With the close of another year, we are presented with an opportunity to assess how far we’ve come in the pursuit of a culture of inclusion. By many measures, SAP has been successful in building a workforce that reflects the world around us — driving our growth in large part because we all support one another and our diversity of experiences, perspectives, and skills.
Just last month, SAP was honored to receive two accolades: Based on feedback from our employees, Glassdoor named SAP America as the 11th best workplace in the United States and the No. 1 best workplace in Canada, and we were recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the top 20 companies doing the most to create a diverse and inclusive culture. This is the second consecutive year we have made the list, and the effect doesn’t wane. It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized and an important validation of our efforts.
This is in addition to dozens of recognitions this year, including:
- Best places to work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign, and receiving a perfect score on their LGBTQ Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year.
- Fortune Magazine and Great Place to Work’s best places to work for overall, as well as for parents, for women, for millennials, for giving back and in technology.
- People Magazine’s 50 Best Companies that Care
- Best Large Employers by Forbes America and Forbes Canada
- Top Companies for Flexible Jobs by FlexJobs
- In addition to being recognized across North America, receiving accolades as an employer of choice in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Toronto.
It is certainly rewarding when others acknowledge and validate that we’re building something quite special. That said, it’s equally important that we recognize there is still a lot of work to be done. We operate in an industry that is in its relative youth, and we’re seeing rapid growth by early stage companies that don’t have the benefit of the decades of leadership that SAP has. We have a responsibility to continue to serve as an example, to not rest on our laurels but to push for greater equality, diversity, and continued respect for each other. And I know we will.
I’m incredibly proud to come to work each day and be surrounded by people who are passionate about what we do and who have come together as the fabric of our culture of inclusion. I look forward to building upon last year’s success, reaching more diversity and inclusion milestones in 2018, and strengthening our position as the employer of choice in North America.
DJ Paoni is president of North America Sales at SAP.
