by Pamela Sherman

Aug 17, 2021

Applied Materials is committed to a culture of inclusion that promotes equity and belonging and empowers our people to bring their whole self to work. We are inspired by the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, knowing they help foster stronger and more resilient teams.

As the world continues to grapple with complex social challenges, we are doubling down on our multiyear strategic imperative to identify and eliminate systemic race and gender barriers and expanding our talent recruiting efforts at universities with large Black and Hispanic student populations. We’re helping build a pipeline of future talent through STEM education initiatives with colleges, universities and nonprofit partners serving middle school and high school students.

In support of these initiatives, Applied has joined a new group that is likewise committed to improving diversity and inclusion across industries. The Alliance for Global Inclusion is a coalition of industry peers founded by Dell Technologies, Intel, Nasdaq, NTT DATA and Snap Inc., that is combining the collective power and resources of our global organizations to bring inclusivity and equity to the workplace and align on a set of shared commitments and metrics to track progress.

Founded in April 2021, the Alliance for Global Inclusion is sponsoring research to encourage broader transparency around diversity and inclusion efforts, provide detailed best practices and highlight areas for improvement for all member companies. The coalition’s goals focus on four critical areas:

1. Leadership Representation: Develop representation guidance for board and senior executive roles reflective of customers and communities served.
2. Inclusive Language: Drive awareness, dialogue and industry-wide change for inclusive language in products and documentation, amplified through partnerships with standards bodies and academic institutions.
3. Inclusive Product Development: Commit to leveraging existing intervention points in artificial intelligence (AI) product development to mitigate bias and embed diversity, equity and inclusion considerations into the AI product lifecycle.
4. STEM Readiness in Underserved Communities: Improve STEM readiness for youth in underserved communities by increasing technology access and partnering with wrap-around support services.

To help ensure these goals are met, the alliance has launched a public Diversity & Inclusion Index that serves as a benchmark for companies to track diversity and inclusion improvements and share best practices across industries. The data was collected through a global survey of 13 major companies and will be updated twice a year to set a new standard for transparent reporting and provide member companies with the most accurate information. 

At Applied Materials, we believe that empowering our people to reach their full potential is vital to our vision to Make Possible® a Better Future. We must ensure that each individual has a fair and equal opportunity for development and advancement. We also believe that culture and workplace experiences help us attract and retain the best people and that our differences are our greatest strength as a global leader.

As our journey toward a fully actualized Culture of Inclusion continues, we will uphold our vow to broaden and sustain the diversity of our workplace, promote varied ideas and approaches, and build a culture that benefits everyone—our people, our customers and our stakeholders.

To learn more about Applied’s goals and progress in diversity and inclusion, please read our latest Sustainability Report.

Tags: Alliance for Global Inclusion, Diversity, Inclusion, sustainability, Equity, stem, Make Possible a Better Future, Culture of Inclusion