Siemens 2011 Annual Report Download - page 172

6 A. To our shareholders
23 B. Corporate Governance 51 C. Combined management’s discussion and analysis
52 C. Business and operating environment
80 C.2 Fiscal  – Financial summary
83 C. Results of operations
101 C. Financial position
114 C. Net assets position
117 C. Overall assessment of the economic position
118 C. Report on post-balance sheet date events
119 C. Report on expected developments and
associated material opportunities and risks
135 C. Information required pursuant to Section  ()
and Section  () of the German Commercial
Code (HGB) and explanatory report

Diversity networks – A number of global diversity networks
have been established to provide focus and structure to some
of Siemens’ most important worldwide initiatives. We current-
ly have over 60 employee networks worldwide with approxi-
mately , employees actively engaged in diversity-related
activities.
Diversity Charter – In December  the Siemens Diversity
Charter was launched. Employees can sign the Charter online
and make their support for diversity visible within the Compa-
ny. Since its launch nearly , Siemens employees have
voluntarily signed the Diversity Charter showcasing a strong
grass-roots support for diversity at Siemens.
Diversity scorecard – Siemens measures diversity using a di-
versity scorecard which we implemented in  and continu-
ously improved. We developed a set of parameters to measure
our progress in five strategic areas: professional knowledge,
diversity at all levels, composition of our top talent pool, cul-
ture and branding, and experience mix.
Diversity in management – In fiscal , we systematized
the recruitment processes for key management positions at
Siemens to help ensure that the preliminary selection of can-
didates reflects the diversity of our customers and employees
at all levels and in all regions. For example the percentage of
women in management at Siemens globally has nearly dou-
bled since fiscal  to .% today.
Work-life balance – A growing number of employees seek
more flexibility in how they balance work with the rest of
their lives, particularly childcare responsibilities. Taking re-
spective local conditions into account, providing this flexibili-
ty helps us increase employee diversity and also gives
Siemens an advantage in recruiting and retaining employees.
At many of our locations worldwide, we now provide options
for flexible work schedules, part-time work and telecommut-
ing. At the same time, particularly in Germany, we are ex-
panding the availability of childcare options near the Compa-
ny, such as nurseries, daycare centers and children’s after-
school centers – taking local conditions into account. We in-
tend to continue increasing flexibility and improving work-life
balance for our employees throughout Siemens.
Learning and continuing education
We aim to further develop the qualification and expertise of
our employees at all locations. In fiscal , we invested
around € million for continuing education (without travel
expenses), which equals about € per employee. These ex-
penses include training courses and programs both for indi-
vidual employees and for entire organizational units or cate-
gories of employees. For example, we prepare our next-gener-
ation managers for their future responsibilities through the
Siemens Leadership Excellence Program. So-called Siemens
Core Learning Programs impart skills and capabilities specific
to the requirements of particular job categories at Siemens
and are an important lever for the systematic development of
our employees worldwide. Functional training measures ad-
dress the development of specific skills within particular busi-
ness functions. Cross-functional training improves skills and
capabilities that are relevant across multiple job categories or
business functions.
In addition, Siemens continues to be one of Germany ’s largest
providers of professional education for secondary school
graduates. As in previous years, we again made  trainee
positions available to disadvantaged youths.
Supporting a high performance culture
To ensure high performance at all levels, our compensation
system for our top executives and senior management world-
wide includes a variable component, which contains three
target categories: Unit Performance (against internal financial
targets as well as further strategic unit targets, such as perfor-
mance against competition), Individual Performance and
Siemens Performance.
Global Siemens equity culture
Siemens established its first employee share program in Ger-
many as early as , following the Company ’s reorganiza-
tion as a stock exchange-listed corporation. The aim was to
enable as many employees as possible to participate in
Siemens’ long-term future development. Over the years, thou-
sands of employees in Germany have acquired Siemens
shares with the Company ’s financial support. Building on this
success in Germany, Siemens’ Managing Board decided in 
to extend employee and management participation. In the
same year, the first wave of the new global Share Matching
Plan was rolled out in seven countries. Today, Siemens offers
approximately % of its employees in  countries the oppor-
tunity to participate in the plan. The Share Matching Plan is
based on a simple principle: Employees participating in the
plan will receive one Siemens share without payment of con-
sideration (matching share) for every three Siemens shares
bought and continuously held over a period of three years.
Only condition: The employee still needs to be employed by
Siemens. Clear purpose of the plan has always been to make
stock ownership available to employees at all income levels.