CHICAGO, Aug. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Heidrick & Struggles (NASDAQ: HSII), a premier provider of executive search, leadership consulting and culture shaping worldwide, has joined the Paradigm for Parity® coalition, pledging its commitment to gender parity in corporate leadership by 2030.

"Our Paradigm for Parity commitment builds on the strides we've made to support the professional development of women in our firm," said President and CEO Krishnan Rajagopalan. "We are committed to creating a firm as diverse as the world we live in to better support our business and our clients."

Heidrick & Struggles joins more than 50 companies committed to "creating a world where women and men have equal power, status and opportunity."

"Aligning with the core mission of Paradigm for Parity is consistent with our firm's purpose—to help our clients change the world one leadership team at a time," said Heidrick & Struggles Chairman Tracy Wolstencroft. "This includes partnering with our clients to identify, attract and develop highly qualified women leaders as well as to help them foster fully inclusive and high-performing organizations. It begins by exemplifying these same practices inside our own firm."     

Paradigm for Parity® provides a five-step action plan based on research and best practices, outlining actions that help to mobilize change and enable companies to increase the number of women of all backgrounds in leadership positions. The five steps are:

• Eliminating or minimizing unconscious bias in the workplace;
• Significantly increasing the number of women in senior operating roles, with the near-term goal of at least 30% representation in all leadership groups;
• Measuring targets and maintaining accountability by providing regular progress reports;
• Basing career progress on business results and performance, rather than physical presence in the office; and
• Providing sponsors, not just mentors, to women well positioned for long-term success.

Heidrick & Struggles has established a number of initiatives and forums designed primarily to help attract and retain talented women and to further the development of women leaders within the firm, including:

• Mentoring@Heidrick – which fosters professional relationships between motivated and talented mentors and mentees, and provides formal and informal learning experiences, career development, and path-to-partner and inclusiveness strategies.
• Heidrick Women – an employee resource group which provides access to mentoring, career coaching and webinars that address the unique challenges for professional women.
• Creating a Great Parenthood Experience – which includes several programs for employees before, during and after parental leave, helping to ensure smooth transitions.
• U.S. Parental Leave Policy – a gender-neutral policy recently expanded to offer employees more paid leave time. The benefit includes paid leave up to 16 weeks for primary caregivers and eight weeks for non-primary caregivers.

About Heidrick & Struggles:
Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) serves the executive talent and leadership needs of the world's top organizations as a premier provider of leadership consulting, culture shaping and senior-level executive search services. Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of executive search more than 60 years ago. Today, the firm serves as a trusted advisor, providing integrated leadership solutions and helping its clients change the world, one leadership team at a time. www.heidrick.com.

Media Contact:
Alex Brown - +1 312.496.1871
abrown@heidrick.com

SOURCE Heidrick & Struggles