Background 

Saint-Gobain North America (SGNA), one of the largest building materials companies in the world, recognised the persistent underrepresentation of women in the manufacturing industry and decided to take action. Rooted in the belief that manufacturing is all about trust, empowerment and collaboration, the company set out to inspire women, close the opportunity gap and celebrate women’s impact in the field.

Approach 

SGNA’s leadership began with a goal embedded in the company’s People Strategy to foster a diverse and inclusive culture that supports and promotes women at all levels. It forged partnerships with organisations like Women MAKE America and ran an annual DE&I Day, to educate employees on diversity and stimulate critical conversations. HR and recruitment teams also provided additional support to pregnant women and working parents during the pandemic, including flexible schedules, remote work options and robust parental leave and emergency childcare resources.

SGNA made significant efforts to assess and remove any obstacles preventing women from entering the industry. By examining job postings and recruitment practices, it eliminated gender bias and barriers to applications by rewriting job descriptions and redesigning requirements to remove gender-coded language. To ensure inclusive behaviour the company ran inclusion training, including unconscious bias training, mandatory for senior leaders and business group leaders.

Outcome

SGNA now has the highest level of gender equality in its history, and women have taken up prominent positions, including the CEO of Saint-Gobain Canada, Vice President of the company’s roofing business, and key senior roles in legal, HR and communications. These trailblazers serve as a beacon of support, uplifting other women employees within the company.

To further promote growth and development for women, SGNA established the SG Women’s Network, the company’s largest and most active employee resource group. This network, with 101 regional chapters and a virtual chapter, empowers women through leadership development, mentoring, networking and community outreach. Through impactful programmes like networking sessions, professional development seminars, career fairs and volunteer days of service, SG Women’s Network fosters engagement, innovation and deep connections among SGNA’s women employees across different locations.

SGNA’s commitment to redefine what it means to be inclusive and its innovative approach has positioned the company as part of the solution to the manufacturing industry’s diversity challenges. By nurturing and growing a diverse and inclusive culture it is injecting new ideas, fresh perspectives and valuable talent into the manufacturing sector while supporting and encouraging more women to see themselves in this exciting and challenging industry.