Sidenor rolls out a strategy to boost the presence of women throughout the company’s entire value chain

Sidenor, a leading producer of special long steels, has launched a strategy to boost the presence of women throughout the company’s entire value chain. It is one of almost 500 businesses which took part in the survey on the Impact of women on industrial competitiveness conducted by the SPRI Group in 2023, emerging with one of the best scores in terms of the equality index and also of competitiveness.

Most of the company’s departments have a good gender balance. Some particularly positive gender balance results emerged in technical departments such as R+D, ICTs and Sales, a situation observed in only 13%, 7% and 15% of businesses taking the survey, respectively.

The company has a workforce of almost 1,800. Sustainability throughout the entire value chain, processes and operations is now one of the company’s strategic focuses.

Aware that the iron/steelmaking industry has traditionally been a male-dominated sector, it has rolled out a strategy to boost the presence of women throughout the company’s entire value chain, mainly at shop level, as one of its major challenges. Equality is a strategic objective for the company: it is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, and has a Code of Ethics which lays down its commitment and conviction in relation to gender equality and non-discrimination. The main initiatives to boost the presence of women in the workforce are the “High Potentials” programme, seeking to draw on the talent of people who have the capacity to undertake responsibility and boost their polyvalence; the “Avanza Plan” targeting individual action plans agreed with employees to further their promotion at the company, and the “Bideratu” programme seeking to home in on the role of facilitator, focusing on production staff to boost decision-making and management skills.

It has also been involved in initiatives such as INSPIRA STEAM alongside the university of DEUSTO, which seeks to transmit and boost women’s scientific and technical vocations; dual training schemes for women, enabling it to create a pool of future professional practitioners, especially women, or INDUSTRIA ERRONKA to bring the iron/steelmaking industry to places of education “so that they can gain access from below, from first base, for them to consider it as an employment option. Industry is one of the jewels of Basque GDP, and it must be maintained by guaranteeing its sustainability and by boosting the presence of women”, says Sara Jainaga, Head of Sustainability.

They believe it is essential to continue working alongside the administration, and so they particularly appreciate the survey carried out by SPRI, Impact of women on industrial competitiveness, and are well aware of how important it is to help businesses attract female talent, to continue to bring technical professions to women, point out examples of empowered women in the industrial sector, and concentrate on “overcoming taboos in relation to industry as unsightly, ponderous, and a man’s thing. Industry 4.0 now allows many tasks to be carried out on a computer. Technology, digitalisation and automation are providing the chance of highly qualified, high added-value jobs, and are demonstrating that industry is increasingly moving away from the concept of greasy grey overalls”, claims Jainaga.

Companies such as Sidenor, which has difficulty moving forward with teleworking when 80% of its employees work in the production plant, choose to put the emphasis on the culture of collaboration and direct communication. They believe that one-on-one makes communication easier, it also eases problem-solving, and improves cohesion among teams. They underline the importance of family/work policies to boost employee flexibility and satisfaction. “Everything related to flexible working hours and care leave is much appreciated by employees with small children. This ultimately boosts people’s welfare and satisfaction in their working environment, and encourages them to work better and more competitively because they have a greater commitment to the company”, says Jainaga.

Sidenor aims to involve all areas of the company in this commitment to equality, and to encourage women to be part and parcel of all of them. It announced its intentions in the first Equality Plan, which was launched in 2017 (even before it was made compulsory by law) and approved in 2018. This vision has now led to approval of its second Equality Plan, which will be in force up to 2028. “We are convinced of the need for equal opportunities. Sidenor will not desist – we have a general duty as a company, and we must all support each other to make industry increasingly attractive to women”, says Sara Jainaga.