Building inclusivity through our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) by Diarra T. Polk, PHR, SHRM-CP

This is the third year Hilti North America is participating in Construction Inclusion Week and the second year we have been an ambassador level sponsor. We are extremely honored and excited to host a Team Talk on the topic of “Building Inclusivity” along with three of our customers on the last day of Construction Inclusion Week, to share how our collective actions are making construction better. This session will be open to all Hilti North America teammates.

As I reflect on the caring culture of inclusion we foster within Hilti North America, I want to take a moment to spotlight our employee-led resource groups for their incredible contributions to creating a workplace where our team members feel:?

·?????? Seen for who they are, beyond labels.

·?????? They are represented and see around them the diversity of the world we live in.

·?????? They have equal access to opportunities.

·?????? They work in a fair and equitable environment.

·?????? They can be their authentic selves and feel good about it.

·?????? Their opinions and ideas are welcomed and respected.

·?????? Their voices are heard, and they feel a sense of belonging.

?We have been on our employee-led resource group journey for several years, and we are proud of the progress we have made during this timeframe. We currently have eleven groups, who actively use their voices and take actions to make contributions to our culture of care, inclusion and belonging at Hilti North America. Our ERGs are committed to: ?

?·?????? Connecting their efforts with our business strategy.

·?????? Collaborating with one another.

·?????? Embracing culture and community, internally and externally.

They do this by creating opportunities to learn, share and connect with each other and our allies, to bring awareness and understanding to our diverse cultures and by giving back to the communities we serve and live in.

?When we think about engagement, inclusion and a thriving culture, our ERGs make a huge difference in ensuring our team members have a safe space to share, learn, grow, do good for others, and have fun in the process. Please do not just take my word for it, the following are some quotes from several of our Employee Resource Group leaders when asked the question: “What is the best thing about being a part of an ERG?”?

“It creates a sense of belonging and support within the workplace. Each time a member needs support (both personally and professionally) they can count on the Women and Allies Group (WAG) to provide them with the resources they need within Hilti. For me personally, my WAG leadership team is more than just a group of co-workers, we spend a lot of time together, sometimes we face challenges, but we all know we can count on each other.”

?“For me, it’s the sense of inclusion that organically arises by working with like-minded individuals as well as a broad spectrum of people from whom I can learn. I also enjoy the sense of community and giving back that comes from the impact these groups make in our company, with our customers and in our neighborhoods. This is our way of leaving a legacy and we really make a difference.”

?“I feel like the best part of being in an ERG is "the rub". Ideas get rubbed off on each other and we bring them into our daily lives and our work lives. I like it when other team members approach me to get some of that "rub". For example, I was in the office last week when a gentleman, who I have not really had an opportunity to connect with asked me a question. They were passionate about sharing the Hilti work experience to a High School STEM group. This person asked if we did this and who he should ask to learn more about it. Of course, I connected him with our colleague who handles this area, and it felt good to make the connection. Moments like this perpetuate the continuity of connection.”

?“The best part of being part of an ERG is to understand other people's perspectives. We all work for the same company. Some of us have the same role, or work in the same office, but coming to work can still look quite different for different people.”

?“The best part about being in an ERG is impact. We do not always see the impact we have on our community and organizations. But we do get to see the impact we have on our team members and the genuine smiles shared by giving back. We are not always a large wave crashing on the shore. We get to be that constant rippling wave that continues to come back and give and give.”

?“Our group has had success and made impact with our Health & Wellness committee who brings education and gives back to the community surrounding mental and physical wellness topics.”

?“The best part of belonging to an ERG is having the ability to be welcomed openly for all the parts that make me who I am. I do not have to overthink before speaking, I never question if I am valued, and I am met during everything interaction with love, gratitude, honesty, and a mutual cultural understanding”.

?“Best thing about being a part of an ERG is the community within Hilti I never knew existed even after meeting thousands of people through all my roles. The members and specifically leadership team within AAPI are people I would never have known without this ERG, and we identify with each other in ways many cannot, being Asian. Being part of an ERG has allowed me to show all parts of myself that I hesitated to embrace before.”

?“Being in any ERG gives you the opportunity to meet people that you may never otherwise get the chance to cross paths. And in the setting of ERG events, our knowledge of each other expands beyond job titles and emails. It allows us to be who we are, learn from each other and ask questions and dig into what it means to be the real people we are”.

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The work that our ERGs do is nothing short of incredible. I wish I had the words to express the extraordinary effort, energy and impact that has gone into our ERG journey over the past several years. It keeps getting better and better as we learn and grow. I want to take a moment to highlight some of the recent programs and impacts our employee-led groups have had on our business, community and how they have worked together to collaborate to become an even more powerful force, together. This is just a snippet of the incredible work our ERGs have done, recently:

?Black ERG – “Our Black ERG brought the HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) experience to Hilti North America during Black History Month. The virtual event started out with a drumline presentation, followed by the singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, the Black National Anthem. We also had a pep rally with a brief history of HBCUs, history of the Divine Nine - Black fraternities and sororities, homecoming parade, personal stories from Hilti team members who attended HBCUs, tailgate experience with dancing, interactive trivia game, “Battle of the Bands”, and a very informative, inspiring, and engaging keynote on what we can do to support HBCUs.”

?Women and Allies ERG – “Recently, our Women and Allies Employee Resource Group held a menstrual hygiene products drive across 9 Hilti locations in partnership with PERIOD., a nonprofit organization that distributes menstrual products to people in need to end period poverty. Together, our team members collected a total of 655 boxes of donations which are distributed to local non-profits vetted by PERIOD.”

?Asian American and Pacific Islander ERG – “Travel Club Series we kicked off this year focusing on teammates from these areas and those who have lived in these areas, sharing their perspective and experiences to help educate those who would like to get to know more about AAPI culture. This series created lots of engagement and interest in traveling to these areas.”

?Pride ERG – “Our most exciting initiative is our Allypaca campaign, which is a fun way to engage the ally community and show their support. Participants take a pledge to be an active ally to the LGBT+ community, and in return we support them with invitations to local pride events, and some alpaca-themed swag that they can display at their desk and on their Workday profile.”

?Latinx ERG – “Our Mentor as you Grow development and mentorship initiative started in 2023 in our Latinx ERG and was highly successful. In 2024, we collaborated with all ERGs and rolled out the program across the organization. This program was designed to foster professional growth by pairing ERG members with experienced leaders within the organization. The program has been a major success and has created an avenue of meaningful connections for team members and team leaders.”

?Indigenous Peoples ERG – “We have a special guest speaker in November for Native American Heritage Month from Canada - Melina Laboucan-Massimo, the founder and executive director of Sacred Earth Solar and co-founder of Indigenous Climate Action. She has focused on climate justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and women's rights for over 20 years. Melina is Lubicon Cree from Northern Alberta, Canada. Her initiatives and projects such as ‘A Just Transition’ focus really speak to me because it prioritizes BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) communities, who are disproportionately impacted by resource extraction industries and by the effects of climate change, which is a topic that needs keep being elevated so real, positive change can happen.”

?Veterans, Military Members and Families ERG – Newly launched employee resource group kicking off this November to celebrate and connect with Veterans, Military Members, and their families.

?Own It! – location-based ERGs

?Tulsa, OK – “During Hilti Cares Month we partnered with Youth services of Tulsa and local Tulsa businesses and were able to get small stuffed animals donated and purchased supplies to make blankets. We were able to supply 100 children within the foster care system, with a new blanket and stuffed animal to bond with during their time in foster care.”

?DFW Area – “Girls at Work Event: Hilti team members took a Saturday morning to introduce Hilti daughters and friends (ages six to mid-teens) to various career paths with interactive sessions led by successful team members so the girls could see role models with whom they identify and aspire to be like in their futures.”

?Western USA – “Throughout MO West and other parts of the US, we are participating in Shatterproof Rise Up Against Addiction walks and gatherings. This provides an opportunity to reduce the stigma surrounding addiction, enabling more who are struggling to reach out for help and understand they are not alone, and recovery is possible. It also provides awareness for those of us who have people in our lives either personally or professionally, who are impacted by addiction, to help us navigate this stigmatized condition. Teammates, their families, and our customers are encouraged and welcomed to participate. Our committee has addressed topics ranging from parenting to mental health first aid, providing education and resources to our team members. Several teammates have reached out sharing that the impact of these sessions has helped them or a family member.”

?Canada – Newly launched employee led group who has already started making an impact through events and programs to drive engagement.

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We also believe we all impact the culture we create, starting with leadership. Our Inclusive Leadership Learning Series, a 3-part series, is based on the five behaviors impacting the feeling of inclusion. These sessions launched last year and have made a tremendous impact on leaders and team members.

?The first session of the series on micro messages and emotional intelligence came as a direct result of a two-part program put on by our Black Employee Resource Group on the topic of microaggressions in 2023. As we dived deeper into the topic, this touched so many of our colleagues and so many learnings came as a result. It all started with an ERG using their voices to share their experiences and perspectives in safe space which led to a learning session for all leaders to have an awareness on this topic and to make necessary changes based on their learnings.

?In conclusion, it truly takes us all, team members, team leaders, employee led groups, executive sponsors, every department and as a unit we are stronger when we work together to make impactful strides in our vision of being an inclusive place to work for everyone, everywhere. Happy Construction Inclusion Week and to everyone striving to make construction better, keep up the magnificent work!

?Please reflect and comment below on what you feel is the best part about being involved in an Employee Resource Group. Thank you!

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