Volvo Car Switzerland AG employs around 50 people between 25 and 65 at its Swiss site and has a presence throughout the country with over 70 Volvo agencies. Some gender equality initiatives are already being put into practice from its Swedish headquarters, and family-friendly working conditions (e.g., six-month parental leave) have been created.
As part of the pilot for the Toolkit: Women & Diversity in Innovation, Volvo Car Switzerland AG has set itself the goal to develop diverse teams and increase employees’ understanding of the role of diversity in innovation and creative performance. To help achieve this, the company has formed a “thinktank” of committed employees to plan and implement appropriate measures. The members of the thinktank come from different departments (from accounting to the training team), have different levels of experience (from trainee to manager), and represent the diversity of the workforce in terms of gender, age, and nationality. The group engages in an open exchange of perspectives in its regular meetings and makes decisions jointly. As a diverse and agile team, the thinktank can also serve as an example for other innovation units in the company.