Komatsu has continued to demonstrate its commitment to inclusion and diversity, and is working to drive real change across the industry sectors that it serves.
Areas where it is leading by example includes its Say again? campaign to help create a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace, engaging more than 50 per cent female apprentices for its 2021 intake, and supporting increasingly diverse recreational activities within communities it engages with.
The company’s approach to ensuring inclusion and diversity across all aspects of its operations was outlined in detail in early 2020 by Komatsu Australia president and managing director Sean Taylor.
At that time, Taylor pointed out that for Komatsu, inclusion and diversity, means that individual differences are recognised, respected and embraced as an opportunity to learn and enhance capability.
SAY AGAIN?
Say again? was first rolled out in August 2019, and designed to create a workplace environment that is safe, respectful and inclusive.
“This is incredibly important for the future success of our business and aligns with the values we all uphold,” Taylor said.
Komatsu recently refreshed Say again? to remind everyone in the company that they all have a part to play in building an inclusive workplace.
Say again? is a powerful tool to call out inappropriate comments and behaviour – with kindness and respect.
It builds on six “motivators” to encourage people to use Say Again? when it counts. These cover the following:
- Recognising what people say matters.
- Times are changing.
- Consideration of others.
- Giving people space to think again about their words.
- A “fix it first time” approach, so that potentially offensive comments can be dealt with before they escalate.
- Giving every Komatsu employee the right to call each other out.
“We want everyone at Komatsu to have the courage to use Say again? and everyone in the company to have the character to accept when they are being called out,” Taylor said.
“If everyone plays their part, we will move towards becoming the inclusive, innovative and winning organisation we want to be.”
MOST GENDER DIVERSE APPRENTICESHIPS INTAKE
In late 2020, Komatsu announced that its latest intake of 57 new apprentices included 29 females and 28 males.
“This is a clear indication of our ongoing commitment to diversity and ensuring we attract the best possible candidates to work with us at Komatsu,” Taylor said.
“In the years to come, these apprentices will play an important and ongoing role in the service and support capabilities we provide to customers.”
In 2019 and 2020, Komatsu began supporting two Queensland-based women’s sports organisations.
In Mackay, Central Queensland, the company came on board for the 2019-20 season to support the Komatsu Challenge Series: a T20 cricket competition played over eight rounds in a Mackay City versus Mackay Country format.
In the recent 2020-21 season , the matches were played under lights at Mackay’s Harrup Park on Friday nights.
An extra bonus that began this season was the ability to livestream the Komatsu Challenge Series matches through the Mackay Cricket Livestream Match Centre (mc-mca.sportzvault.com). This really helped generate interest in the competition, with Mackay currently the only regional centre in Australia to provide live coverage of women’s fixtures.
A new sponsor partnership in 2020 was also forged between Brisbane’s Wests Rugby Club and Komatsu.
Komatsu is committed to continue partnering with Wests and supporting the women’s rugby program into 2021 and will work with club officials to introduce the team to opportunities available with the Komatsu family. Future plans include tours of the company’s local operational facilities, the local team presenting opportunities to females in non-traditional roles and introducing players to Komatsu’s apprenticeship program.
“These initiatives to support community sports teams are part of Komatsu’s everyONE counts inclusion and diversity strategy,” Taylor said.
“We are very proud of our efforts to foster collaboration and inclusion, not only within Komatsu, but across the wider communities with which we engage.
“Today, diversity, in particular gender balance, is a critical issue for industrial companies globally – Komatsu included.
“For us, the key is to make our businesses more welcoming and attractive to women.
“This not only involves leadership to achieve cultural change, but also requires hard changes in human resources policy around recruitment, through to things like parental leave and flexible working hours,” Taylor said. •
For more information about the Say again? program, visit komatsu.com.au/company/careers-with-komatsu/why-work-at-komatsu
A free webinar on Say Again delivered by Sean Taylor is also available at quarry.com.au
Source: Komatsu Australia
