Stellantis says its remote work policy boosted ranks of women in top jobs

Remote and hybrid work options don’t just keep workers happy, they also help attract and retain female talent.

Stellantis chief human resources and transformation officer Xavier Chereau said in an interview Wednesday that the company’s work-from-home policy has helped the automaker boost the number of women in its ranks, particularly at the top.

As of December, women held 27% of leadership positions at Stellantis, up from 24% a year earlier. The company has said it hopes to have women in 30% of its leadership positions by 2025. Four of its 14 car brands are run by female chief executive officers, including Peugeot and Chrysler.

Elsewhere, companies are losing senior level women due to burnout and child-care burdens. Recent high-profile resignations include YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and Meta Platforms Chief Business Officer Marne Levine.

Chereau said gender parity is “a pillar of our HR policy.” On Wednesday, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares signed a United Nations commitment to gender equality.

Stellantis said in October its work-from-home policy, allowing those who don’t directly work on cars or other products to work remotely 70% of the time, had become permanent even though many other companies have been requiring workers to be back in offices more since the end of COVID-19 lockdowns. At the time, Chereau said the shift to remote work during the pandemic was “a terrific opportunity to simplify operations, work differently and rethink relations to others.” The CEO, Tavares, works from his home in Portugal around one week a month.

Surveys have consistently found that women, who often take on more caregiving and domestic responsibilities, prefer remote work. Though, it’s not without its potential career downsides.

Companies have been split on their approach to remote work since the pandemic. Some have adapted their policies while others are pushing workers to return to offices full or part-time.