2022 Q2 Newsletter
Flexibility is the Competitive Edge in 2022

The WEC quarterly newsletter explores the latest thought leadership on women empowerment and DEI, showcases the significant efforts and progress made by our committed Members, and highlights special announcements and updates about the council.

Thought Leadership

Explore the latest learnings on women empowerment and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The world of work has transformed in the last two years. Individuals and organizations experienced dramatic changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted people’s priorities, expectations, aspirations, and relationship to work. Among these changes, a silver lining has been the shift from flexible work arrangements (FWAs) being a nice-to-have to a business essential.

The global shift to workplace flexibility proved significant: 90 percent of employees reported being “as or more productive working remotely instead of in person” and 84 percent said that “continuing to work from home post-pandemic would make them happier” (Owl Labs, 2021). Beyond employee satisfaction and productivity, flexibility also reduces absenteeism and tardiness, expands the available talent pool, and helps the environment by cutting down commutes. As Paddy Hull, VP of future of work at Unilever aptly stated, “flexibility is the way forward.”

The benefits of flexibility to both employer and employee are undeniable. In this issue, we highlight key trends related to FWAs that are likely to impact the years ahead. Our goal is to help employers avoid pitfalls, make strategic decisions, and remain ahead of the curve.

“At HPE, we believe this new era presents an opportunity for companies to reimagine how we can support our team members to live and to work…At the start of the pandemic, we first chose to listen to our team members. We conducted multiple surveys to understand their preferences and what we could do about it…We kept this in mind when we developed our new way of working which we call Edge to Office.”

Michael Zhu

Global VP & Managing Director of China of Hewlett Packard Enterprise

1. Culture Trumps Policy

In 2022 and beyond, companies that recognize workplace flexibility as a new era, as opposed to a temporary blip before a return to normalcy, will win the competition for talent. Why? Because the highest priority for jobseekers in 2022 is work-life balance, outweighing even compensation and benefits (LinkedIn). In order to attract and retain top talent, employers should:

Go above and beyond policy and programs to embed flexibility in the culture.
Shift mindset from work-life balance to life-work balance and focus on “cultivating human-centered cultures where work is built around their employees’ lives and not the other way around” (LinkedIn, 2022).
Acknowledge individual needs and demonstrate a “commitment by leadership to encourage personalized flexibility”, says Jim McWhirter, former Global Employee & Labor Relations at Procter & Gamble.
Represent the culture in company values, brand messaging, and job ads. Avoid raising red flags with language like fast-paced environment and instead promote flexibility, DEI, and wellbeing.

"When people say they want flexibility, they’re not asking for a program. They're saying I need and want greater control over where, when, and how I do my work. Negotiating that should be the essence of flexibility.”

Paul Rupert

Founder & CEO of Rupert Organizational Design, the leading provider of workplace flexibility systems

2. Flexibility Empowers Employees

67% of workers feel more empowered to take advantage of FWAs, up from 26% before the pandemic (ADP Research Institute, 2021). Moreover, LinkedIn data reveals that employees are 2.1 times more likely to recommend their employer if they have work location and schedule flexibility. Forbes contributor Dan Marzullo recommends a range of FWAs to empower employees:

Hybrid work allows a combination of at-home and in-office work.
Compressed workweek means reduced hours with flat compensation.
Telecommuting is a “come in if necessary” arrangement.
Remote work implies no requirement to be in-office.
Flextime work allows employees to set their own hours and schedule.
Job sharing is when two part-time employees perform the job of one full-time employee.
Fully-distributed work means everyone works remotely so there is no central office location.

“Providing employees tools to influence when/where/how they work, also gives them a voice. Empowering employees to have a voice will make for happier employees and more successful businesses.”

Nicholas Lillios

CEO of Nowsta, a workforce management platform

3. DEI Considerations

Equity, fairness, and inclusion are a top priority to leaders. Since 2018, CEOs of S&P 500 companies speak about these topics 658 percent more frequently on earnings calls (Gartner, 2020). Leaders must manage the potential impact of FWAs on DEI goals by addressing several key issues:

Not all jobs can be performed remotely. To ensure fairness, frontline workers may be compensated in alternate ways including through job shares, compressed workweeks, or flextime work.
Remote workers are at risk of lower performance ratings, fewer promotions, and smaller raises due to biased perceptions. A Gartner survey of 3,000 managers and executives found that “64% believe in-office employees are higher performers than remote employees, and 76% believe in-office workers are more likely to be promoted”. Organizations must implement tools and strategies to accurately measure performance so that remote employees receive equitable opportunities, compensation, and recognition.
Gender parity and leadership team diversity goals may be thwarted due to remote worker bias. Data reveals that, compared to white men, women and people of color prefer to work from home. This further validates the need for leaders to combat biased assumptions, drive data-driven people decision-making, and advance remote worker visibility.

“In 2022, executives will need to address how they are managing fairness and equity across the increasingly varied employee experience.”

Brian Kropp & Emily Rose McRae

Chief of Research and Lead of the Future of Work & Talent Analytics research teams at Gartner HR Practice

4. Evolving Role of a Manager

In a hybrid world, the role of a manager is increasingly important. Managers are primarily responsible for representing the company’s values, building connections with and between team members, and fielding any issues or concerns. Moreover, research shows that up to 65% of managerial tasks may be automated by 2025 (Gartner, 2020). In light of this, future-forward managers are advised to:

Build human relationships with direct reports and cultivate a trust-based team culture. Employees who trust their teammates and leaders are 7x more likely to feel “strongly connected” to their employer (ADP Research Institute, 2021).
Take action to combat your own unconscious biases or baseless assumptions. Evaluate employees based on their output and make efforts to enhance their visibility.
Go beyond managing employees’ responsibilities to managing their experience. Support their career goals, internal mobility, work-life balance, work relationships, and overall wellbeing.
Be a role model of work-life balance by taking advantage of FWAs, setting healthy boundaries, being open about personal life priorities, and practicing self-care.

“Dow’s Design Your Day (DYD) is an evolving and transparent model where employees and leaders are trusted and empowered with role-based flexibility in where, when, and how work is done, while still held accountable to deliver results…It raises the standard of our people leaders to drive authentic discussions with employees, understand their needs, and trust and empower them to maximize their personal productivity and balance personal needs. Leaders will also need to intentionally design collaboration moments, emphasize a culture of teamwork, and encourage everyone to come together with a shared purpose.”

Selena Chu

Vice President, Dow Greater China

Member Spotlight

Learn about the significant efforts and progress made by our passionate and committed WEC Members to empower women and drive diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organizations or the wider community.

bp China hosted Career Women Mental Health Forum to promote gender equality

On 11 March, bp Women International Network (an employee volunteer network sponsored by the company to promote gender equality, also known as bpWIN) and bp China Psychology Club jointly hosted an online Career Women Mental Health Forum themed “#BreaktheBias – Arousing Inner Strength”. Over 150 participants including bp colleagues, external women entrepreneurs, and psychological experts joined the forum.

bp China President and bpWIN Asia Pacific Executive Sponsor, Simon Yang, kicked off the event by introducing bp’s efforts to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), as well as encouraging more cross-industry sharing to drive gender equality.

Wu Yue, bp China Gas President and bpWIN China Sponsor, shared her personal reflections on how to address stress and arouse inner strength. Castrol China President, Mike Zhang, in his closing remarks, called for efforts from male allies to support gender equality.

Two external women entrepreneurs: Jiang Lei, Founder & CEO of Shanghai Duozhi Technology Internet Technology Co., and Wang Wantao, Beautiful Rural Ecological Community Sponsor and Founder of Taolu Brand, shared their respective stories of personal growth. The speakers’ positive mindsets and creative approaches toward addressing various work-life challenges resonated with the audience.

Inspired by the speakers’ stories, several female bp colleagues volunteered to share their own unique perspectives and personal experiences with sports, job relocation, and work-life balance. Psychological expert Professor Wang Guoqiang introduced the concept of psychological capital and tips to maintain mental health. The forum participants actively exchanged comments with speakers during the two-hour session and expressed many thumb-ups and likes in the chat room.

This was not the first time that bp China has joined hands with partners to drive the DE&I agenda. Last year, the company collaborated with the Women Empowerment Council (WEC) and its strategic partner Volvo to promote gender equality among future women leaders.

The motivation for these efforts is the company’s strong commitment to promote gender equality. In bp’s new sustainability framework, goal 14 is greater diversity, equity, and inclusion within its workforce and customers. The commitment is embodied through a series of statements and actions:

Today, the number of female senior level leaders in bp is close to 1/3 and women account for 40% of its frontline managers
This March, bp released its gender equity goal to have at least 50% female leaders in its top management
On International Women’s Day (IWD) this year, bp hosted a global employee webcast themed “#BreaktheBias to drive the DE&I agenda
In 2021, bp issued the company’s 2020 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report

“We are committed to building a culture with gender equality and are continually striving to create a workspace that allows everyone to get equal opportunities without gender bias,” said Simon Yang, a strong advocate of gender equality as bp China President and bpWIN Asia Pacific Executive Sponsor. Likewise, Wu Yue, as bpWIN’s China sponsor and a senior female leader in the company, is relentless in her efforts to remove gender bias in bp China.

Inclusion & Diversity @ ExxonMobil

We are ExxonMobil

With a rich history that spans nearly 140 years, ExxonMobil has a strong culture that has underpinned our success for decades. Foundational to this legacy are the commitment and hard work of our people as well as our shared core values of integrity, excellence, courage, resilience, and care. We are committed to building and sustaining a diverse workforce.

Throughout 2021, the people of ExxonMobil strengthened the company’s leadership position, consistently demonstrating our core values including care, courage, and resilience as they helped society recover from the pandemic. Because of their efforts, ExxonMobil delivered industry-leading safety, reliability, and financial results in an extremely challenging environment. As reported in our latest Sustainability Report, in 2021, 31% of ExxonMobil’s executives were women versus 20% in 2017. This compares to 40% female representation in our overall professional workforce.

I&D at ExxonMobil China

At ExxonMobil China, we strive to build an inclusive culture that respects and values diversity. All employees have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and excel based on contributions and performance.

Fernando Vallina, Chairman of ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co., Ltd. states that inclusion and diversity are not standalone initiatives at ExxonMobil. Both areas are embedded in our talent management system, as well as in the culture to which we aspire. Our ambition is that our workforce and leadership reflect the communities and culture where we operate, and to have proportionate representation aligned with availability.

He adds that we are proud of the progress we have made to diversify our workforce and leverage the rich talent pools around the world, but we know there is more work to do. We will continue our focus on executing our core talent management processes well, and in 2022, we will further embed a variety of I&D activities into our base and leverage a corporate, common toolkit that will apply leading practices more consistently, with a particular focus on staffing and development.

To facilitate the professional advancement and personal growth of all women at ExxonMobil, several years ago, ExxonMobil launched a global initiative: “Women’s Interest Network （WIN）”. Here in China, the WIN Committee of ExxonMobil Shanghai has launched campaigns with the theme “Fearless to WIN” since 2021 to share what female colleagues love by making short videos, aiming to promote work-life balance and enhance mutual understanding.

More than that, as Tze San Koh, ExxonMobil China Gas Marketing President says, “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose challenges all over the world, but it is important not to lose sight of some values that the oil and gas industry has been striving to improve such as inclusion and diversity.” The LNG Power Play Awards, initiated by ExxonMobil, is to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of remarkable women and the men who uphold the importance of supporting and empowering them in the workplace. These individuals demonstrate how a mutually supportive environment can help support great business outcomes across all parts of the LNG value chain.

Since 2019, ExxonMobil has launched Power Play Awards in China to encourage nominations from China to help female professionals grow and have a voice. This global program not only highlights and awards women from across the industry who are making an impact in the sector, it also recognizes current and future leaders of the industry and provides a space for women to network and do business.

Together with partners

It can take just one good idea to change the world, to build a better tomorrow. These ideas can come from anywhere, but in putting these ideas into action, it takes a myriad of people from different backgrounds, with different ways of seeing the world to turn these ideas into reality.

Building networks, supporting people, and inspiring the next generation is crucial in helping to create not just a better business, but a better tomorrow.

Together with partners, ExxonMobil China has sponsored I&D events over the years, which echoes ExxonMobil’s continued efforts in enhancing inclusion and diversity. In 2021 and 2022, ExxonMobil hosted female students from different schools across Beijing and Shanghai for the Girls in STEMM Program and will go ahead for the third edition. The students engaged with women leaders through workshops and presentations that taught students not only what a STEMM career looks like, but also the crucial role women play at ExxonMobil.

We believe passionately that diversity brings unique perspectives, ignites innovation, and creates a competitive advantage. Inclusion encourages understanding and values all viewpoints while challenging everyone to constantly think outside the box. Diversity and Inclusion together makes teams more creative, productive, engaged, fuels innovation, and connects us to our customers and the communities we serve.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) considers Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) essential to enterprise culture. DEI culture is embedded in J&J’s Credo and is an essential part of day-to-day business operations.

“At Johnson & Johnson, our CEO and leadership team frequently communicates how DEI matters to us as a start-up with over 130-year history’”, said Stefan Chen, PHD, Chairman of Johnson & Johnson China DE&I Council and General Manager, Cardiovascular & Specialty Solutions China.

To promote and advocate DEI as a key part of our workplace culture, Johnson & Johnson has set up Johnson & Johnson China DE&I Council. Led by Stefan Chen, the internal cross-functional team is co-led and sponsored by the company’s Communications and Public Affairs team, HR team, and four Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). This multi-faceted collaboration ensures that DEI strategy is sustainable and operationally sound within Johnson & Johnson China.

WLI’s baseline & vision

Women’s Leadership & Inclusion (WLI) China was Johnson & Johnson’s earliest ERG, dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace for women in the medical sector. Committed to maximizing the positive impact of gender diversity, WLI rests upon three strategic pillars-Advancement (Enrich), Inclusion (Empathize), and Community (Empower).

“Advancement” helps design impactful experiences to enhance personal, as well as professional growth for women through enriching self and empowering others;
“Inclusion” advocates an inclusive mindset that enables all employees to understand the imperative for a gender-diverse, generation-diverse workforce;
“Community” creates the Johnson & Johnson WLI brand and enhances its brand influence.

“She Wishes, He Accomplishes” & 2022 WLI launch ceremony

On International Women’s Day, WLI kicked-off its launch with several captivating events.

On March 7, 2022, an internal warm-up campaign “She Wishes, He Accomplishes” was successfully held in the Shanghai office. Over 100 female colleagues wrote down their wishes and tied them to wishing trees, while most of the wishes were granted by our male colleagues. This is aligned with the “Men as Allies” theme of the Inclusion pillar, by fostering an inclusive mindset that enables all employees to understand the imperative for a gender-diverse workforce and to encourage male colleagues to achieve this goal as allies.

On International Women’s Day (March 8), the 2022 WLI launch ceremony was kicked off successfully. The ceremony was joined by Echo Zhou (Head of HR, MedTech China and OneHR China Johnson& Johnson), Stefan Chen, Jenny Yin (The Chairman of MedTech China Labor Union), Danqi Zheng (The Chairman of Surgical Vision China Labor Union), Thomas Yang (Global Health Services Campus leader, China and North Asia). WLI China Leaders, Sandy Gong and Celina Yu, introduced WLI principles, the pillars within WLI, and exciting plans for this year. Core members from each pillar announced the upcoming events of Advancement, Inclusion, and Community, respectively. Honored representatives from affiliated organizations jointly lit the screen, proclaiming the commencement of the 2022 WLI campaign. “My passion, my freedom”, is a slogan and overarching theme that serves to empower every woman with the courage to take a step forward and freedom to take a step back.

WLI’s 2022 plans & upcoming events

In 2022, WLI established the corresponding strategies for each pillar, aiming to empower women from the individual-level, neighbor-level, to community-level.

Advancement: WLI works together with J&J labor unions to collaboratively launch a “Reading Club” on March 7, which has gained overwhelming interest from employees with over 800 registrations. The “21-day Online Reading Training Camp” will begin on April 11, providing spiritual nourishment for employees during pandemics. A Mindful Meditation event, planned for May, is meant to help release burdens while allowing the inner self to experience full acceptance, calmness, and joyful lightness.
Inclusion: A series of tailor-made events have been planned for this year, such as “Men as allies” for building partnerships with males, “She Space” for promoting inclusive leadership through story sharing, and “Listen to Gen Z” for engaging with younger generations and improving mutual understanding.
Community: WLI also seeks to elevate the WLI brand through external partnerships. In 2022, WLI will work with more external resources and partnerships to promote STEM concept and activities through WiSTED2D, as well as enhance customer engagement relevant to WLI principles. JJSV cataract academic summit & 2^nd WLI Forum and Female surgeon forum in Shenzhen are good examples.

Anticipated events include Campus Tour with young female college students aiming at enhancing innovation and ability to recruit top talents, Female surgeon forum, EORN Female Nurse campaign, and WisTEM2D lessons for female students, etc.

Besides WLI, three other J&J ERGs are GenNOW, Alliance for Diverse (ADA), and O&O, are meant to promote young employees’ growth, mental health, and multivariant gender consciousness, respectively.

Johnson & Johnson’s executives and all levels of employees are committed to an environment in which people’s differences are welcomed and celebrated.

Progress Report

Catch up on any WEC activities you’ve missed this quarter and stay up to date on important announcements.

Women Empowerment Awards in China Nomination Form
Extended Deadline: This Friday, April 15th

Individual Awards

Outstanding Woman Leader of the Year
Male Ally of the Year
Innovative Young Woman Leader of the Year

Company Awards

Best Company for the Advancement of Women (MNC)
Best Company for the Advancement of Women (SME)
Best Policies and Benefits to Promote Gender Equity

The WEC initiated the awards to recognize trailblazing individuals and innovative companies that have demonstrated a robust commitment to promoting women in the workforce in order to encourage greater gender equality and drive stronger business outcomes. We strongly encourage our WEC community members to nominate themselves, their companies, and any other individuals or companies they admire. Stay tuned for more information about the judges, process, award criteria, and nomination tips.

Here are the nomination steps:
1. Go to womenempowermentcouncil.com/we-awards-2022
2. Review the criteria for the category
3.   Scroll to the bottom of the criteria section and review the nomination questions
4.   Start drafting your answers (note the 4,000 character limit)
5.   Submit your answers to the questions on the official Nomination Form, which can be found on the WEC website
*Kindly note that all nominations will be considered based on merit rather than quantity, so there is no need to submit more than one nomination form per nominee. Our consultant will follow up with nominees to fill in gaps as needed.

Merck & SCHSAsia Launched the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies China Report

At the Empowering Women Drives Economies Forum on March 11, over 80 attendees from 16 industries joined online and celebrated Merck and SCHSAsia releasing the findings of its comprehensive report on factors impacting working women in China and recommended gender diversity policies and practices to address them.

Merck is committed to empowering women in the workplace. Their global initiative Healthy Women, Healthy Economies seeks to unleash the economic power of women by partnering with local experts to identify the culturally specific factors that impact women’s wellbeing. For the China-focused report, Merck partnered with SCHSAsia to understand working women’s lived experiences and HR professionals’ perspectives in China.

Following the report launch, leaders engaged in a productive dialogue to discuss further strategies for closing the economic gender gap. The discussion highlighted the power of women leaders and male allies to bring about transformative change.

Girls in STEMM Students Visit ConocoPhillips and Henkel

At ConocoPhillips in Beijing and at Henkel’s Shanghai Innovation Center, students had a chance to interact with women leaders and male allies in STEMM fields.

The WEC created the Girls In STEMM program to address the gender gap and leaky pipeline in STEMM fields early on. Girls In STEMM provides high school students with the opportunity to visit WEC member companies, hear from women leaders about their professional journeys in STEMM, and see what pursuing a STEMM career looks like in the real world of work.

The WEC is proud to continue the Girls in STEMM Program in Beijing, working with Canadian International School of Beijing, Dulwich College Beijing, International School of Beijing, and Keystone Academy Beijing. This year the program has also expanded to Shanghai with Concordia International School Shanghai and Yew Chung International School Shanghai (Puxi and Pudong Campuses) participating.

Upcoming Events

Women Leadership Roundtable

Member-Hosted Forum

Quarterly Executive Meeting