Methodology

Scientifically sound analysis with practical recommendations for implementation.

The Women Career Index lets numbers speak for themselves.

As a measuring instrument, FKi documents the development of employees through the different career levels and shows individual strengths and weaknesses of the company. On the basis of the FKi analyses, measures taken so far to create more permeability for diversity can be checked for their effectiveness and focused recommendations for implementation can be derived.

The index model

The Women’s Career Index – consisting of a questionnaire and an evaluation model – can be used by any company and enables the comparison of companies of different sizes and sectors.

The index is divided into three sub-indices. They have been identified by the FKi as core drivers for the development of women in companies and are called: status and dynamics, commitment and framework conditions.

Using the extensive questionnaire, which contains clusters of questions on the individual sub-indices and is filled in by the company, the company can be analysed with regard to the relevant core drivers, strengths and weaknesses can be shown and the most effective measures can be identified.

Using the comprehensive questionnaire, which contains clusters of questions on the individual sub-indices and is completed by the company, the company can be analysed with regard to the relevant core drivers and strengths and weaknesses highlighted as well as the most effective measures identified.

Sub-index A Status & Dynamics:

This part documents the current status and the actual development of the company. It includes structured gender reporting to determine how many women are represented at which levels, where career steps are successfully taken and where the proportion of women remains consistently low. To this end, the company provides specific information on the number of employees, including the proportion of women by age group, fluctuation, management positions or part-time employees in management positions, etc.

Sub-index B Commitment

The Commitment sub-index represents the strength of intentions and the ability to implement them in the company. How seriously does the company take the issue of diversity? This part includes all measures that support the situation of women and men and their careers. These include personnel development and family-related measures (filling and promotion to management positions, promotion of part-time employees, measures and communication internally, exchange of promotional measures, etc.).

The sub-index B is a very strong indicator of the willingness of the enterprise to change. Many companies are working in particular on the question of how the often very strong commitment of the board of directors can be credibly communicated within the organisation and successfully implemented.

Sub-index C Framework conditions

This third part defines what is feasible in the short term and the framework within which implementation takes place. Here the figures determined are embedded in the company-specific context. The respective existing framework conditions of a company provide information about the actual effectiveness of the measures and the speed with which success can be achieved. This framework is therefore decisive for the future development opportunities of the company and for the speed of implementation.

The cluster of questions concerning the framework conditions includes, among other things, questions concerning staffing processes and measures for women and men equally.

Company comparison and benchmarking

The FKi ranking includes all participating FKi companies and thus provides an overview of where your company ranks in the company comparison. With a superordinate comparison of all companies, developments and trends – also sector-specific – can be derived. At an annual event, the current results are presented to the public and the FKi Award is presented to honour the efforts of the participants. Your participation is possible anonymously or publicly.

More about the advantages for companies

Individual potential analysis

The individual company analysis forms the starting point for concrete recommendations for action. Presented in a clear dashboard, the FKi evaluations provide information about the successes your company has already achieved, which efforts have the desired effect and which measures should be adapted or abandoned if necessary.

The index provides you as a decision-maker with reliable KPI figures and supports objective and fact-based discussion within the company and among the public.

Would you like to learn more about us?

We would be pleased to send you further information. Or you can arrange a personal telephone conversation with us.

FAQs

The companies receive an extensive catalogue of questions. For each sub-index there are different clusters of questions on the structure of employees and management, on personnel development, on communication on equality issues, and on goals and measures. Points are awarded for achievements, goals, activities and measures.

Index values between O and 100 are possible, whereby 100 represents the best possible index value. The questionnaire is usually completed by the personnel managers. It is designed in such a way that topics are illuminated in a variety of ways. Therefore, it is often not necessary to answer each individual question to obtain sufficient information and evaluation material.

Together with social and economic scientists from DIW and TU Berlin, the FKi analyzed and evaluated theoretical and empirical studies on the career advancement of women in companies worldwide. In addition, numerous interviews were conducted with personnel directors or personnel officers in various companies. In a second step, the various statistical methods were screened and it was discussed to what extent they could be used in such a sophisticated set of instruments. On the basis of these preliminary studies and with the help of a pretest, the actual set of instruments was then developed in several stages over two years (2012-2014).

The FKi was developed in cooperation with

Dr. Joachim Scharioth, managing partner of JoScha Kulturprojekte gGmbH and since 1969 active in applied research, the development of empirically based strategies for companies and public bodies with a focus on technology and society. He was managing director of TNS and is the developer of the TRI:M Index and author of scientific books and articles on index development and corporate governance.
Mr. Uwe Braun and Prof. Dr. Stefan Tuschl, founders of the komma research and consulting company, whose main focus is, in addition to classical market research, consulting and implementation of sophisticated statistical analyses and modelling.

The index model first allows the company to make an individual analysis of its internal situation regarding its efforts to bring more women into leadership. Progress and developments can be derived from repeated participation in the FKi.

In the course of its investigations, the FKi has already identified 46 concrete measures and can make reliable statements about possible applications and effectiveness in your company. The open exchange of information as well as in-depth explorations carried out as required provide important personal impressions from practice in addition to the data collected, thus expanding the scope for action to achieve the goals set by the company.

If you are interested in obtaining an index, please contact us. We will determine your individual needs in a conversation and submit an adapted offer. You will then receive a questionnaire which you can fill in and return to us. This data is used for your company-specific analysis as well as for a comparison. You also decide whether you wish to participate anonymously or publicly in the overall ranking of FKi companies.

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