Proud to be different

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At DWS we’re committed to building an inclusive culture that respects and embraces the diversity of our colleagues, clients, and communities. Which nurtures an environment where every perspective matters and where every voice is heard.

We aspire to offer a workplace where creativity, confidence and ideas can bloom. Where individual strengths, different backgrounds and broad perspectives are valued. And where everyone can come to work as their true authentic selves as we attempt to create a workforce as diverse as our global footprint.

With colleagues across 60 nationalities, speaking more than 75 languages, locally rooted yet globally connected across 25 countries, we celebrate our differences, treat each other with respect, listen openly without judging, and value each other’s insights. This brings us closer together and contributes to a thriving and inspiring workplace.

We’re proud of the strides we’re making to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace. But we know that the process of building a more just and equitable society is not easy or quick. Driving real change requires long-term commitment and action. It requires all of us to push beyond comfortable boundaries.

This includes constantly examining our own culture and talent practices, tackling unconscious bias and building a network of allies. It means speaking up as we work with peers to advocate for broad change, both within our industry and the society we serve. And it means putting building blocks in place across the firm that enable diverse and multi-cultural talent to thrive.

At DWS we’re proud to be different. And we’re 100% committed to embracing and driving change to help build a better, fairer society.

Employee Inclusion and Engagement networks


Our Employee Inclusion & Engagement Networks are spearheaded by colleagues across all regions. Many leverage diversity in its broadest sense – from race, colour, religion, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender and veteran status - to create a greater sense of purpose for themselves, their colleagues, and the firm.

They include:

 

Asian Inclusion Network

The Asian Inclusion Network represents Asian colleagues, covering their professional development and management of their careers, cultural awareness and heritage, and community outreach.

Black Leadership Alliance

The Black Leadership Alliance strives to facilitate the success of our Black professionals by developing and promoting their advancement, while also driving cultural transformation that welcomes, values and leverages diversity.

Enable

The Enable network is the global umbrella for our regional Disability, Health and Wellbeing programmes and promotes inclusion for colleagues with disabilities, long-term health conditions and caring responsibilities.

Gender Equality (including Women’s Inclusion Network)

The Gender Equality Network aims to strengthen gender balance across the firm by engaging, educating, and empowering colleagues with the resources necessary to facilitate their professional development.

Generation

The Generation Network focuses on enhancing inclusion irrespective of age through interactive working groups and targeted initiatives.

LatinX Inclusion Network

The LatinX Inclusion Network supports the professional goals of our LatinX colleagues and ensures the history and heritage of this network is valued and represented.

NextGen Advisory Group

As the voice of our next generation, the NextGen Advisory Group acts as a sounding board to senior management across the firm across a variety of cultural topics.

ONE

The Origins, Nationality and Ethnicity (ONE) network is committed to connecting colleagues of different racial, ethnic, cultural and religious groups across the firm.

People Engagement Group

The DWS People Engagement Group brings colleagues together to collectively develop and implement people-based projects which support our business objectives and enable high levels of employee engagement throughout the organization.

Pride

The Pride Network creates a safe, inclusive, and judgement-free zone for members of the LGBTIQ community as well as their allies.

Veteran Engagement Team (VET)

The Veteran Engagement Team is committed to outreach and engagement with Veterans and families to support and raise awareness for this group.

"We are DWS”

"We are DWS", is a new series to highlight the many contributions and achievements of our colleagues inside and outside of DWS. As well as the work our employees do for the organisation to support colleagues and clients, they are also distinguished by what they achieve personally. How they get involved and give back to society and to our local communities, as well as the convictions they stand up for.

We are DWS_Web banner_1889x480.png

Human Capital Reporting Standards

 

How we evidence our DE&I claims is important to us and we’re delighted to be certified for our commitment to the Human Capital Reporting Standards (ISO30414), having previously been one of the first organizations to be certified in this developing area of disclosure.

This provides guidance on the human capital metrics companies should report internally and those they should disclose publicly – including areas such as ‘Compliance and Ethics’, ‘Diversity’, ‘Leadership’, ‘Organisational Culture’ and ‘Health and Wellbeing’.

Continued certification with these standards is a fundamental part of our commitment to the Social and Governance ESG pillars and strategy to support the global community in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).[1]

(ISO30414) We are delighted to be certified for our commitment to Human Capital Reporting Standards

Continuing our focus on gender diversity


We are committed to ensuring that:

 

  • At least 30% of our Supervisory Board members are women
  • Female representation on our Executive Board is always in line or above German Gender Quota Legislation
  • We reflect gender diversity within our product range

  • 32% of managers at the first management level below the Executive Board are women by December 2024
  • We increase diversity in decision making bodies which include voting committees, legal entity boards, and wider governance bodies.
  • We continue to participate in “Women in the Workplace Study” developed by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company

  • 33% of managers at the second management level below the Executive Board are women by December 2024
  • Together with Deutsche Bank Group, we publish our Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Report in the UK
  • We promote gender balance through our hiring and retention practices, external partnerships with charities and industry groups, and internal mentorship and sponsorship programmes.

External Partnerships


In nurturing an inclusive working environment, we have developed a number of key external partnerships across the globe. These not only help us to drive our internal agenda, but also enable us to share good practice and to positively impact the societies we are operating in.

These include:

  • Partnership and Sponsorship with Diversity Project, whose vision is to create a truly diverse and inclusive UK investment and savings industry.
  • Sponsorship of the Fondsfrauen initiative in Germany, a business network for women in asset management and finance.
  • Member of the Diversity & Inclusion Working Group of the “U.S. Institute”, a think tank for leading investment management firms.
  • Member of the Business Disability Forum whose vision is to improve the life experiences of disabled employees and consumers by removing barriers to inclusion.
  • Financial Supporter of Level20, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving gender diversity in the European private equity industry.
  • Joining the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act to advocate for passage of federal protections for LGBTQ Americans.
  • Becoming a founding member of Morgan Stanley’s diversity and inclusion initiative The Equity Collective.

 

Related Articles

1. These predominantly relate to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 Good health and well-being: SDG3 Good health and well-being; SDG5 Gender Equality; SDG8 Decent work and economic Growth; and SDG10 Reduced Inequalities.

CIO View