Best Practices

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Learn from what works

Advance member companies share best practices for the benefit of advancing gender equality in Swiss Business. You can access 30+ best practice cases in two ways: Explore the 4 Key Enablers of Change to find inspiration, or search our best practices bank by keywords you are interested in.

Take a read of the game changing practices and initiatives that Swiss companies are investing in for better and gender inclusive business. – Together we #advance faster!

Explore best practices in these enablers of change

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Förderung von weiblichen Führungskräften in der Tech-Branche
Best Practice by Syngenta
2023

Förderung von weiblichen Führungskräften in der Tech-Branche

Das Sponsoring-Programm von Syngenta für Frauen zielt darauf ab, durch gezielte Vernetzung, Unterstützung bei globalen Standortwechseln und konkreten Möglichkeiten für Weiterentwicklung eine Reihe von weiblichen Tech-Führungskräften innerhalb des Unternehmens und der Branche aufzubauen.

Getting Clients on Board with Flex Working
Best Practice by EY
2023

Getting Clients on Board with Flex Working

Discover how EY is leading a paradigm shift in the workplace by embracing flexible working arrangements. Explore their innovative strategies for getting clients on board with this transformative approach, fostering collaboration and driving business success.

Enabling Leaders to Drive an Inclusive Culture
Best Practice by Swiss Re
2023

Enabling Leaders to Drive an Inclusive Culture

Learn how Swiss Re is enabling leaders to incorporate inclusion into daily practice and to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.

New Work through Flexibility and Family Friendliness
Best Practice by NatWest Services (Switzerland) Ltd
2023

New Work through Flexibility and Family Friendliness

NatWest champions working families through their comprehensive initiatives, such as Partner Leave, Phase-Back Program, and a Remote First approach. Uncover how they lead in creating a gender-balanced and inclusive environment that supports employees' specific needs.

Increasing Women’s Financial Savviness
Best Practice by Zurich Insurance
2023

Increasing Women’s Financial Savviness

Unlock financial savviness with Zurich Insurance as they empower women to enhance their financial knowledge and skills. Explore the WIN Financial Awareness Program, fostering a supportive community and providing personalized services to boost financial confidence.

Empowering Employees to Thrive in Work and Life
Best Practice by KPMG Switzerland
2023

Empowering Employees to Thrive in Work and Life

Experience KPMG's commitment to empowering employees through flexibility and work-life integration. Discover their diverse initiatives challenging traditional norms and supporting new parents, fostering a thriving workplace for all.

Shaping the Future with Gender-Neutral Parental Leave
Best Practice by ABB
2023

Shaping the Future with Gender-Neutral Parental Leave

Step into ABB's world and witness their groundbreaking gender-neutral parental leave program. Discover how ABB fosters a gender-balanced and inclusive environment, breaking boundaries and paving the way for working families to thrive.

Empowering Women Leaders of Tomorrow
Best Practice by MSD Switzerland (Merck, Sharp & Dohme)
2023

Empowering Women Leaders of Tomorrow

Unveil MSD Switzerland's Women's Network Leadership Academy, revolutionizing the path to gender parity. Join the empowering journey as women develop tools and leadership capabilities to shape their future as trailblazing leaders.

Promoting Flexibility for All Genders
Best Practice by Migros Group
2023

Promoting Flexibility for All Genders

Discover how Migros revolutionizes the workplace with its commitment to work-life integration. Explore their emphasis on part-time positions, hybrid work models, and leadership support, creating an environment where employees can flourish.

From Stigma to Success with Returnships
Best Practice by Accenture
2023

From Stigma to Success with Returnships

Embark on Accenture's transformative journey with their returnship program, EMBARK. Witness the normalization of career breaks, bridging the gender gap, and unlocking individuals' full potential, reshaping the future of work.

Targeted Female Sponsorship Grows Tech Leadership
Best Practice by Syngenta
2023

Targeted Female Sponsorship Grows Tech Leadership

Syngenta's Female Sponsorship Program is aimed at building a solid pipeline of female tech leaders within the company and the industry. Through tailored connections, support for global relocations, and tangible career advancements, the program has already made a noticeable impact on the careers of 18 talented women.

Flexibilität für alle Geschlechter aktiv fördern
Best Practice by Migros Group
2023

Flexibilität für alle Geschlechter aktiv fördern

Entdecken Sie, wie die Migros die Arbeitswelt durch ihr Engagement für die Integration von Beruf und Privatleben revolutioniert. Erfahren Sie mehr über den Fokus auf Teilzeitstellen, hybride Arbeitsmodelle und Führungsunterstützung, die ein Umfeld schaffen, in dem Mitarbeitende aufblühen können.

Die Finanzkompetenz von Frauen erhöhen
Best Practice by Zurich Insurance
2023

Die Finanzkompetenz von Frauen erhöhen

Erfahren Sie mit Zurich Versicherung, wie Frauen finanzielle Kompetenz erlangen. Entdecken Sie das WIN Financial Awareness Programm, das nicht nur Wissen und Fähigkeiten im Finanzbereich vermittelt, sondern auch eine unterstützende Gemeinschaft aufbaut und personalisierte Dienstleistungen zur Stärkung des finanziellen Selbstvertrauens anbietet.

From Career Break to Breakthrough | Advance Returnship Guide
Best Practice by Advance A-Team
2023

From Career Break to Breakthrough | Advance Returnship Guide

In times when Swiss companies are desperate for skilled employees due to the talent shortage, explore the positive impact that returnship programs are having from eight participating companies.

Why Sponsorship Is Our Key for the Next Generation of Female Leaders
Best Practice by Bain & Company
2022

Why Sponsorship Is Our Key for the Next Generation of Female Leaders

How can you push gender equality in the right direction at a faster pace? At Bain, a sponsorship program is key for ensuring the top management pipeline and retaining female leaders.

How an Employee-Led Workstream Can Drive Gender Parity
Best Practice by MSD Switzerland (Merck, Sharp & Dohme)
2022

How an Employee-Led Workstream Can Drive Gender Parity

Involving employees pays off - learn what happens when the entire workforce sets the agenda for gender parity.

How to Develop an Inclusive Mindset
Best Practice by PwC
2022

How to Develop an Inclusive Mindset

Join the ride: Along a compelling learning journey, PwC teaches the human skills needed to develop an inclusive mindset.

Can Storytelling Build Psychological Safety?
Best Practice by EY
2022

Can Storytelling Build Psychological Safety?

From storytelling to a real culture shift - learn how to use an impactful tool to change leadership behavior.

Recruiting Women for Cloud Infrastructure Engineering
Best Practice by Accenture
2022

Recruiting Women for Cloud Infrastructure Engineering

From speaker to role model - how to narrow the tech gap and attract more women to the industry.

Fostering a Gender-Equal Workforce at UBS
Best Practice by UBS
2022

Fostering a Gender-Equal Workforce at UBS

UBS harnesses the power of their people and cultivates collaboration between the women’s employee network, the business and DE&I.

How Cross-Divisional Mentoring Positively Impacts the Senior Female Leadership Pipeline
Best Practice by KPMG Switzerland
2022

How Cross-Divisional Mentoring Positively Impacts the Senior Female Leadership Pipeline

What happens if you put mentees in the driver's seat? Discover KPMG's tailored mentoring program's recipe for success.

Culture Change via the ‘SIX Spirit’ Trainer Community
Best Practice by SIX
2022

Culture Change via the ‘SIX Spirit’ Trainer Community

Find out how SIX takes every employee on a shared journey towards an open, inclusive and growth-oriented culture.

Ownership of Targets Drives Success
Best Practice by Swisscom
2022

Ownership of Targets Drives Success

How to engage the divisions in owning their diversity targets? Let them set their own!

An Impactful Program for Working Parents
Best Practice by Vontobel
2022

An Impactful Program for Working Parents

The transition to parenthood is a high-risk time for employees. Read how Vontobel supports and retains female leaders in the 'rush hours' of life.

Eigenverantwortung für Diversity-Ziele steigert den Erfolg
Best Practice by Swisscom
2022

Eigenverantwortung für Diversity-Ziele steigert den Erfolg

Starre, generalisierte Diversity-Ziele vorgeben? Erfahren Sie, was es ausmacht, wenn Swisscom die Eigenverantwortung der verschiedenen Geschäftsbereiche erhöht und diese in die Zielformulierung einbindet.

Der Equal Pay Calculator
Best Practice by Wüest Partner
2021

Der Equal Pay Calculator

Ein massgeschneidertes internes Gehaltsmodellierungstool sorgt für faire Löhne und stärkt das Vertrauen der Mitarbeitenden.

Business Growth Through Diversity
Best Practice by SIX
2021

Business Growth Through Diversity

SIX launches SPI Gender Equality Index for Switzerland, aligning their core business activities with their D&I Strategy.

Re-Writing The Leadership Norms
Best Practice by EY
2021

Re-Writing The Leadership Norms

An honest assessment of what a 'leader' looks like challenges the status quo and creates the climate for women to thrive.

Getting Inside Men’s Heads on the Gender Topic
Best Practice by Helvetia
2021

Getting Inside Men’s Heads on the Gender Topic

A deep dive into the male and female perceptions of gender equality at work leads to open dialogue, higher engagement and critically: changing the appraisal process.

Why Leading in Family Friendliness is Key to Gender Equality
Best Practice by Bain & Company
2021

Why Leading in Family Friendliness is Key to Gender Equality

Bain's 'We Care' programme is changing the culture of care-giving as more men take up flex leave options and extended paternity leave.

How to Smash Gender Diversity Targets
Best Practice by Philip Morris Switzerland
2021

How to Smash Gender Diversity Targets

48% of all PM Switzerland’s management level employees were women in 2020, smashing the target of 40% by end 2022.

Winning the War for Talent with Inclusive Parental Benefits
Best Practice by Swiss Re
2021

Winning the War for Talent with Inclusive Parental Benefits

Holiday camps for the children of Swiss Re employees solve the pressing problem of childcare during school breaks for their working parents.

Female Sponsorship Program: Who Says Women Aren’t Ambitious?
Best Practice by DOW
2021

Female Sponsorship Program: Who Says Women Aren’t Ambitious?

Dow's Sponsorship Program is de-biased by self-nomination and busts the myth that 'there are no eligible women'

Integrating Top & Grassroots Actions to Drive Inclusive Culture
Best Practice by Citi
2021

Integrating Top & Grassroots Actions to Drive Inclusive Culture

Change doesn’t happen overnight but by integrating top & grassroots initiatives @Citi successfully builds an inclusive culture.

Mind the (Pay) Gap!
Best Practice by Schneider Electric
2021

Mind the (Pay) Gap!

Implementing a holistic 4 pillar pay equity framework led to decreasing the pay gap to under 1% - and keeping it there.

Pay Equity: How to Take it Seriously
Best Practice by UBS
2021

Pay Equity: How to Take it Seriously

Leaders insisting on pay equity and undertaking serious independent analyses builds trust and a culture of inclusion.

Listen up: Putting Employees at the Center for Designing New Ways of Work
Best Practice by Syngenta
2021

Listen up: Putting Employees at the Center for Designing New Ways of Work

Syngenta's 'Future of Work' program engages employees through co-creation of a new Flexible Workplace policy, innovative office floor plan and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program.

The Equal Pay Calculator
Best Practice by Wüest Partner
2021

The Equal Pay Calculator

A customised internal salary modelling tool ensures fair salaries and strengthens employee confidence.

#FLEXTHETRANSITION Retaining talent during parenthood
Best Practice by PwC
2021

#FLEXTHETRANSITION Retaining talent during parenthood

The full pay flexibility deal allows new parents to decide how they want to manage the transition back to work.

How to Empower Parents So They Stay
Best Practice by Accenture
2021

How to Empower Parents So They Stay

Accenture's thriving Working Parents' Network attracts 30% men in its membership.

Addressing Pay Equity at Syngenta
Best Practice by Syngenta
2021

Addressing Pay Equity at Syngenta

Looking beyond data helps Syngenta make pay equity a fundamental element of the company's culture rather than just a project to tick off.

Inspiring Leaders to be Accountable for Creating an Inclusive Culture
Best Practice by EY
2020

Inspiring Leaders to be Accountable for Creating an Inclusive Culture

"NextWave” holds leaders accountable for creating and embedding an inclusive culture.

Neue Rahmenbedingungen werden modernen Rollenbildern gerecht
Best Practice by DIE / SWISS POST
2020

Neue Rahmenbedingungen werden modernen Rollenbildern gerecht

Ein neuer kollektiver Arbeitsvertrag, der auf verbindliche Grundsätze basiert: Flexibles Arbeiten, gesunde Work-Life-Balance, gleiche Bezahlung und Nicht-Diskriminierung.

Chancengleichheit und Diversität in der DNA verankern: Top-down & Bottom-up
Best Practice by SRG SSR
2020

Chancengleichheit und Diversität in der DNA verankern: Top-down & Bottom-up

Women leadership targets and a CEO supported Diversity Board ensure more women at the top.

Neue Perspektiven aus dem ‘Driver Seat’
Best Practice by Zürcher Kantonalbank
2020

Neue Perspektiven aus dem ‘Driver Seat’

Der “driver seat” verschafft talentierten weiblichen Führungskräften Sichtbarkeit, indem er ihnen erlaubt, einen Monat lang im Chefsessel Platz zu nehmen.

Mentoring Boosts Careers in the Air Navigation Industry
Best Practice by skyguide
2020

Mentoring Boosts Careers in the Air Navigation Industry

The skywomen are empowered via mentoring in order to get involved in business decisions and shape the company future.

Data Tells the Story as The PwC Switzerland D&I Dashboard Demonstrates
Best Practice by PwC
2020

Data Tells the Story as The PwC Switzerland D&I Dashboard Demonstrates

A highly effective way to increase transparency: a Dashboard provides real time D&I analytics helping to get leaders’ buy-in for action.

Staying at the Forefront of Gender Parity
Best Practice by Bain & Company
2020

Staying at the Forefront of Gender Parity

The 'Women at Bain' program, a strong network that acts as a support system to help women thrive during their careers.

Smart Working: Part-Time is not a Career Killer
Best Practice by AXA
2020

Smart Working: Part-Time is not a Career Killer

Chances for promotions are equal for full-time and part-time employees thanks to a strong culture of flexible working.

Unparalleled Commitment from the Top
Best Practice by MSD Switzerland (Merck, Sharp & Dohme)
2020

Unparalleled Commitment from the Top

The CEO and senior leaders publicly advocate diversity and inclusion as business imperative.

Shifting Cultural Norms – Gender Equality Begins at Home
Best Practice by P&G
2020

Shifting Cultural Norms – Gender Equality Begins at Home

#sharethecare shifts the narrative from ‘caregiving is strictly a woman’s responsibility’ to ‘caregiving is for both parents’. A bold ambition aiming to cultural change.

Actively Shaping Career Paths: The Accenture FeMale Mentoring Program
Best Practice by Accenture
2020

Actively Shaping Career Paths: The Accenture FeMale Mentoring Program

A cross-divisional mentoring program connects women with more senior colleagues, increasing the bond between women internally and fostering belonging and career perspectives.

Building a Swiss-Wide Network to Advance Women’s Leadership and Inclusion
Best Practice by Johnson & Johnson
2020

Building a Swiss-Wide Network to Advance Women’s Leadership and Inclusion

Building a Swiss-wide network to advance women’s leadership and inclusion.

Driving Gender Balance by Empowering both Mothers and Fathers
Best Practice by Deloitte
2020

Driving Gender Balance by Empowering both Mothers and Fathers

Supporting mothers and fathers to perform at their best, both at work and at home with: Coaching sessions, flexible working options and an internal parent network.

Turning Male Leaders into Allies
Best Practice by DOW
2020

Turning Male Leaders into Allies

Eye-opening sessions for male leaders to understand the challenges that women face in their careers.

How to Consciously Attract More Female Talent
Best Practice by SIX
2020

How to Consciously Attract More Female Talent

A gender diversity checklist makes sure that women have equal chances in the recruiting process.

Equal Pay for Equal Value
Best Practice by UBS
2020

Equal Pay for Equal Value

Equal salary certification makes sure that talent is paid fairly and equitably irrespective of gender.

Modern Framework for the New Realities of Work
Best Practice by DIE / SWISS POST
2020

Modern Framework for the New Realities of Work

A new collective employment contract with the binding principles of: Flexible working, healthy work-life balance, equal pay and no discrimination.

Venturing Beyond our Biases Towards a Culture of Inclusive Diversity
Best Practice by BÜHLER
2020

Venturing Beyond our Biases Towards a Culture of Inclusive Diversity

'Beyond Bias' workshops for all employees in order to learn how to act in a more inclusive way.

Leading the Fintech Industry in Gender Diversity
Best Practice by Avaloq
2020

Leading the Fintech Industry in Gender Diversity

Analysis, targets and many practical steps to make change happen: e.g. proactive outreach to universities to increase the inflow of female candidates to 30%.

Empowering female trainees to foster their strengths and unleash their potential
Best Practice by ABB
2019

Empowering female trainees to foster their strengths and unleash their potential

The business asked for more women and 'Excelle' was born: a program designed for women to learn, grow and share in technical roles.

Gender equality in action
Best Practice by Nestlé Switzerland
2019

Gender equality in action

A multi-pronged approach tackles recruitment, retention and promotion challenges for women to positive results.

Retaining experienced female leaders
Best Practice by DOW
2019

Retaining experienced female leaders

The goal to become the most inclusive material science company in the world leads to innovative ways to retain women and grow the pipeline.

Checking bias to advance the power of difference
Best Practice by Biogen
2019

Checking bias to advance the power of difference

An interview template for hiring managers which is aligned to the corporate values, explicitly seeks inclusive mindset in candidates.

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