FROM CARS TO PLANES, GKN technology is making a difference to people’s lives in almost every corner of the world. Every time you travel by road or air, no matter the vehicle maker, there is a good chance that GKN is helping you on your way. GKN designs, manufactures and services systems and components for original equipment manufacturers around the world. Founded more than 250 years ago, it has adapted, developed and grown into a £7.7 billion business at the forefront of global technology. A network of 56,000 people in more than 30 countries offers customers an unrivaled breadth of technology, geographic footprint and experience.

Innovation at its heart

This global engineering group keeps innovation at its heart by continuously evolving, pioneering new technologies and reinventing existing ones, and striving to improve in everything it does. GKN aims to deliver the best technology today and develops innovative technologies for the future. Global trends, such as emissions legislation, the drive for efficient vehicles, urbanisation and population growth, are at the heart of its technology investment, working with customers to deliver electric and hybrid vehicles, lightweight materials, fuel-efficient systems and cost effective solutions to help them stay ahead. GKN also focuses on the new and exciting world of Additive Manufacturing, a high priority manufacturing technology that requires cross-divisional activity and cooperation across a network of Centres of Excellence globally.

A diversity journey

As a global engineering company, innovation is what differentiates GKN and is central to its success. A balance of cultures, ethnicities and genders help bring new ideas and creativity. It needs people of different backgrounds, with different skills and perspectives to spark originality, imagination and creativeness in teams around the world. With locations in more than 30 countries, speaking 27 different languages, GKN is undoubtedly global but in 2015, with females accounting for only 13 per cent of its employees, it launched its Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Programme, setting a goal that by 2020 the gender and ethnic diversity within the leadership team will be at least 20 per cent.

A Group-wide D&I team was established with each division creating its own tailored diversity and inclusion action plan. All senior leaders attended D&I awareness training sessions in 2015, and 2016 saw these rolled out to every employee across the Group. D&I is part of the company’s strategic objectives and delivery of the strategic objectives is linked to the bonus scheme for the leadership population. Flexible working pilots have been rolled out and the Group’s intranet contains an array of information to help raise awareness of the importance of D&I, answer questions and share information. More initiatives are planned and the Group is pushing ahead to achieve its target. 

Women in engineering

Often seen as a male-dominated industry, the engineering sector faces particular challenges in recruiting women, and GKN is committed to promoting Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and career opportunities among female students.

Targeted career fairs, job opportunities, leadership development and mentorship programs have been created for female engineers and business leaders across all levels and some of its senior female executives have recently won industrial global leadership awards. GKN is also playing a key role in a new programme led by the Royal Academy of Engineering in London which aims to increase the number of under-represented groups in engineering. 

Join the talented women at GKN

This international engineering business offers challenging and rewarding roles across multiple disciplines, and opportunities to develop professional, technical and leadership career paths. Discover more about the wide range of exciting opportunities at GKN today.