DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, has been highly talked about in the last few years. While the term has been highly politicized, DEI practices are important, helpful tools for modern business.
How does this manifest in the financial administration of a structural engineering firm? Generally speaking, the biggest operational cost of a firm is payroll, comprising 50-70% of expenses. Hiring a new employee typically comes with the expectation that they will be a net loss for the company for 6 months or more as they are onboarded, learn the ropes, and become independent enough to be profitable producers. Companies with high employee turnover become stuck in this rut of investing without the return of long-term employee profitability, so employee retention is key. Great Places to Work reports that employees who feel their work culture is inclusive are 5.4 times more likely to stay at that company for the long term. Glassdoor also reports that 76% of job seekers note that a diverse workforce is an important factor in choosing where they want to work. It stands to reason, therefore, that implementing practices that seek to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion is a significant factor in engaging and retaining employees. Employees who enjoy their work environment, who trust their company to treat them well, and who feel safe and supported, will produce better work and be motivated to contribute above and beyond to support a company that has actively supported them.
Diversity is the concept of a non-homogeneous group; that is, one made up of individual elements that vary from each other in one or more characteristics. Diversity is the keystone of biological life; an inadequately biodiverse ecosystem becomes inbred, sickly, unsustainable, and eventually perishes. The same is true when discussing the concept of diversity in modern industry and workplaces; a group of people that largely shares characteristics like age, socioeconomic background, gender, and race, will be inherently less well-suited to change, growth, and adapting to new opportunities. According to research reported by McKinsey & Company in 2023, companies with ethnically diverse management and leadership teams (those in the top quartile of subjects) are 27% more likely to financially outperform their industry peers, and companies ranking in the top quartile of gender diversity are 18% more likely to do so.
This disparity is widely attributed to the notion of ‘diversity of experience’ wherein if you have an abundance of different backgrounds and opinions participating in a discussion, there is a larger pool of potential creative solutions to issues. An example of this is the case of Daina Taimina, a mathematics professor at Cornell University who, when learning about hyperbolic planes and the troublesome nature of attempting to create representative physical models thereof, realized that the phenomenon could be easily replicated in crochet; her colleague is noted as quipping “huh… so that’s what those look like.” Absent the experience of a woman with a traditionally feminine hobby, there is no telling how long it would have taken to develop functional models. Similarly, a young professional with an aptitude for learning about cutting-edge construction techniques will have different insight into a problem than a seasoned engineer with a career’s worth of real-world experience. The two can collaborate and combine their knowledge to arrive at a solution that neither could have derived independently. In this way, diversity fuels innovation and creative thinking, both key attributes of a successful engineering business.
Equity is best characterized as the concept of an even playing field—one on which no individual has inherent advantages in achieving the objective. At SE firms, equity initiatives may be developed with the intent of ensuring a particular group does not face unfair obstacles in their work environment. The vast majority of equitable hiring practices address issues with the interviewer, rather than the candidate; training interviewers about unconscious bias and developing a consistent rubric for ranking candidates’ relevant qualities help ensure that qualified candidates aren’t excluded on the basis of irrelevant or discriminatory factors. For example, an interviewer may discover that one candidate for a position shares a love of the same football team as them, where another candidate does not. While of course football fandom is not relevant to a candidate’s ability to do the job, the interviewer may have a sense of better ‘fit’ based on shared interest that makes them more inclined to hire the football fan.
The important thing to note is that many, if not most, biases are implicit, meaning that the individual is not consciously deciding to include that criteria in their decision, but the factors remain in play. The best way to combat implicit bias is through education and standardization. By educating hiring managers about implicit bias and having a consistent system of ranking candidate merits, firms can avoid unintentionally skewed hiring. Equity is not about giving opportunities to unqualified candidates to meet a quota; it is about ensuring that qualified candidates are not passed over on the basis of discriminatory criteria.
Inclusivity is arguably the most nebulous concept in this trio, but generally is the idea of welcoming all people into a space where they feel they belong and are understood. In many ways, inclusive practices overlap with equitable ones; for example, in order for a person with a disability to be included and participate in an activity, obstacles barring their way must be removed.
A while back I was told about a learning experience that some industry colleagues went through: they scheduled a forum event for engineers who were also parents to attend, share stories, and provide mutual support for dealing with the challenges of their personal and professional lives. This is inarguably a worthwhile effort; however, the event was scheduled for 6 p.m. on a school night—not a time when busy working parents of young children tend to be available for networking and cocktails. The lesson here harkens back to the idea of ‘diversity of experience’. If parents had been included or consulted during the event planning process, it’s likely that they would have pointed out the dissonance. By making a work environment intentionally inclusive, you ensure that all parties can participate in the problem-solving process, and you don’t accidentally exclude someone with relevant and valuable insights.
DEI in Structural Engineering
Implementing DEI practices in a business will look different for each organization. It may involve accommodating an alternative work schedule for a single parent, so that they can manage their time in a way that works for them rather than conforming to the standard 8-to-5 in-office paradigm. Perhaps it involves hiring a lively, outgoing person who doesn’t ‘fit in’ with the stereotypical engineering personalities: that person may become an invaluable networking asset, reaching out across industry lines and achieving new business connections. It may include making workplace accommodations for someone with ADHD or autism that enable them to work at their most effective level, leveraging their organizational skills to overhaul an antiquated spreadsheet, thereby saving everyone who uses it in the future hours of effort.
With these insights and perspective, I encourage you to consider what DEI practices can look like for your firm, from minor tweaks to major initiatives. Seek out a diverse talent pool and use an equitable and consistent hiring process. Train your managers to recognize and avoid bias in performance reviews and be open to changing workplace policies to be more inclusive and accommodating. Make your workplace culture supportive so that employees can make the best use of their unique perspectives and strengths. In doing so, you leverage a wealth of experience, access, and input that you would otherwise be missing out on when they underperform or seek work elsewhere. Invest in making your business work for your employees, and they will in turn invest their time and effort to maximize the possibilities for your business. ■
About the Author
Lisa Hartley, PE, is an Associate Principal and Partner at Linchpin Structural Engineering in Reno, Nevada. She is currently the co-chair of the NCSEA SE3 (Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity) Committee.
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