Global Diversity Month
DPR exists to build great things, and that includes great teams, great projects, great people, great relationships and a great place to work. Our talented pool of employees live and work around the globe, and they all share a desire to change the world. Each of them brings a unique and valuable perspective to work.
In recognition of October as Global Diversity Awareness Month, Be a Pillar hears from 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. Global Diversity Awareness Month honors diverse thought and celebrates inclusion.
Read about our colleagues’ unique experiences and how diversity in the workplace creates inclusivity, successful teams and a strong company culture.
Why is diversity in the workplace important?
“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 consist 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.”
Hock Yap | South Korea Business Unit Leader
“DPR's culture can be summarized by two of our central beliefs to ‘Respect for 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.”
Juan Muñoz | Project Executive
“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.”
Saurabh Tiwari | Business Unit Leader, vConstruct
As part of DPR's commitment to Global Social Responsibility, the People pillar supports diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the communities where we work, live and build.
To build awareness for the need to improve diversity and inclusion in the construction industry, DPR is participating in this year's annual Construction Inclusion Week (CIW) from October 16-20. CIW aims to foster conversations that create alignment and push further on this journey of inclusivity for the industry overall.
Participate in Global Diversity Month?
Explore
Find an event in your community that provides an opportunity to learn about another culture, like a food or film festival.
Learn
Pick a country you haven’t visited and learn about the people, customs, culture and more. Try a new recipe or to learn a few words of their language.
Plan
Organize a potluck at work or among friends. Each person can choose a different country and make a traditional dish from there.
Be a
Pillar
The Be a Pillar series is dedicated to sharing the perspectives of DPR employees who are helping to inspire, educate and lead us on a journey.
Posted on October 5, 2023
Last Updated October 2, 2023