AffinEco has created a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee that is exploring new ways to create community at the company and make sure every employee feels valued.
“When you feel included and you feel you have purpose, you give 100%,” said Jodi Nelson, Affineco’s Estimator who is leading the DEI Committee. “We want to be a team and respect each other.”
The DEI Committee launched in June. “The first thing we did was roll out a training for all management, explaining what DEI is. We had an online training to explain the purpose of DEI – respecting different cultures, languages, backgrounds. It was a very good training and eye-opening,” Nelson said.
AffinEco Company President Michael Diamond supports the DEI work 100%.
“Here at AffinEco, we are a large, diverse team and we want everyone to feel like an important member of that team,” Diamond said. “The DEI Committee will be setting and working toward measurable goals to make AffinEco even more welcoming and inclusive. We look forward to new DEI programming and events in 2023.”
AffinEco’s employees come from many countries around the world, including the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Uruguay, Brazil, Trinidad, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexican, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Venezuela.
“We speak different languages. I may say something and it may offend somebody because of their culture or background. These are the new things that we are discussing. How do we make everybody feel included?” Nelson said.
Communication is key, she added, and can be challenging because people work different shifts and may not get the opportunity to interact often.
“Because of the business we’re in, we have janitorial staff in the field all the way to upper management, and we cover every shift of the day. If you’re working nights, sometimes you may feel lost and don’t feel like you are part of something. We want to learn how to bridge that and make sure everyone feels included and that they’re part of something.”
The DEI Committee met most recently on November 30 and discussed upcoming goals and programs, including a 15-minute diversity presentation at operations and leadership meetings. Committee members also want to work with Human Resources on recruitment objectives. Other plans include an initiative with Habitat for Humanity, a DEI event week in July, and branch events where employees learn about each other’s cultures.