Diversity as a Core Value at the SML

The Gender Diversity Strategy for employees was revised in the fall of 2022 and is now the Gender Equality Management Concept.

With the Gender Equality Management Concept 2021-2023, the SML aims to promote a more balanced gender ratio at the SML and improve equal opportunities between men and women in the long term. The emphasis is on fair processes and raising awareness. The concept also takes into account aspects of the ZHAW Gender Equality Management Initiative and focuses on two key subject areas:

The SML aims to improve the gender ratio in the long term and ensure equal opportunities between men and women in filling professorial positions.

Until gender parity has been achieved (at least 40% of each gender for professors), the SML pursues the following quantitative targets:

• From 2023, at least half of the professors newly appointed each year will be women.
• The SML evaluates the achievement of its quantitative targets every year.
• All professorial vacancies are advertised publicly and internationally and are open to both internal and external candidates.

In this area, the main instruments for promoting gender diversity are:

• In the recruitment and selection process, selection committees consist of internal experts at the SML who are aware of the need for diversity. Recommendations on gender-equitable language and image selection are consistently implemented in job advertisements.
• In the areas of performance appraisal and personnel development, performance and competencies are assessed or determined according to the "achievement-relative-to-opportunity" (AR2O) principle. All employees or candidates are assessed not only according to absolute productivity but also based on the employment relationship and life circumstances.
• The SML conducts an annual Academic Mentoring Program (AMP) with the aim to achieve gender balance in filling open professorial positions at the SML.

SML also aims to sustainably improve equal opportunities between men and women when filling new management positions and existing vacancies and achieve a more balanced gender ratio.

To this end, the SML pursues the following quantitative targets:

• From 2023, at least half of all new managers at every management level will be women.
• The achievement of the quantitative targets are evaluated annually.
• When filling leadership positions or strategic management positions (e.g., head of program), the SML considers the possibility of co-leadership and part-time employment.
• The recommendations mentioned above also apply to recruitment and selection processes: Job advertisements must be gender-equitable and selection committees must be sensitive to diversity issues.
• With regard to personnel and competence development, the SML wants to foster women with leadership potential and nominate them for the Mentoring FFF program. It facilitates access to networks such as Advance – Gender Equality in Business and the Academic Mentoring Program.