People

Diversity and Inclusion

Henry Ford saw the wisdom of creating a diverse work force, long before such a concept was embraced by other business leaders. A century later, we continue to attract a highly skilled work force that reflects diversity across culture, ethnicity, race, perspective, age, religion, physical ability and sexual orientation. We are committed to the advancement of women and minorities in our operations.

Throughout the history of Ford Motor Company, inclusion has been as much a part of the company’s success as the products our diverse employee base has created. Ford is a leader in diversity and inclusion, and both remain key business strategies. Our diversity makes us a better and stronger company, by bringing in fresh ideas, perspectives, experiences and life responsibilities, and by fostering a truly collaborative workplace.

In 2013, approximately 27 percent of our U.S. work force (including both hourly and salaried) were members of minority groups and 22 percent were female. Among our global salaried work force, 74 percent were male and 26 percent were female. Among managerial positions globally (defined as middle management and above), 17 percent were female. More information on our U.S. work force by minority groups and gender can be found in our Engagement and Community data.

On our 16-member board of directors, two are women and two are members of minority groups. Of our 42 corporate officers, four are women and eight identify themselves as minorities.

In recent years, Ford has received hundreds of diversity awards from a wide variety of publications and organizations that recognize the value we place on building a diverse and inclusive culture. Our employees also recognize Ford’s efforts in this area. According to our 2013 Pulse survey, 87 percent of our workers globally believe Ford’s management is committed to diversity. This is up from 86 percent in 2012 and is one of the highest scores on Pulse survey topics. On the global hourly survey, 71 percent responded favourably to the question: “Having a diverse work force contributes to the company’s success.”

If we want to continue delivering market-leading features and technologies that will appeal to an increasingly diverse customer base, we must ourselves reflect that diversity. Serving a global customer base requires employees with different viewpoints and perspectives, all working together as members of a skilled and motivated team.

In the U.S., for example, female buyers are outpacing males among the millennial generation – the first time that has ever happened. Women account for 55 percent of all millennial purchasers, compared to 40 percent among the baby boomer generation. Our research indicates that women in key developing markets will follow, resulting in millions more female customers around the globe.

At Ford, we are focusing on women as a key demographic as we launch our biggest product expansion in our history – 23 new or significantly refreshed vehicles to market in 2014, including 16 in North America. We especially need talented women to develop and market our vehicles if we want to reach this key demographic.