Historically, our industry has predominantly attracted male employees both at sea and onshore. For more than a century, we have proven our ability to adapt to shifts in markets and societies. We have a strong and proud legacy at Odfjell.
"We need to continue delivering world-class services, while at the same time renew our organization to keep up our competitiveness for the long run. This includes developing more diverse and inclusive teams with a broad set of expertise, experience and backgrounds, that will work together to solve the challenges of tomorrow."
Ingjerd Nettestad, VP Corporate HR
That means that we cannot just “blame the industry” for lack of diversity – we need to take action ourselves. We are therefore committed to increasing diversity and putting action behind our words. We have set a key target for our shipping shore organization to reach a minimum 30% gender balance at all levels by 2030. This is an ambitious target for Odfjell as we have a gender imbalance at several levels today. To reach the targets, we will at some levels seek to triple the proportion of women, while at other levels significantly increase the proportion of men.
Getting there will not be a quick fix and it will require a systematic effort over time.
“We believe that accessing and providing opportunities to a wider talent pool is the right thing to do. Through being more transparent with data and through discussing how we all have unconscious biases that influence us, we can collectively work to mitigate these from hindering equal opportunities for our employees, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation etc.
Also, we are here to stay. We aim for sustainable and long-term success. We want to provide a representative and inclusive workplace for all, where uniqueness is valued, and everyone is treated with respect. A workforce that will retain and attract tomorrow’s talent. We believe that increased diversity will improve our ability to innovate, solve problems and stay relevant.”
Kristian Mørch, CEO
The research is clear: Diverse and inclusive organizations achieve better results. Organizations with inclusive cultures are:
Source: Deloitte Review 2018
If you would like to read more about various research findings, follow the links listed in the footnote.
Odfjell has set a target to be carbon neutral in 2050 and have zero-emission deep-sea vessels in our fleet by 2030. The technology is not commercially available yet, and we do not fully know how we can achieve this. Similarly, we are committed to increasing our diversity, even if we don’t have all the answers on how to get there. Every one of us needs to contribute if we are to succeed with these targets.
Beyond established and positive efforts, we have started implementing several new initiatives, some already showing good results:
Does the diversity goal mean that we will only recruit and promote women? No, far from it. But to get there, we will need to take specific actions on how we engage with employees.
And it starts even before that – it starts when the talents out there, our future employees, first hear about Odfjell.
We are not talking about quotas and will continue to seek the best hire while working hard to ensure a balanced pool of candidates.
Three examples of how we can do this:
Every colleague can contribute positively through “micro behavior” to drive diversity and foster an inclusive environment where uniqueness is valued, and everyone feels that they belong. We often see such behavior at Odfjell.
Examples can be to keenly listen, ask people for their input or help, and make those around us feel safe to suggest a new way of thinking. If there is someone new on the team, take the first step and ask them to join for lunch or a coffee. Stephen Frost says, “Unless you consciously include, you will probably unconsciously exclude.”
Words matter. As mentioned above with job postings, the language we use shapes the way we think and react. As trivial as it may sound, we are currently reviewing our policies to ensure that we use inclusive wording; i.e. by replacing “maternity leave” with the more gender-neutral term “parental leave.”
As stated above, the lack of diversity is an unsolved challenge for the whole maritime industry. To do our part and encourage positive change, we will – in addition to internal initiatives – work with and learn from industry organizations such as the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, share analyses, and align efforts. One example is that we actively support membership for our male and female employees in industry organizations such as the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA).
As mentioned, building a more diverse and inclusive workforce will require a systematic and dedicated effort over time. Some examples are mentioned above, and lots of good things are already happening across the Odfjell organization. We simply need more of it!
If all of us contribute and ensure incremental change where we can, it will really add up. We are interested in hearing your thoughts both on the current state and on how we can do more to increase our diversity and ensure that everyone feels included at work. Please contact HR or share your ideas directly with us here.
“Embracing change is easier said than done, but the good news is that we can move forward one 'micro behavior' at a time. Let us talk about where we are going with diversity, the barriers that make it difficult, how to overcome these together and become more accepting of diversity in all shapes and forms. It will benefit us as individuals, businesses, and societies, and ensure that Odfjell remains a progressive industry leader.”
Kristian Mørch
To be continued... as mentioned, it will require action, dedication, and perseverance.
Definition: Diversity
Diversity goes beyond gender, and it goes beyond age and nationality. It is about all people, all backgrounds, all phases of life. It is about ethnicity, experience, educational background, age, competence, culture, point of view, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. It is also about different perspectives and diversity of thought.
Definition: Inclusion
Inclusion puts diversity into action by creating an environment of belonging, respect, and connection. We strive to provide a safe and inclusive workplace for all, where uniqueness is valued, and everyone is treated with respect.
In Andreas T. Tapia’s words: "Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making the mix work."
Read Global Maritime Forum’s article on why the maritime industry needs to improve diversity in the workplace. Some key findings referred to in this article:
The 2018 McKinsey Diversity Report finds that:
The 2018 Deloitte Millennial Survey finds that 74% of millennials believe their organization is more innovative when it has a culture of inclusion. If businesses are looking to hire and sustain a millennial workforce, diversity must be a key part of the company culture.
Other links:
"Overall, our analysis suggests that promoting and achieving greater gender equality in Nordic companies can drive financial performance and value creation, especially in the long run. Our findings indicate that much of the international research may also be valid in the Nordics - that female board representation and women in top management can bring consistently higher profit margins and higher returns on equity, with more stable, less volatile growth, and fewer negative results".
Investing in Gender Diversity, Care/Storebrand/PWC
