Blueprint for Change

Medtronic's Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint for Change is a comprehensive three-year plan (fiscal year 2009 through fiscal year 2011) for institutionalizing and integrating diversity and inclusion at every level within the organization. Consistent with our Mission, and given the demographic changes in the workforce, supply and demand for workers with technical training, and increasing diversity in the marketplace, we believe that successfully diverse and inclusive workplaces create competitive advantage.

The Blueprint sets measureable goals for overall representation at professional and managerial levels of the organization – 39 percent for women (measured worldwide) and 18 percent for minorities (measured in the United States only) –as well as for sourcing and recruiting, supplier diversity, and retention. We have also developed best practices to improve career development opportunities, communication about our efforts in diversity and inclusion, and rewards and recognition programs.

One of Medtronic’s goals is to ensure that our pipeline of high-potential candidates for management and executive positions reflects the representation of women and minorities in our workforce. We have also focused on creating a critical mass of female vice presidents.

Milestones

At the end of fiscal year 2010, the Blueprint for Change initiative had achieved several milestones:

• Each business unit and geography has developed a Diversity Action Plan, aligned with the Blueprint for Change, with annual goals.
• The CEO Council completed comprehensive reviews of Blueprint for Change plans and progress with each business unit and the corporate functions.
• The company assembled a set of “good practices” from the businesses and is leveraging those across the organization; they include creating a multi-cultural directory for potential candidates and use of Employee Resource Groups and Professional Association Networks for community branding.
• Scorecards were rolled out at the vice president level and are now being cascaded to the director/manager level, pushing accountability throughout the organization.  These include statistics related to representation, hiring, promotions, and turnover.
• Blueprint for Change communications have increased employee awareness at both the corporate and business level. For example, senior managers include messages about diversity and inclusion at all employee gatherings and staff meetings, and talk about diversity and inclusion objectives with their direct reports.
• Reward programs, most notably our CEO Inclusion Award, have helped increase awareness of diversity and inclusion programs and best practices. Eighty-nine employees were nominated for 10 awards recognizing employees committed to creating an inclusive environment.

While the company made progress in hiring women and minorities for positions at professional and managerial jobs levels, retention has been more challenging. Our fiscal year 2010 representation at these levels was 36 percent for women and 18 percent for minorities. Implementation of the Blueprint continues with a strong focus on retaining diverse employees in fiscal year 2011.