Diversity Management for a strong team

Benefiting from and furthering the diversity of our employees is an important cornerstone of the success of our company. It is a source of creativity and innovation.

Diversity as a success factor

KUKA benefits from various experiences and talents, because it is our corporate culture to live and promote diversity. The appreciation of our diversity has a positive effect on KUKA as a company, on how we deal with our customers and on our role in society.

Our aim is to create a work environment that is characterized by acceptance and tolerance and is free of prejudice. Equality also means that our compensation system makes no distinction between men and women. KUKA thus pays its employees based solely on performance and expertise.

Diversity Management: Colleagues at work — Our declared goal: to further increase the share of women at KUKA

In a market that encompasses as many countries, industries and areas as ours, a diverse team is an important success factor for the company.

Peter Mohnen, CEO KUKA AG

Diversity Management

Diversity is governed, among other things, by the Group guideline “Principles of cooperation within KUKA Group” as part of the Corporate Compliance Handbook. One of these principles is “diversity and appreciation”.

In 2018, as part of the diversity management, a new reporting system was introduced, which now enables national and international analyses based on gender, nationality and age at any time. These figures are regularly evaluated and provided to management.

Diversity Management: KUKA Entrance — Diversity is a source of creativity and promotes innovation.

Diversity Charter

Intercultural understanding, tolerance and acceptance have a high priority in a global company like KUKA with locations and business partners all over the world.

Equal opportunities and gender diversity also play an important role at KUKA. Employees should find an environment free of prejudice with attractive working conditions and professional development opportunities - regardless of their origin, age, gender, sexual orientation or worldview.

By signing the Diversity Charter, KUKA has officially committed itself to these values.

KUKA has signed the Charta der Vielfalt. — Appreciation, equal opportunities and tolerance: KUKA supports and promotes the values of the Diversity Charter.

On the occasion of the 7th German Diversity Day on 28 June 2019, a global poster campaign was launched under the motto "#diversity_drives KUKA" - both digitally and at the Augsburg site, as well as in the form of posters, which were displayed extensively.

In addition, an internal video was produced with KUKA employees from all over the world who made personal statements in their native language (with English subtitles) on various issues relating to diversity.

Diversity Management: drives drives diversity — Poster campaign for the 7th German Diversity Day

More female employees

Within the scope of diversity management KUKA is working on further increasing the number of women in the workforce and in leadership positions.

Worldwide, the general share of women in KUKA Group was 19 percent in 2019 (VDMA Benchmark 2017: 16,5 percent). Globally, for the first management level below the Executive Board and Management Boards the share is 19 percent and on the second level it is 17 percent.

The share of female apprentices for commercial-technical professions at KUKA dropped slightly in 2019 to 13 percent after many years of above-average numbers. Overall, we had fewer applicants than in the previous year. With our annual events such as participation in Girls’ Day and with work experience placements for girls, practical days, robot days and our cooperation with girls’ schools, our intention is to appeal to more female students to increase their share.

Cumulative proportion of women worldwide via the KUKA Group

Cumulative proportion of women worldwide via the KUKA Group as of 31.12.2019:

General

19 %
Supervisory Board

33 %
1st management level*

19 %
2nd management level**

17 %

The women’s network orangeWIN organized 11 events with around 200 participants in the 2019 reporting year.

Woman power at orangeWIN

The internal women’s network orangeWIN was founded in 2016 with the aim of promoting women in the company and identifying female talent. Events in various formats, for example business lunches on various inter-departmental topics were held at four to six-week intervals during the reporting year. In addition to discussing technical topics, these events were also an opportunity to network.

In 2019, the women's network OrangeWIN organised eleven events with around 200 participants. In the USA, on World Women's Day on 8 March, a local branch of the women's network was newly founded and the vision, mission and values were jointly defined. Three local events took place in 2019 with a total of around 130 participants.

The in-house mentoring program organized by orangeWIN is used to regularly exchange information between the different levels of experience and also facilitates the further development of skills and strengths through self-reflection. It also supports the professional and personal development of the participating employees. In 2019, 23 tandems took part in the program; in 2018 that number was 18.

External networks

The orangeWIN network is also well regarded outside of KUKA. In 2018, for example, the “BayernMentoringProfessional” program for female students of the STEM faculties was presented at the Kempten University of Applied Sciences.

KUKA is also active in external networks, such as the "Women in Network" (WIN) corporate women's network from Munich and the surrounding area. These currently include 17 companies, whose representatives meet once a quarter. KUKA is also involved in a network with other Augsburg companies from various industries.

In addition, KUKA has been participating in the Augsburg cross-mentoring program since 2011. This program supports young managers with their professional and personal development and is designed as a company-wide cross-mentoring program. KUKA is also involved in the mentoring partnership MigraNet, which is committed to the professional integration of people with a migrant background.

Work/life balance

We allow our employees to take advantage of flexible working time models such as part-time work or telecommuting. In this way, we enable you to forge your own career without your private life suffering as a result.

KUKA opened its own daycare facility for children at its headquarters in Augsburg in November 2013. The Orange Care e.V. association initiated by KUKA staff members also promotes assistance for young people and families.

For KUKA it is important that employees stay healthy. For this reason, KUKA offers the opportunity to maintain the balance between working life and private life under the slogan “Fit for KUKA”. For example, it is possible to take advantage of courses on topics such as nutrition and relaxation, or to take part in activities such as running groups, tennis or mountain biking.