Caterpillar 2013 Annual Report Download - page 39

CATERPILLAR INC. 2013 YEAR IN REVIEW
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At Caterpillar, diversity and inclusion are much more than a “nice to have”
expression of good intentions. Instead, they are a crucial enabler of
our strategy to build a competitive advantage.
“If Caterpillar is to win in the marketplace and in the war for talent, we
need to engage people who are different from us,” says Latasha Gillespie,
director of Global Diversity & Inclusion. “We’re not just talking about
race, gender or ethnicity. We’re talking about diversity of thought and
diversity of style. We’re talking about mid-career hires. It has been proven
that companies with diverse teams outperform their competitors. Our
global customers expect employees to understand their diverse cultures
and business needs,” Gillespie adds.
Attracting and developing the best talent is a critical component of
Caterpillar’s strategy. To achieve that goal, our human resources teams
are focused on building diverse and inclusive teams where the unique-
ness of individuals is respected and their different points of view
are valued.
Since establishing a Global Diversity & Inclusion Offi ce nearly 10 years
ago, Caterpillar has taken signifi cant strides in diversity and inclusion,
and this past year was no exception. In 2013, DiversityInc., an internation-
ally recognized resource on diversity management, named Caterpillar
to the “25 Noteworthy Companies” list and the “Top 10 Companies for
Veterans” list.
Additionally, more than 70,000 employees across the globe participated
in the inaugural Inclusion Survey. The results from the survey are helping
Caterpillar leaders to understand and leverage our strengths as well as
to identify disparities that may exist as a result of differences experienced
by various employee demographic groups. In the fi rst year of completing
the survey, Caterpillar placed in the top fi ve percent among benchmarked
companies conducting their inaugural survey.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are an important component of our
diversity and inclusion strategy. ERGs are employee-driven and repre-
sent independent, voluntary, nonprofi t groups of employees who share
common interests and an approved business purpose. Today, there are
12 unique ERGs with a total of 85 chapters and more than 9,000 global
members. The ERGs bring value to the business by mentoring employees,
facilitating leadership and career development seminars, volunteering
in the community and hosting potential employees, dealers, customers
and suppliers.
“Our commitment to diversity and inclusion allows our company to
thrive in the global marketplace,” says Kim Hauer, vice president and
Chief Human Resources Offi cer. “The world is changing, the talent pool
is different, customers’ expectations have evolved and so must we in
order to maintain our global market leadership position. By becoming
even more diverse than we are today and building an inclusive environ-
ment, we will be able to attract and retain the very best people, uncover
new and innovative ideas and, ultimately, ensure the success of our
customers who make progress possible around the world.”
Caterpillar’s Diversity
& Inclusion Journey
CORPORATE SERVICES
Caterpillar ERGs
• Caterpillar African American Network
• Caterpillar Armed Forces Support Network
• Caterpillar Asian Indian Community
• Caterpillar Chinese Resource Group
• Caterpillar Experienced Professional Direct Hire Resource Group
• Caterpillar Korean Resource Group
• Caterpillar Lambda Network
• Caterpillar Latino Connection
• Caterpillar Middle Eastern Resource Group
• Caterpillar Women’s Initiatives Network
• Caterpillar Young Professionals Resource Group
• Champions of Challenge Resource Group