More opportunities for women

Deutsche Telekom is leading the way in German industry when it comes to increasing the number of women in management. As early as 2010, the Group voluntarily introduced a minimum requirement with the aim of filling 30 percent of management positions with women. Meeting this goal requires a corporate culture of equality that awards jobs to the best qualified applicant, irrespective of whether they are male or female. And the figures back up Deutsche Telekom’s success over the years (taken from the 2017 financial year):

• Deutsche Telekom AG has increased the number of women on the Supervisory Board by 25 percentage points since 2010 – from 20 percent to 45 percent
• The number of women on the Board of Management has grown by 13 percentage points since 2010 – from 0 percent to 13 percent
• At international level, the goal of filling 30 percent of management positions with women has already been met: As of the end of 2017, the number of women in upper and middle management positions outside of Germany was a very encouraging 30.2 percent
• 50 percent of all new trainees are women
• Succession planning always proposes at least one woman for all positions

Deutsche Telekom supports a raft of networks, initiatives, and programs that promote equal opportunities and work-life balance. They represent the interests of women across and beyond professions and industries. As a partner to these organizations, Deutsche Telekom gives its female employees the opportunity to open a dialog with women from other industries and, in doing so, paves the way to professional development and career advancement measures – specifically for women.

Additionally, these partnerships open doors for women to join Deutsche Telekom by making career options at the Group for students and graduates transparent.

Femtec

The Femtec careers platform is dedicated to inspiring women to pursue a (management) career in the technical field. As a provider of excellent entry-level and development opportunities for female STEM graduates, Deutsche Telekom is very happy to support Femtec. Committed and talented STEM students regularly visit the Group Headquarters in Bonn to learn more about the Group and find out about the attractive career prospects available to them at Deutsche Telekom.

Deutsche Telekom also helps to choose Femtec scholarship candidates by offering the network guidance and support throughout the selection process. In addition, we offer internships to Femtec members and help them to establish their own network of professional contacts.

 

Global Digital Women

Deutsche Telekom is also involved with Global Digital Women (GDW). An international network of pioneering females in the digital sector, GDW aims to connect, empower, and make visible inspiring women who have a major influence on the digital future. Global Digital Women is a platform for digital “heroines” from business, politics, associations, and organizations to share experiences and raise their profiles.

GDW also presents the Digital Female Leader Award. 10 women from Deutsche Telekom are currently in the running to receive this coveted accolade.

As a partner to GDW, Deutsche Telekom regularly hosts global after-work events at its Service Headquarters in Bonn.

“Chefsache” initiative

“Chefsache. Drive the Change – For Men and Women” is a network advocating equal opportunities for men and women, including in management positions. Business executives from companies of all shapes and sizes as well as leaders from scientific institutions, academia, social services, and the public sector are giving new impetus for cultural change in Germany’s top tier. Deutsche Telekom is involved in this network and committed to driving change as a combined effort.

 

"Klischeefrei"

Deutsche Telekom is a partner of the Klischeefrei initiative. The Group is committed to greater equality and to enabling young people to choose careers and study programs free of gender clichés. For example, the initiative aims to ensure that men and women have the same professional development opportunities throughout their entire careers in a culture that has no place for gender stereotypes.

The Klischeefrei initiative offers its partners sound advice on gender issues and helps to identify clichés and prevent companies from falling into the same trap. The aim is to bring about a corporate culture that says no to stereotypes

At Deutsche Telekom, women do not have to decide between having children or a career. In fact, the same even applies to a career in management. The Group has introduced the leadership tandem concept, which makes it possible for women to work part time as managers.

Deutsche Telekom continues to support and challenge its employees, including those who reduce their working hours. The tandem model is equally ideal for women and men who wish to spend the majority of their day being with the children, attending further training, volunteering, or any number of other activities. The tandem management teams work together closely and see their successes as a joint achievement. They share responsibility for the team and take pride in their joint achievements. Tandems share out their managerial duties very differently according to the individuals involved. For example, one person might take on the functional aspects of the role while the other assumes the disciplinary side. Alternatively, they might decide to divide responsibilities by topic or time.

Both applicants must attend a relevant assessment center before starting the tandem at a management level. The idea is to establish how they would tackle tasks and make decisions as a team. However, the center’s primary objective is to ensure that both have the same understanding of the management role.

Naturally, the option to become a part-time manager is not only available to women: Men can also choose to reduce their working hours and share a management position with a colleague.

The law that women must make up at least 30 percent of the supervisory board at major companies has been in force since 2015. At 37.3 percent (2017), Deutsche Telekom already exceeds this goal on all of its national supervisory boards. Deutsche Telekom has launched an in-house Supervisory Board Readiness Program that aims to give junior staff the best preparation to take on such a role. After all, the Supervisory Board does not simply crunch numbers.

The program was developed in conjunction with the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) and covers topics including corporate governance, company strategies, decision-making processes, and responsible leadership. It teaches practical knowledge that makes working on the Supervisory Board easier and is therefore particularly useful for individuals who have been appointed to a committee position for the first time.

In addition to an online test, the final exam consists of a simulated supervisory board meeting lasting several hours. Participants can get a real feel for what it is like to be part of a supervisory board: Are too many questions asked or perhaps not enough? Is the discussion staying focused or are we getting caught up in details? At what point does a supervisory board have to intervene to correct undesirable developments?

Deutsche Telekom has trained a total of 57 potential female supervisory board members so far, around half of which are from the NatCos. Many of these women have been appointed to a Deutsche Telekom supervisory board since their training. Seven men were also included in the second round of the Supervisory Board Readiness Program.