Young child riding on her fathers back.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

Equity and inclusion unlock the power of diversity

  • We know that people with different experiences, racial and ethnic backgrounds, ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, personalities, styles, and ways of thinking help us better understand the needs of 3M customers, suppliers, and community partners around the world.

    Recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce is a core part of 3M’s sustainability strategy. In addition, we’re committed to advancing equity across our organization at all levels and to creating an inclusive culture where all feel welcome.


Progress toward our DEI goals

  • Icon of a person becoming two symbolizing doubling.
    From 32.6% to 45.1% toward our goal of 65.2% to:

    Double the pipeline of diverse talent in management globally to build a diverse workforce by 20301

  • Icon of two people side by side.
    From 8.13% to 9.02% toward our goal of 16.2% to:

    Double the representation of underrepresented groups from entry-level through management in our U.S. workforce2,3,4

  • Icon of two people side by side.
    From 5.55% to 6.39% toward our goal of 11.2% to:

    Double the representation of underrepresented groups in management positions in our U.S. workforce2,3,4

  • Icon of the equality symbol.
    100% of our goal to:

    Maintain or achieve 100% pay equity globally2

  1. In 2021, 3M updated the goal maturity date to 2030 from 2025. See 3M's 2021 Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report (PDF, 2.2 MB) for more details.
  2. Established in 2020 to drive trend and trajectory progress over time.
  3. 2020 is the baseline measurement year.
  4. Underrepresented groups in our 3M U.S. workforce include Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino employees.

Key impacts in 2022
  • REAL Allyship

    We included REAL (Reflect, Empathize, Act, Learn) Allyship training in our all-employee Learning Tracks course. Over 70,000 employees interacted with this module. Adding it into Learning Tracks underscores that allyship and inclusion are core tenets of 3M culture.  

  • Inclusive culture

    While our flexible work options have been very popular among our employees, we acted on certain challenges that arose from working in a virtual or hybrid format and how it may change the dynamics of an inclusive culture. We addressed these issues by updating our Respectful Workplace Principle, which we renamed the Respectful Work Environment Principle (PDF, 155.8 KB).

  • Enhanced recruitment

    We continue to advance our efforts in hiring, retaining, and developing talent that reflects the demographics of broader workforce availability. To help us monitor our progress and provide transparency, we share an internal quarterly scorecard of our progress on the global Diversity Index and hiring metrics, as well as data on supplier diversity and community investments.

  • Community outreach

    The 3M Community Coalition is a group of diverse leaders from across Minneapolis and St. Paul. Formed in 2020, it helps guide our $50 million investment with a focus on racial equity challenges in St. Paul. The coalition’s input guided our decision to invest in students’ basic needs, expand our internal equity initiatives, and leverage 3M’s assets and competencies to advance equity.


Additional information


Three women smiling and showing off henna tattoos on their hands.

Visit our DEI Report to learn about our impact in 2022

Visit 3M’s Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) report