).

Along with these fundamental principles, the Group-wide DE&I strategy encompasses measurable targets that the Talanx Group has set itself in this action field and seeks to accomplish under a ten-step internal plan of action: starting this year, Talanx intends to fill half of all vacant management positions with female employees and candidates. The Group has undertaken to become an even more attractive employer for persons with different abilities. DE&I is also a component of regular employee surveys, the findings of which serve as inspiration for the expansion and/or consolidation of existing measures.

The commitment to DE&I as well as the strategy that has been adopted are reflected in a number of activities and measures that have already been initiated and are increasingly becoming established within the Group:

• Members of the Talanx Board of Management as well as Board members in the individual divisions take on the role of sponsor for employee networks that have formed along the DE&I dimensions. They include, among others, the Women's Network – which has existed for several years –, the international LGBTIQ* network pride@hdi as well as a Safe(r) Space network for and of Black People (B) and People of Colour (PoC).
• In June 2021 a Group-wide international Diversity & Inclusion Board began its work. Working groups in the individual divisions explore specific DE&I issues facing their units.
• Talented female professionals are supported through expanded skills-building opportunities, mentoring programmes as well as the Women@Talanx network and they are prepared for future leadership responsibility.
• A seminar and training programme with concentrations such as unconscious bias or antiracism additionally helps to advance diversity and is continuously enhanced. Communication and informational formats, such as the Group-wide Diversity Week, focus months and round tables, round off the activities designed to educate and raise awareness about DE&I.
• In the summer of 2022, reflecting its decentralised organisational structure, the Group will begin to implement guidelines on inclusive language in various divisions that Group employees had previously elaborated in workshops under the leadership of Diversity & Inclusion Manager Raha Anssari.

Through monitoring, reporting and regular communication activities, the Talanx Group ensures transparency around the progress of its DE&I strategy: in its annually published sustainability report, for example, the Group already reports on the status of its DE&I engagement; additional stand-alone reporting and monitoring formats are currently in the pipeline. From strategic orientation, through concrete realisation to reporting and monitoring – across the entire DE&I action field the Group pursues the goal of continuously evolving and seeks to make appropriate adjustments in a dialogue with its employees.

[1] Talanx Group excluding Hannover Re