“Here at Bentley, we are fully committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where our colleagues are at the heart of what we do. We call it #BelongingAtBentley. Belonging means creating a culture of inclusion and developing processes that ensures each of our colleagues feels comfortable in bringing their true selves to work.
Our vision is a workplace where all colleagues can reach their full potential in an environment where views, beliefs and values are integrated, and where innovation thrives. Such a high performing environment is essential to be prepared for the challenges of the future.
The world is continuously changing – and so is the automotive industry, just think about electrification and digitalisation. In order to achieve success and drive positive change we need to attract future talent from a diverse range of backgrounds. We strongly believe that we will maximise our chances of attracting and securing the best talent, if we embrace a truly diverse and gender-balanced workforce at all levels. Again, for me it’s an essential pillar of success that empowers us to excel, innovate, and drive meaningful change in the automotive landscape.
By having women involved in the automotive sector – especially in our management team – we leverage unique viewpoints, enhance decision-making processes, and drive creativity in problem-solving. Research consistently shows that diverse teams, including women, bring different insights and approaches that lead to better business outcomes. In the automotive realm, female representation not only reflects the customer base but also brings fresh perspectives to design, marketing, and customer experience, ultimately resulting in more inclusive products and services.
However, for me it isn’t about adding diversity without reason. We’re looking to retain the excellent women we already have, and recruit the very best new candidates, from all backgrounds, ensuring everyone gets the support needed to excel. A diverse workforce itself is not the attraction – it is the ways of working, our corporate culture, policies, and facilities here at Bentley – like our BeInspired network from colleagues for colleagues or supporting the menopause charter. The changes we’re making to ensure our workplace is inclusive are a massive support for women and men – like our flexible working for indirect colleagues helping new parents and their families, whilst remaining committed to their careers.
Being a Silver Member of the Automotive 30% Club places us among a network of automotive leaders who share a collective commitment to being inclusive and building gender-balanced businesses. Have we reached the finish line yet? Definitely not. But we are truly committed to making progress. Only together, by joining forces, we possess the power to drive impactful change in our industry."