I'm honored to work with our first DE&I Steering Committee to explore where we are and where we want to go, and I'm excited to help develop goals and strategies that ultimately integrate DE&I into the very fabric of our firm. When we hold each other accountable for achieving our DE&l goals, we'll better perform our work, serve our communities, and create a workplace that makes our associates proud to be part of RS&H.
RS&H Launches DE&I Steering Committee
[Jacksonville, FL] Building on the exceptional work started by employee resource groups (ERGs), RS&H announces the launch of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Steering Committee.
Creating this steering committee is an important step in advancing DE&I at RS&H. The DE&I steering committee will guide the development of a comprehensive DE&I strategy, establishing measurable benchmarks, reviewing policies and practices, and expanding our ERGs and initiatives that foster a diverse and inclusive workplace.
The committee comprises senior leaders with diverse backgrounds who combine a passion for DE&I and expertise in balancing short- and long-term business goals. See what drives these associates to be part of this important foundational piece of RS&H’s efforts to create an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging, where diverse perspectives are celebrated, and where everyone can thrive.
Having an open mind and open arms to these conversations allow all associates to influence our future in the company. It helps us attract new talent when there is a shortage in the industry. We need diversity of thought to change the way we have always done business and to accelerate our growth in our markets.
It's not enough to just be invited into an environment. We must be intentional in creating a community and work environment of acceptance that reflects the great diversity of America and the clients and communities that we serve. My hope is that through this effort, a sustainable DE&I framework will be created and implemented that allows for any individual, regardless of persuasion, ethnicity, or gender, to live out their professional dreams and achieve success as they see it at RS&H.
We must be a place of employment where everyone is welcome (diversity), everyone is treated fairly (equity), and everyone is actively engaged (inclusion). These three concepts are integral to DE&I and need to be integrated into our culture. DE&I is important to our culture because it fosters creativity, fresh perspectives, and understanding and, ultimately, creates the strongest and most vibrant work environment.
Diversity of thought and participation builds stronger teams and communities. It sparks creativity and provides for better problem solving. We need different perspectives to understand how actions impact others, and our projects.
It's important for our workforce (people) to be representative of those that we serve directly (clients) and those that we serve as a result of our efforts (community). When clients can see themselves in their consultants, they can hopefully be more confident that the work we execute for them will be done so with an empathy and understanding to the ultimate user.
In order to recruit and retain top talent, the RS&H community must embrace the power that diversity of thought and multicultural experiences bring, not only for improving our project quality and successfully launching internal DE&I initiatives but also to remain competitive in an extremely dynamic business environment.
Diversity brings together individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and ideas, which fosters creativity and leads to more innovative solutions and effective problem-solving. This drives our brand value that we turn expertise into insight and adapt to solve some of the world's greatest challenges.
About RS&H
Employee-owned, RS&H is one of the nation’s leading architecture, engineering and consulting firms whose associates work hard every day to create a more connected future where everyone can thrive. We offer an exceptional journey from start to future for clients in the aerospace, aviation, corporate, federal, health and science, and transportation. Our integrated teams translate experience into insight, turn challenges into opportunities and build relationships that are as strong as the buildings and infrastructure we deliver together. RS&H can be reached at 1.800.741.2014 or rsandh.com.