• Siemens works on the initiatives GROW2GLOW and GLOW@Technology & Innovation
• PRESTIGE and the power of women-ambassadors of company culture

Every year, on March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day and pays tribute to all the personal and professional achievements of women. This date carries an expressive charge symbolizing the importance of women, but it is not the only day, in which they must be valued, assisted, and stimulated to grow. The Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria shares the belief that developing the potential, learning and the acquiring of new knowledge and skills, and investing in ourselves, is a permanent process that is not limited to a day. Our member companies share the same opinion; many of them develop internal corporate programs to support women. Practice shows that these are working models whose results are beneficial not only to women but also to the organizations themselves.

CWBB is delighted to partner with such an internal corporate program through the “Women Talents in Business – The Incredible You” forum. CWBB co-organizes it with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, which develops the Women@Work internal resources group. Acknowledgment for the effectiveness and meaning of such forums was the first place it won in the “Investor in Human Capital” category at the Annual Corporate Responsibility Awards organized by the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum.

Today, we present to you how two of the founding companies of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria invest in their female employees, how they show them that they value the capital and the potential they bring and how they stimulate them to advance.

Siemens and its initiatives GROW2GLOW and GLOW@Technology & Innovation

As a highly responsible company, Siemens has developed various programs to support its employees. One of them is GROW2GLOW – an internal coaching organization that acts as a flexible, self-organized network that promotes the professional growth of women in the company. Siemens professionals, from a variety of areas, who are qualified coaches, whose main purpose is to support their female colleagues in their professional and personal development, take part in GROW2GLOW.
GROW2GLOW is based on the belief that everyone is an expert in managing their own lives and has the necessary skills to overcome the obstacles in their lives. The initiative supports women at Siemens, helping them gain clarity about their challenges and goals. For this purpose coaching sessions are organized and different coaching techniques are used, on the basis of which those who requested a consultation prepare their strategy, and the next steps and actions.
The initiative was launched in 2016 and is supported by Yanina Kugel, Human Resources Director and Member of the Board of Siemens AG. At present GROW2GLOW has more than 140 coaches from around the world, their number is growing constantly.

The second initiative aimed at female employees at Siemens is GLOW@Technology & Innovation. Global Leadership for Women (GLOW@CT) is part of Siemens’s Corporate Technologies Unit, which is engaged in research and innovation. The initiative was set up in 2010. The main purpose of GLOW@CT is to attract talented young ladies interested in technology to Siemens’ research unit and to promote and support the career development of women already working in this field.
GLOW@CT helps women realize their potential and use it. That’s why the initiative encourages women to define their professional goals more clearly and actively, to develop and acquire leadership skills. For this purpose, GLOW@CT offers courses and programs, trainings and seminars to acquire leadership skills, tailored to future trends and Siemens’ overall strategy for digitization.

The power of women-ambassadors of company culture at PRESTIGE

PRESTIGE is one of the largest employers in Veliko Tarnovo and the region, with more than 550 people working for the company. We are proud that 65% of all employees in the company are women and 50% are women in high management positions.

In PRESTIGE, we value diversity and give the possibility of expression to men and women, to people of different nationalities and different experience – people with 15-20 years of experience and young people, who have just graduated from school or university, work here together. In PRESTIGE we believe that diversity contributes to the creativity of our team, to our entrepreneurship and to the team spirit of winners!

The strongest competitive advantage for PRESTIGE, which affects efficiency and success, is our spirit and corporate culture. The winning spirit is a pulling force for talent. It unites and empowers people to overcome every obstacle, in a better way than their competitors, giving them the possibility for expression, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.

Ambassadors, key team members, were chosen among PRESTIGE employees. They have to explain why it is important to build an effective corporate culture. Informal leaders have been involved, who can demonstrate, freely and rationally, the behavior based on the principles of efficiency, productivity and trust. Changing corporate culture is a very long process and requires vision, but also concrete actions, unwavering faith, persistence and uncompromising decisions. Company culture does not happen by defining several values ​​and principle on paper. In PRESTIGE we live it daily. It is not difficult if one truly believes in the principles he is talking about. We present to you a part of the Women Ambassadors at PRESTIGE and their messages for a “full life of honesty, justice and human dignity” based on the principles of efficiency, productivity and trust.

Anna Popova – Human Resources and Administration Specialist
AMBASSADOR on the topic of EFFICIENCY
Her message
“I believe that one of the most encouraging things is the unmistakable ability of a person to change their lives through conscious efforts. Applying the principles of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, we can achieve what we dream of.”

 

 

 

 

Tamara Papikian – Regional Sales Manager
AMBASSADOR on the topic of PRODUCTIVITY
Her message
“We can achieve exceptional productivity by:
1. Determining what is important to you;
2. Identifying our roles in life and setting our goals;
3. Focusing our time and attention on the important things;
4. Using the available technological possibilities;
5. Devoting time to yourself. ”

 

 

Tihomira Geneva – Junior Technologist Development of New Products

AMBASSADOR on the topic of TRUST
Her message
“Trust is a collection of personal qualities, competencies and character. Creating trust is an important two-way process. It is built up by people, by their actions and relationships. The degree of trust between people affects their overall work and their effectiveness. Trust is the result of intense efforts.
The key message on the topic is that trust is cumulative and spreads, by starting from us first, just as the drop forms waves, after falling into the water.”