No Conformidades Y Oportunidades De Mejora

In this chapter the main research question “How should ASML’s diversity talent management policy look like, with a focus on gender and nationality diversity?” is answered in general. In the recommendations (Chapter 7) these conclusions will be more specified for ASML. This conclusion is based on the results of nineteen interviews held with talented female and non-Dutch engineering students.

The chapter is divided in paragraphs in which the different parts of the policy for talented female and non-Dutch engineering students are described. These parts are named after the main subjects found in the literature and the results of this research, and additional subjects that are an outcome of the results as well. These main subjects are respectively recruitment sources, reputation management, equal treatment, work-life balance, training and development, job, working conditions, working atmosphere, support foreigners and learning from other cultures. At some subjects focus is drawn to the opinion of one or both of the focus groups if they have some specific opinion on the subject. After this some examples are given how these subjects can be translated to a diversity policy.

6.1

Recruitment sources

The best way to reach talented engineering students is via university and via the company website. Therefore a company should focus on these two recruitment sources.

The students would like the companies to visit the campuses, as well as abroad. The career orientation days are indicated as effective, and lectures and company visits, organized via the connection with a professor or a study association as well.

At the website most of them look at what the company does and what their vacancies are. These vacancies should include a clear job profile and vacancy description.

In terms of policy a company could for example reserve budget for particular universities to invest in campus recruitment. This could for example be done by organizing lectures and company visits, and sponsoring activities or study associations. The website could for instance be kept up-to-date to give the students the right current information about the company and vacancies. The profile and job descriptions could be updated on a regular base and be checked for consistency.

6.2

Reputation management

The students think that the kind of company and the working atmosphere in the company are important. The company itself is responsible for its reputation.

The company needs to be international and should be well-known (for technology). The type of company is important to the students as well, because most of the students think it should be ethical right and, or, it should contribute to society with innovation. In an international company students think it is important that they get the opportunity to learn from other cultures.

The working atmosphere is an important factor as well, which should be good and open. Especially social and nice colleagues are important. The students experience this kind of working environment during an interview, a company visit or hear stories about the working environment of employees working at that company.

In addition the non-Dutch engineering students want next to the described elements above to work for an international company in which the written and spoken language is English. Having an international workforce makes the non-Dutch students feel more comfortable.

In terms of policy the company could for instance reserve budget for employer branding. In this way the company can become well-known. The marketing campaigns could for example focus on internationalization by using pictures of multi-cultural teams or focus on their relevance on society by showing people what they contribute.

6.3

Equal treatment

Equal treatment is important for the talented engineering students and therefore is a crucial point for the policy.

Engineering students think that there is no difference between genders, and nationalities, therefore they do not want to be treated differently.

Female engineering students however refer to three specific elements which are important to them.

Selection

The female students would not like to be hired because they are female, but they want to be hired and valued by their skills.

Pay

The females want to earn the same money as males in the same position.

Promotion opportunities

Female engineering students want to get the same (development) opportunities as men in a company.

In terms of policy for instance transparency in this matter is very important, so the female individuals and non-Dutch individuals can actually see the equality in the selection, pay and promotion opportunities. The company could for example make a list of skills needed for every job opening and share this with the applicants.

6.4

Work-life balance

Work-life balance is also important to the talented engineering students. This work-life balance consists of flexible working hours, and a flexible leave policy.

Some of the students would like the flexibility in working hours to consist of the possibility of classifying the working hours in a day or week themselves, other students would like this to consist of having the possibility to work one week more and the other week less.

The opportunity to take days off whenever they want, is important to the engineering students. The non-Dutch engineering students would like to have more holidays than their fellow Dutch employees.

In terms of policy the company could develop a bonus structure based on the (extra) work done. The company could as well make task lists for every employee that need to be finished every day or week. In this way the employees can order their own working hours or days off as long as they finish their tasks. To make meetings possible the company could for example oblige employees to be at the office a particular part of a particular day, or make facilities available for video conferencing.

6.5

Training & Development

Training and development is important for the talented engineering students as well. Growth, development and promotion opportunities, with succession planning, are important to the engineering students as well as trainings.

The students want these trainings to be provided in terms of courses and, or lectures. They would like to be trained in soft and hard skills. For the hard skill trainings the engineering students would want the trainings to be mainly in engineering skills.

Growth, development and promotion opportunities will lead to more challenge for the students and keep them interested in their jobs.

Succession planning

The students would like the company to show them the growth, development and promotion opportunities.

The non-Dutch students would like to be trained in soft and hard skills. Included in these soft skills, non-Dutch engineering students would like to learn languages, and especially the local language. In terms of policy the company could reserve budget per employee for their development. The employee could decide himself in which kind of development they would like to invest. The company could for example make overviews of career paths and share these with the employees as well. The skills needed to get further on the career path could be described as well in this overview. The company could as well provide or set-up language courses for foreigners to learn the local language.

6.6

Job

The job is also important to talented engineering students. The job should be interesting, challenging, dynamic and related to their study or expertise.

For instance the job should be on a subject or project in their interest area, it should not be a routine job and the job should relate to their study or expertise. The students want to have the experience and knowledge needed for the job when they apply to it. An interesting, challenging and dynamic job will make sure they will not get bored.

In terms of policy the company could for example keep the employees motivated by offering challenging projects the employees can do next to their normal job. The company could for instance offer that employees have a project for several months, and let them change to another project after this time as well. This would keep the job dynamic, and it is a challenge as well to make each project a success.

6.7

Working conditions

The working conditions are important to the engineering students as well. In these working conditions salary, working facilities and transportation facilities or compensation are important. Nevertheless the salary can be excluded from the policy.

The salary the students want varies from enough to make a living, to their level/value, or to just ‘good’. As a result of this variation and ambiguity result, this element can be excluded from the policy.

The exact working facilities the students think are important vary from a working space, chairs and desks to good equipment, like computers and machines. They want to have the right facilities to do their job properly.

The students would like to have an organized transportation policy. This could vary from a bus, bike and/or car facilities, to a kilometer allowance. It is not very important to the students how this policy looks like, but they would like to have it organized.

In terms of policy the company could for example provide a computer or laptop for every employee, as well as a regional bus card available for all employees, possible for a little amount of money, to make it cheap to travel by bus to work. The company could also provide a bike for every employee that does not want to go to work by the public transport or car.

6.8

Working atmosphere

The working atmosphere is also important to talented engineering students. The students want to have a good working environment and especially their colleagues play a big part in it.

A good working environment is important for the engineering students, because it makes them comfortable when they are at work. In this working environment especially the colleagues are important to them. They should be social, nice and be able to communicate.

In terms of policy the company could for example introduce a drink every week, organize activities for all employees or employees of a certain department in order that they can socialize. The company could also have an open door policy in which the doors of the offices need to stay open (exceptions in case of meetings), to create an open environment in which everyone can easily walk into each others’ office and make contact.

6.9

Support foreigners

Support for foreigners is important to the non-Dutch engineering students. The non-Dutch engineering students would like to get support from the company in accommodation, for visiting their family, for their family visiting or living with them and with the required documents.

The non-Dutch students appreciate arranged accommodation by the company. They also would like support to visit their family once in a while and support for their family to visit them or living with them. The non-Dutch students would like to have help with documents as well, such as visa, work permit, bank account, the Social Service Number, and moving forms.

In terms of policy the company could create a department responsible for all international matters. They should know everything about housing, documents, etcetera, and could help with finding accommodation and all documents. The company could as well buy some houses or apartments, which new international employees can rent.

6.10Learn from other cultures

The opportunity to learn from other cultures is important for to the non-Dutch engineering students as well. It is one of the reasons why students are looking for an international company. The non- Dutch engineering students think that it is important to learn from other cultures.

The non-Dutch students want to learn from other cultures, both the local culture and non-local cultures. In this way they can learn from other views and perspectives.

In terms of policy the company could for example make multi-cultural teams or international virtual teams, in order that the members of the team can learn from each others’ culture and their possible different views on things. The company could as well organize activities with a special theme of a particular country, in order that other employees can attend this activities. Employees originated from that country could give a presentation about the country and culture during the activity. If this is done for different countries, one could learn from each other.