Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day at Vaisala: A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

On October 10, Ada Lovelace Day, Vaisala celebrates the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) while also reflecting on our ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

“At Vaisala, we believe that diversity fuels innovation. Ada Lovelace Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women in STEM and to inspire future generations”, said Kristiina Palmu, Talent Acquisition Partner at Vaisala.

The DEI journey at Vaisala

In 2021, Vaisala established a DEI program group as part of our culture development program. One of the most significant achievements in 2022 was the internal launch of our DEI strategy. This strategy defines our DEI vision and outlines the means to achieve it.

“We strive to become a DEI leader in the technology field. Our goal is for our people to reflect our customer base and the societies we work in. At Vaisala, everyone is welcome as they are: our values, innovation, and curiosity are what unite us”, described Paige LaFlamme, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Vaisala, the vision behind the strategy.

Focus on wage equality

Vaisala has also made strides in wage equality. A wage survey conducted in 2022 showed that women’s wages were on average 94% of men’s wages on the same job requirement level for managers and professionals and 104% of men’s wages for production employees.

“We did not find any systematic, unexplainable differences in the wages between genders,” said LaFlamme. “However, we will investigate the causes of the observed differences further during 2023.”

Measuring progress: The DEI index

Moreover, we are proud to share that the DEI index in our employee survey 2022 was 4.2, up from 4.1 last year. This indicates that our employees’ experience of equity and inclusion has improved. However, we recognize that there’s still work to be done as the improvement was less significant among employees identifying themselves as minorities. Therefore, we aim to pay more attention to improving the experience of inclusion within different minorities.

Employee Resource Groups: fostering inclusivity

Building on our latest DEI initiative launched in September 2023, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) play a crucial role in our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace. ERGs are voluntary, employee-led communities that bring together individuals who share common interests, backgrounds, or experiences. These groups serve as a cornerstone of our mission to create a workplace where every employee feels valued and empowered. By engaging with our ERGs, we aim to address the specific needs and challenges faced by different minority groups within our organization, further enhancing the inclusivity and equity of our workplace.

On this Ada Lovelace Day, let’s celebrate not only the achievements of women in STEM but also the strides we’ve made towards creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace at Vaisala.