Throughout the week of October 17 – October 21, Gilbane will continue our annual practice of highlighting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging through a dedicated week of activities, information sharing, and dialogue. Our employee resource groups (ERGs) will lead conversations around unconscious bias, the importance of allyship, and sharing personal stories on belonging. We are sharing toolbox talks for our project sites and leading companywide discussions all focused on advancing inclusion and diversity.
Participating in Construction Inclusion Week allows individual construction companies to be a part of the change. Daily themes for 2022 include:
10/17 – Commitment & Accountability
10/18 – Belonging
10/19 – Supplier Diversity
10/20 – Workplace Culture
10/21 – Community Engagement
Why is Inclusion & Diversity so Important?
The world is changing faster than it has ever before. How we work, how we think, how we integrate, and how we succeed are more important now than ever. Millennials are currently the largest generation in our workforce, and they are challenging us to think and act in ways unimagined only years ago. They are motivated to make an impact and drive social change. The values they bring to the workplace are reshaping our culture. We know that an inclusive and diverse workforce stimulates innovation, creativity, problem-solving, productivity, and effectiveness. There is a need to connect with the communities in which our employees and our customers work and live.
What Are We Doing to Advance Inclusion & Diversity at Gilbane?
Earlier this year, we launched Gilbane’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) journey to build a better future for our entire family of employees and for the communities in which we live and work for and generations to come. Using an integrated ESG platform that leverages Gilbane’s resources, we have outlined goals, strategies, and commitments to deepen our opportunity for impact – including a comprehensive plan focused on promoting an inclusive work environment at Gilbane through bias mitigation and creating environments that are both physically and psychological safe at Gilbane.
Five Pillars of Focus
We have established an Inclusion & Diversity strategic plan by listening to the voices of many at all levels of the organization, including our employee resource groups and leaders across the company. Our plan is focused on five pillars of focus:
- Leadership Commitment & Accountability: Create focused accountability at all levels of leadership through inclusive leadership and a working environment where everyone feels that they belong.
- A More Inclusive Work Environment: Integrate inclusion as a core element of Gilbane’s culture, rooting out bias and incorporating inclusion in processes and systems through all aspects of the organization, driving an individual sense of empowerment and accountability for inclusion among all employees, promoting and increasing allyship, and expanding the role of ERGs.
- Greater Workforce Diversity: Increase the diversity of Gilbane’s workforce at all experience levels through targeted recruiting strategies and accelerate the development of diverse professionals to increase retention and leadership diversity.
- Improving Economic Inclusion: Increase diverse business and workforce participation by developing Economic Inclusion Program frameworks and project-level plans. Achieve $4 Billion in awards over five years to minority, women, veteran, disadvantaged, and LGBTE firms.
- Enhancing our Community Involvement: Establish a community involvement program with clear leadership support.
An Outcome of Belonging
We believe inclusion is about creating a place of safety, where people can share the best of their authentic selves and speak up without fear of embarrassment, or retaliation and to feel empowered to grow and do one’s best. It is about creating connection, harnessing our diverse strengths, and treating everyone equitably and with respect. When we create a workplace where people feel they belong, we believe our people will thrive and develop, feel productive, and enjoy a truly positive work environment.
