What Diversity, Equity and Inclusion means to us – and why it matters
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) are sources of great strength and areas of high priority at Dentsply Sirona.
We provide opportunities for and encourage all employees to bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the workplace. We embrace our diverse teams and celebrate their differences. Inspiring and empowering them to bring their whole selves to work. This approach encourages all employees to do their best work, bring new ideas to the table, drive innovation and create helpful solutions for our customers.
When we work toward a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, we go beyond. We challenge the status quo. And, as a result, we have a work environment that values every employee and nurtures their growth.
Diversity
The collective mixture of differences and similarities, for example, individual and organizational characteristics, values, beliefs, experiences, backgrounds, preferences, or behaviors.1
Equity
Fair treatment and equality of access to opportunity, information and resources, build through the identification and elimination of unfair biases, stereotypes or barriers that may inadvertently exclude underrepresented employees.1
Inclusion
The achievement of a work environment where all people feel respected, accepted, supported and valued, allowing all employees to fully participate in decision-making processes and development opportunities within an organization.1
1. Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Primer for 2023. Gartner, 14 February 2023.
Our Leaders on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion take real work and effort to achieve any level of success. It is a mindset we truly embrace at Dentsply Sirona, by not only talking about it, but also providing resources and taking actions as an organization to live our values and build a culture of respect for everyone, a culture where everyone is welcome and feels a sense of belonging, and a culture where everyone is safe to be their full self.”
Our Story
Dentsply Sirona has been at the forefront of innovation in the dental industry for over a century.
Dentsply Sirona’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council consists of diverse employees from around the world who champion DE&I initiatives inside our Company and externally in the communities where we live and work.
The Council’s top priority is to increase the awareness and impact of DE&I initiatives at Dentsply Sirona. An important part of that is enabling our leaders to discuss and be held accountable for driving sustainable and equitable outcomes for all employees.
Driving our DE&I Priorities
Demonstrate our commitment to diverse representation across the global workforce
Introduce programs that develop and source diverse talent
Build relationships with universities to create diverse and early career pipelines
Advance the efforts of the D&I Council
Evaluate current policies and processes to ensure they are inclusive
Benchmark challenge areas
Promote the establishment of and participation in Employee Resource Groups
Develop awareness to foster inclusion
Increase D&I education for leaders, hiring managers and individual contributors
Coach people managers to use performance development tools to drive inclusive behaviors and practices
Provide opportunities to accelerate internal talent
Mentoring, sponsorship and development programs
Measure employee experience at key milestones
Seek opportunities for continuous improvement
Ensure alignment with our culture
Our DE&I Goals
BEYOND is how we describe the way we’re taking action for a brighter world. It’s the name of our sustainability strategy and represents the way we go beyond the ordinary to improve lives around the world and create healthy smiles.
Diversity, equity and inclusion is woven into the fabric of our Company – BEYOND is the program that helps us turn our goals into reality. For example, we strive to:
Ensure progress on diversity action plans
Achieve global gender parity by 2025
Increase female & People of Color (POC) representation at the Director level and above
Demonstrate positive progress on employee engagement
Increase Employee Resource Group (ERG) participation
In 2021, Dentsply Sirona joined the Paradigm for Parity coalition – a movement of CEOs, senior executives, founders, board members and business academics who are committed to achieving a new norm in corporate leadership: one in which women and men have equal power, status and opportunity. Dentsply Sirona is confident that Paradigm for Parity will help drive long overdue change in the corporate world and reinforce our Company’s gender diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
After our employee Jennifer Nelson was featured as a 2021 Woman on the Rise by Paradigm for Parity, we congratulate Tiffany Readinger for being recognized as a 2022 Woman on the Rise. We're grateful for their dedication to gender equity. Both women broadened awareness of DE&I topics and fostered allyship through leadership of two of our largest Employee Resources Groups (ERGs) DS Women and BOLD (Black Organization for Leadership & Development).
Dentsply Sirona established the FirstTo50 program for our women Key Opinion Leaders because we believe we have a corporate role and responsibility to support representation of women in dentistry.
This program is one way we support the way educational programs and events are presented by balancing the representation of females that best reflect our collective dental community.
To foster gender equity, Dentsply Sirona’s Smart Integration Award recognizes female dentists and dental technicians from around the world who are working in a smartly integrated practice or lab and who offer their patients excellent, modern treatment solutions.
Establishing an international network of women in dentistry is a key focus of the Smart Integration Award. Winners have the opportunity to join an exclusive training program and exchange ideas with international colleagues as part of the Smart Integration Network.
Employee Resource Groups
The goal of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) is to foster diversity in the workplace, expand our Company’s DE&I footprint globally, and give our people access to diverse experiences and perspectives. They are voluntary support networks for employees who share similar backgrounds and interests. Any employee can join any ERG as a participant or ally supporting marginalized groups.
Our first two ERGs were established in 2020 and global participation to all seven ERGs grew to 2,201 members in 2023.
DS Women
DS Women supports women of Dentsply Sirona and helps them grow through allyship, mentorship, talent development and resource sharing. It’s also one of our primary advocacy groups for gender pay parity, which is a key priority and one of the flagship goals of our sustainability strategy BEYOND.
DS Able
DS Able serves individuals with different abilities and disabilities. The ERG strives to make a tangible difference in the dental and healthcare community by raising awareness of the challenges differently abled employees face. It also contributes to diverse recruiting pools for existing and open positions, and ensures our Company benefits from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
PRIDE
PRIDE is our ERG for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LBGTQ+) employees. PRIDE creates an environment that embraces and celebrates diversity in a wide range of sexual orientations, family arrangements, and gender identities. The ERG actively develops and supports its members through continuous learning, and inspires its members to reach their professional goals without fear of reprisal or discrimination of any kind.
DS Emerging Talent
DS Emerging Talent is dedicated to attracting, developing and retaining early-career talent. Employees participating in emerging talent programs, recent college graduates, employees with less than three years of professional experience and allies are all welcome. The ERG helps members establish professional relationships by providing engaging experiences, cultivating connections, and promoting personal and professional growth.
Asia Pacific Group
Asia Pacific Group grows fellowship among the Asian-Pacific community within Dentsply Sirona. The primary objective is to provide members the opportunity to celebrate their culture, discuss current events, and develop and advance their careers.
BOLD
BOLD connects and grows a tight-knit Black community and network of allies within Dentsply Sirona globally. It celebrates the uniqueness of its members and focuses on the cultural education, recruitment, and retention of Black employees.
DS Veterans
DS Veterans helps active-duty service members and veterans transition to a civilian work environment, while focusing on camaraderie and solidarity with anyone affected by past or present service. The ERG also works with local organizations to raise awareness of career opportunities for service members.