How is American Water reshaping the workplace to be more inclusive?
Reinforcing inclusion, diversity and equity helps every employee show up each day without fear of being their true authentic selves. Since 2017, we have intentionally worked to combine ID&E industry best practices with employee input to create meaningful and measurable change at all levels. As our journey continues, our goal is to achieve an inclusive culture with sustainable practices that positively impact our people, customers and the communities we serve.
Why are Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs) important to the culture of American Water?
Currently we have four EBRGs: Together We Stand (Black/African American), WE CAN (Women’s), AW Proud (LGBTQ+) and Abled (Employees with Disabilities). I’m excited that we have over 500 employees participating. EBRGs provide employees with a forum to network and build relationships outside of their daily teams, as well as offer opportunities for professional development. The “B” in EBRG is for business impact. Each group focuses on three key areas that provide a business impact: culture, career and community. EBRGs are about INCLUDING YOURSELF while creating an enterprise-wide impact.
I&D is now ID&E. Why is it important to add Equity to Inclusion and Diversity?
At American Water, our employees are beautifully different, and our values have guided us in building an inclusive and diverse workforce reflecting the communities we serve.
Adding equity to our strategy is about meeting people where they are. It helps the business better acknowledge the unique needs of our diverse workforce and provide resources that allow our employees to reach their highest potential. While we’ve achieved many successes on our ID&E journey, we continue to push ourselves to being an employer of choice and a company that has a positive presence in our communities.
Reinforcing ID&E efforts is a commitment to help ensure that all people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other demographic characteristic, have the opportunity to succeed and are welcomed for the diversity they bring to the workplace.
Team members should feel safe and included in their workplace, confident that they can bring their whole self to work.
Learn more about our ID&E efforts in this month’s the Pipeline Newsletter.
