ADM plans to hire more women in Asia

Archer Daniels Midland Co, a US-based human and animal nutrition company, will keep highlighting female employees' roles across its businesses via DE&I (diversity, equality and inclusion)-themed programs in both China and the Asia-Pacific region in the coming years, said a corporate official.

In addition to the current workplace cultures, all organizations face harsh realities brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Alyssa Wang, director of human resources for the group's APAC region.

"We need to be intentional in how we support, retain and advance women. Continuing professional development and further providing learning and growing opportunities to female professionals are always key," she said.

"The growth of China's high-quality economy has created a great opportunity for women," she said. "When the opportunity comes, women should better be ready for it. Lifelong learning, effective communication, and right attitude toward failures are essential to success."

After years of growth in both China and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, ADM's female staff representation has reached 25 percent. At the leadership level and senior professional level, women make up about 30 percent, according to its corporate data.

"Another factor showing our DE&I achievement is the cultural diversity. In APAC, there are 13 senior leaders holding seven different passports, which ensures our decisions are based on diverse opinions from people with different cultural backgrounds," she said.

Eager to enhance its overall growth, ADM, also an agricultural supply chain manager and processor, will conduct a human resource project for its employees by reaching two behavior goals this year. One of these goals is related to the DE&I strategy, its tasks including building a diverse team and internal equality, as well as building an inclusive culture.

From the corporate level, Wang said the company plans to increase the overall representation of women in the organization.

"For example, how can we influence women to join the animal nutrition business, which is not as attractive as the human nutrition business, and how can we recruit more female employees in India," she said.

About 6.4 percent of listed companies in China had women chief executives in 2021, higher than the average of 5.2 percent in developed countries, said a study released by Morgan Stanley Capital International in early March.

The study found that the number of women on the boards of directors in China rose to 13.8 percent last year.