Medtronic Proudly Sponsors International Women's Day and #BalanceForBetter

Medtronic is proud to be an official sponsor of International Women’s Day (IWD), which honours the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women — and encourages gender parity. 

March 8, 2019 -- Medtronic is proud to be an official sponsor of International Women’s Day (IWD), which honours the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women — and encourages gender parity. This year’s theme, #BalanceforBetter, focuses on promoting gender balance in the workplace, politics, media, and beyond.

Medtronic works to help women excel in all areas of their lives — to enjoy the benefits of balance, while pursuing meaningful, fulfilling careers that improve human welfare.

“A key tenet of the Medtronic Mission is to recognise the personal worth of our employees, and to provide opportunities for growth and development," says Chief Human Resources Officer, Carol Surface. “Supporting the advancement of women and their ability to thrive — both in and outside of work — is a priority for us.”

Women in IT at Medtronic

Progress in Balanced Hiring, Leadership, and Pay

Medtronic places significant emphasis on the importance of inclusion and diversity across the company. Through a culture of inclusion, the company fosters a vibrant, healthy, and diverse community that reflects the world in which its employees live and work.

"Research, as well as plain common sense, tells us of the positive impact that diversity has on driving better decision-making in business," says Medtronic Chairman and CEO Omar Ishrak.

Medtronic is among a growing group of industry leaders who have set aspirational goals for greater inclusion and diversity among employees. In 2018, Medtronic continued to make progress toward closing the gender gap. Of note:

  • Of nearly 16,000 new employees, 54% were women.
  • Women represented 37% of management level or above roles globally, tracking well toward the company’s 2020 goal of 40% or more.
  • A gender pay gap report for Medtronic employees in the United Kingdom — comparing pay for all men and women, regardless of their job — showed pay parity at the company is above the U.K. average.
 

We really need to raise the awareness around the status of women in the workplace.

Dr. Sylvia Bartley Senior Director Philanthropy and Medtronic Foundation

Long-standing Commitment to Gender Parity

Medtronic co-founder Earl Bakken, who passed away in late 2018, was a champion for women in the workplace. "I dream of a world where women lead," he often said throughout his tenure as head of the company.

Since being named Chairman and CEO in 2011, Ishrak has carried Bakken’s legacy forward, making inclusion and diversity a priority at Medtronic. And while Medtronic has made solid progress in supporting the advancement of women, he notes there is still more work to be done. "Diversity needs to exist at all levels of our organisation, including the most senior levels. More women are needed in management roles to help us more effectively achieve our goals and drive our Mission."

In 2018, Ishrak signed the Catalyst CEO Champions for Change pledge on behalf of Medtronic, committing to help accelerate the progress of women in the workplace.

 
Dawn Bardot at Medtronic

Resources and Culture Help Advance #BalanceforBetter

Medtronic offers several resources to employees at all levels of the organization to advance the effort — from training for managers intended to remove bias from interview and promotion processes, to an expanded Family Leave Benefit that offers additional paid time off for new mothers, as well as paid leave to care for a sick relative or when a family member is deployed to active military duty. Career development programs also exist, like Careers 2.0, which helps women return to the engineering field after taking extended time away from the workforce.

Fostering a culture of inclusion, the company aims to ensure women feel supported as they build their careers and contribute to a broader community where all individuals can grow and thrive.

“If we are to encourage girls, from an early age, to be who they want to be in this lifetime, we have to create an environment that is an equal playing field, for everybody,” explains Dr. Sylvia Bartley, Senior Director Philanthropy and Medtronic Foundation. “We really need to raise the awareness around the status of women in the workplace — not just in the U.S. or Western Europe — but also in those markets where women are not seen as equal.”

The company’s inclusive, global culture might be best represented through the Medtronic Women’s Network (MWN). Consisting of 14,000 members spanning more than 100 Medtronic locations across 62 countries, MWN offers professional development, networking, and mentoring programs for potential and current employees.