If we genuinely want to attract, retain, and develop the best talent for our industry and maximize the diversity of our suppliers, we must grow our industry’s culture to be truly inclusive. This is why Friede & Associates is participating in Construction Inclusion Week—the first annual effort to harness the collective power of general contractors, specialty contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. The initiative officially kicks off on October 18, 2021.

Friede’s Executive Vice President and Partner Scott Truehl serves on the national Associated Builders and Contractors’ Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee. ABC is one of the industry partners supporting Construction Inclusion Week. The objective is to build awareness of the need to improve diversity and inclusion in the construction industry by providing content and resources to company leadership, employees, owners, subcontractors, vendors and other industry partners.

“We recognize and understand that each of our firms may be at different places in our diversity, equity, and inclusion journeys. Our intent is that Construction Inclusion Week fosters conversations that create alignment and take us further on this journey for our people and industry partners,” says Truehl.

The arguments presented for a company including diversity and inclusion as a key business strategy go beyond the moral imperative of “doing the right thing” and focus on the measurable and tangible financial results that can be achieved with effective implementation.

As the population of the U.S. becomes more diverse, construction companies will need to reflect the changing demographics in order to find workers and retain a competitive edge. An intentional and practical culture shift towards diversity and inclusion can positively impact company profitability by improving employee productivity, recruiting, and retaining top talent, increasing innovation, and creating a safer workplace. Furthermore, collaborative partnerships with diverse entities provide opportunities to expand market share.

“Having a more inclusive procurement strategy broadens our pool of potential subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors. This encourages competition, which can improve quality and lower costs. Also, having a more diverse network of suppliers and trade partners makes us more agile and resilient,” adds Truehl.

The week-long program will include training in creating a culture of inclusion, how to source diverse firms, fostering respectful workplaces, sustaining supportive behavior, recognizing unconscious bias and inspiring a more diverse generation of builders.

Here’s a sampling of the topics we will cover:

Day One: Leadership Commitment & Accountability

Day Two: Unconscious Bias

Day Three: Supplier Diversity

Day Four: Jobsite Culture

Day Five: Community Engagement & Philanthropy

Construction projects bring our team together to work towards a common goal. Our participation in Construction Inclusion Week will help us foster conversations that create alignment and take us further on this journey for our people and our industry partners. #constructioninclusionweek