Diversity Awareness at Fraunhofer EMFT: Leadership Engagement

Industry

Wissenschaft & Forschung

Herausforderung

Fraunhofer EMFT faced the challenge of engaging leaders at all levels, including those skeptical or resistant to diversity management topics. Achieving strong participation and genuine buy-in for the initial sensitization workshops was critical for embedding diversity as a strategic priority within the research-driven environment.

Ergebnisse

The diversity company’s leadership sensitization program resulted in 70-75% attendance from all leadership tiers at Fraunhofer EMFT. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with no critical responses and visible curiosity and engagement from participants. This demonstrated a higher-than-anticipated acceptance and set the stage for ongoing diversity progress within the organization.

Key Product

Diversity-Sensibilisierungsworkshops

www.diversity-company.de

$5.4M+

Manage Spend

100+

Deals Completed

7.6x

ROI

$2M

Cost Savings

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Chief Marketing Officer @ StellarForge

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About your Customer

Fraunhofer EMFT is a research institution specializing in microelectronics and innovative technologies. The organization is committed to fostering inclusive workplace culture and advancing diversity initiatives.

The Challenge

Fraunhofer EMFT, a leader in microelectronics research, sought to cultivate a more inclusive and diverse workplace culture. However, they encountered a significant challenge in engaging a broad spectrum of leaders—some of whom were initially skeptical or resistant to diversity management concepts. Ensuring wide participation and authentic engagement in foundational diversity training was critical for the long-term success of their diversity strategy.

The Solution

Recognizing the need for expert guidance, Fraunhofer EMFT partnered with diversity company to design and deliver a targeted leadership sensitization workshop as the kickoff to their broader diversity program. The workshop was tailored to address common reservations among management and to foster open, constructive dialogue. According to the Diversity Program Lead, "The participation and subsequent feedback were surprisingly positive, as I received no criticism—neutral. The people who attended were actively involved with curiosity, which I had not expected. Acceptance among leadership was higher than anticipated." The interactive format and sector-specific approach encouraged leaders to reflect on the value of diversity and their role in driving cultural change.

The Results

The initial workshop achieved a strong attendance rate of 70-75% among leadership, signaling robust engagement. Notably, there was no critical feedback, and participants demonstrated active curiosity and involvement. The high level of leadership engagement and acceptance exceeded expectations and established a solid foundation for embedding diversity across the organization. These outcomes underscore the effectiveness of diversity company’s tailored approach to diversity management consulting for research institutions like Fraunhofer EMFT.