Constellium is a global leader in the Aluminium industry, they design and manufacture advanced alloys and engineered solutions for a range of applications, such as beverage cans, cars, airplanes, and more. The UK entity is focused on research & development, manufacturing, and recycling of aluminium products and solutions. Their mission is ‘to create game-changing aluminium solutions for a circular and sustainable economy and a brilliant new day’.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
The company strives to foster an inclusive environment where people from a multitude of backgrounds, with a wide range of ideas and experiences, can contribute and succeed. Constellium global have a target that by 2025, 25% of all managerial and all professional roles to be held by women. The UK entity has a 32.5% female representation, but no women in leadership or technical roles, and it had a distinct lack of females in engineering roles in the workforce, hence the compelling wish to tailor the recruitment to specifically address this need. In view of this, Kirstie Lamb, HR Business Partner and Martin Jarrett, Innovation and Technology Director and UK Constellium Director took the lead on recruiting for these roles. They focused on specifically recruiting female talent, and utilised recruiters in the sector to find emerging female engineers, to allow for a longer career with the company. By increasing gender diversity, the company enhanced the culture of the company, augmented the employee experience, and positively increased diversity of thought.
Constellium has succession planning for employees holding key positions, and provides training and development opportunities, technical and leadership development programs. They also have a female mentorship program to propel female talent into positions of leadership or technical area expertise. As they currently have no women in the executive team or senior leadership positions, the aforementioned will help to address this. The company promotes education and training on diversity issues, where feedback is sought from employees, to ensure inclusion and that everyone feels valued.
BEST PRACTICE
Constellium constantly recognises the need to amend and review their policies, centred on changes in governance and employee profile. For instance, a recent policy change guarantees that all employees who have recently given birth have 16 weeks of maternity leave on full pay. Previously, UK employees were paid 90% of their wage for six weeks maternity leave.
As the company offer an informal hybrid working policy, this facilitates work flexibility and particularly benefits working mothers, a crucial aspect in retaining female talent. Constellium UK is in the process of implementing a Women’s’ Network. This network will create a culture of equality and empowerment, whilst guaranteeing that Constellium women have a voice that is heard and valued, thus eradicating outdated gender biases. This also ensures that they are provided with skills and opportunities to advance to the top of their capability in the workplace and in other facets of their lives.
Kirstie recommends that other foundation industries should strive to enhance communication between HR and hiring managers, as this removes unconscious bias when reviewing CVs, and allows refined/targeted recruitment to hire the best-suited person to vacant roles, which in turns increases diversity and inclusion.
Written by Ciel Newton