Human Rights Commission follows up with Siemens after gendered phrasing in recruitment letter

The City of Urbana Human Rights Commission on July 21 received a follow-up report about language in a Siemens good-faith efforts letter that commission members said appeared to categorize jobs by gender.

Tom, speaking for commission staff, said he contacted Siemens' human resources representative after the May recertification raised concerns. He said the HR representative described the phrasing as anecdotal material gathered from recruiters and that she "understood immediately why there was some concern and some questions." Tom quoted the HR representative as saying, "And I might even reach out to you if I hear some new things that would be worth worth sharing." The staff member told commissioners the representative welcomed feedback and would consider alternative wording for future reports.

Commission discussion focused on inclusive recruiting language. Tom relayed suggested alternatives, including phrasing that would encourage broader applicant pools for roles that historically draw different genders (for example, suggesting more men in office roles or more women for construction roles as recruitment strategies rather than labeling jobs by gender). He also noted Siemens' work on building automation (locks, lighting and robotic systems) to explain the company's staffing needs and why some job descriptions may have been mischaracterized.

No formal corrective action was recorded at the meeting; commissioners thanked staff for following up and indicated they expect the revised language to appear in a future report or recertification package.