Inclusivity in the workplace is a key factor in establishing a company culture where employees feel safe, valued and like they belong.

To reflect the communities where they live, work, serve and build, DPR is comprised of diverse, talented individuals with a desire to change the world. In the U.S. and abroad, DPR prides itself on being a place where all are encouraged to thrive as their most authentic selves.

This month’s installment of Be a Pillar features three DPR employees who have worked in the U.S. and are now based out of DPR's international operations in South Korea, Switzerland and India. Hear how their unique experiences have influenced the way they view and leverage diversity in the workplace to create inclusivity, develop successful teams and enhance our company culture.

"To avoid challenges and resistance, we need to build diversity and inclusion into our thought processes to drive innovation, broaden our perspectives and develop sustainable strategies and solutions."

After spending the last 10 years working in South Korea/Asia, it is evident that the world has become much closer and connected. On average, the projects we work on consists of key stakeholders from various countries, multiple languages spoken in meetings, accommodating time zones and becoming educated on local industry practices and laws.

To avoid challenges and resistance, we need to build diversity and inclusion into our thought processes to drive innovation, broaden our perspectives and develop sustainable strategies and solutions. While we may not be able to fully understand and adapt to everyone's differences, it's important that we create a culture, framework and environment that allow our teams to be diverse to achieve success in our work.

"While working on a project in Visp, the heart of the Swiss Alps, it is amazing to see how a diverse project team can more easily solve problems by looking at it from varying angles, while also learning from other cultures and discovering new ways of working."

DPR's culture can be summarized by two of our central beliefs to “Respect the Individual” and a “Desire to Change the World," transcending barriers between countries and continents. Personally, I have found much success by implementing these two principles as a foundation for all I do in Switzerland, my primary location at this moment.

While working on a project in Visp, the heart of the Swiss Alps, it is amazing to see how a diverse project team can more easily solve problems by looking at it from varying angles, while also learning from other cultures and discovering new ways of working. For example, due to our location, we must make sure we have site supervisors that can speak both German and French to make sure field communications are achieved.

"My favorite part about working on such a diverse team is being able to collaborate with people from various cultures, backgrounds and engage in enriching discussions that lead to conclusions and decisions which are well-rounded, holistic and effective."

Diversity starts with acknowledging and resisting our familiarity biases and learning to respect people who come from different backgrounds and cultures. As an employee based in India who frequently interfaces with team members in the USA, it does not go unnoticed when DPR leadership and project teams recognize cultural festivals of significance, such as Diwali, and schedule meetings around those events.

At vConstruct (a strategic partner of DPR), we continually strive to become more inclusive, as it is a microcosm of diversity represented by a 400+ workforce made up of 1/3 women and 2/3 men from 100 different cities and 15+ different languages. My favorite part about working on such a diverse team is being able to collaborate with people from various cultures, backgrounds and engage in enriching discussions that lead to conclusions and decisions which are well-rounded, holistic and effective.

As part of DPR's commitment to Global Social Responsibility, the People pillar supports its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to create a diverse and inclusive workplace environment that reflects the communities where we work, live and build.

To continue building awareness around the need to improve diversity and inclusion in the construction industry, DPR is chairing this year's annual Construction Inclusion Week (CIW) from October 17-21, 2022. CIW aims to foster conversations that create alignment and push further on this journey of inclusivity for the industry overall.

Visit Construction Inclusion Week’s website for more information.