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Skanska ranks #4 out of 300 on Forbes’ inaugural “World's Top Female-Friendly Companies 2021” list

Forbes Magazine awarded Skanska a prominent spot on their World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies 2021 list.

Head of USA HR Shared Services Lena Ulvi shares her perspective on our recent ranking in Forbes.

This ranking signifies a momentous benchmark in our ongoing journey to Be Better – Together, and further emboldens our commitment to creating a gender-inclusive environment for women across Skanska.

Creating spaces for all people to flourish

To generate the new ranking list for Forbes, over 80,000 women globally responded to anonymous surveys where they were asked to evaluate their company on supportive policies for women in the workplace, balanced recruitment, pay equity and more.

Market research company Statista then led a multivariate analysis of the data, considering company leadership, structure and public engagement.

Their final list includes 300 companies across a wide span of industries and geographic regions.

It’s incredibly exciting to see Skanska come in fourth and be the highest-ranking construction and development company on the list.

While today’s news is just one touchstone in our Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) journey, this ranking is a powerful testament to the great strides our company has made to Be Better – Together.

Culture-building begins with people, and in this case, it begins with all of Skanska’s employees, partners and stakeholders.

We’re fostering a workplace that not only welcomes women but enables inclusion and encourages contributions.

Today, we celebrate the fact that through collective and individual commitments to live out our values, we’re making it possible for women to feel empowered when they join the Skanska family.

During a time when women are disproportionally facing inequality in the workplace and in the home because of COVID-19, our commitment to building a company culture that champions women has never been more vital.

Several goals in our existing strategic framework continue to guide us including:

  • Working to promote more women into our industry and our organization
  • Seeking to advance our UNSDG goals of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls

Traditionally, the construction industry has seen a gender imbalance in its workforce.

Skanska is working to shift that narrative by establishing a new standard on a global stage, transforming landscapes not only through what we build, but also through the culture we’re creating every day.

And we’re just getting started. As I partner with our Human Resources (HR) team and other teams across Skanska, I know that we must remain vigilant in our pursuit of ongoing improvement.

Continue engaging with our D&I priorities

Where do we go from here? We keep showing up and engaging with mechanisms that will further strengthen our commitment to inclusion.

Skanska Women’s Network (SWN), Skanska’s first employee resource group, continues to advocate for holistic change as we aim to Be Better – Together.

Their purpose to “promote and support a gender-inclusive culture that enables all of us to be better together” is something that all of us can and should reference as a cornerstone of our daily work.

Looking ahead, our HR team continues to identify ways for our employees to embrace roles as changemakers across Skanska.

Most immediately, we are committed to reinforcing our support of working families through our partnership with Helpr, a female-founded company, to provide backup child and elder care, as well as virtual academic support for school-age children, all of which provide the care infrastructure so important to Skanska families.

Through these activities and many more, supporting women both inside and outside the workplace will remain a core priority.