At HITT, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE+I) are at the heart of our purpose and success. We are committed to fostering inclusion and ensuring a sense of belonging to all who share our path – most importantly our team members, who make up our collective voice. Only when every story can be heard and celebrated can we achieve our true purpose together. Investing in DE+I efforts is not only the right thing to do, but it also directly correlates to our core value, Be the Good.

HITT's DE+I Strategy

In April 2021, HITT announced the implementation of our formal DE+I strategy, which was developed with input from key internal stakeholders and expert research. Organized around four key principles, the strategy is actionable and measurable. The tactics to achieve the goals set forth in the plan vary between immediate action and long-term efforts.

We will review annually our accomplishments, success metrics, and observations on effectiveness, shifting and expanding the objectives and goals as we make progress. This strategy is more than a plan – it's a mindset. 

• Establish and foster Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). ERGs are founded and led by team members who have a passion for cultivating a community based on shared beliefs, experiences, backgrounds, or needs. We currently have five ERGs: Veterans, Women of HITT, Black Leadership Network (BLN), Pride Alliance, and Parents of HITT (PHITT). 

• Launch a formal mentorship program to cultivate relationships that will advance the careers of our diverse team members. Mentoring is proven to be one of the most impactful tools in advancing individual career development and creating inclusive cultures.

• Use HITT's Annual Employee Engagement Survey to gather feedback and input on key areas of DE+I.

• Establish methods to give ERGs a voice to influence at the corporate level. ERGs will have access to executive leadership to offer critical input to shape the company's approach and influence our strategy. 

• Identify and utilize listening tools and channels to elevate the discourse on DE+I topics, such as our internal knowledge resource center.

• Develop a formal Diversity Training Track in HITT University. In 2021, we launched our company-wide "You Belong Here" training on basic DE+I concepts, as well as an inclusive jobsites training aid. These tools were only the first steps in building a robust suite of DE+I learning tools that will continue to be developed. 

• Create an internal DE+I Knowledge Center to provide team members a curated selection of resources for self-guided learning and exploration.

• Bring DE+I to the forefront of executive leadership conversations to ensure focus and shared expectations on creating a more equitable workplace and achieving the objectives of the plan. Leaders are encouraged to infuse diversity moments, much like safety moments, into daily work life. Leadership meetings and conferences will include DE+I programming and discussion. 

• Perform a compensation study of Operations and Site Operations team member populations to ensure fair and equitable pay across gender and race.

• Make intentional changes to HITT’s recruiting and hiring practices to increase the diversity of hires. 

• Require team members in EEO-protected classes to be given the opportunity to address performance concerns through a formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) prior to termination.

• Increase representation of women in construction (Operations and Site Operations) roles. Currently, women represent 11.6% of the construction roles at HITT; by 2023, we aim to increase representation to 15%.

• Increase BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) representation at HITT, especially in construction roles and our Futures program.

• Increase subcontractor / supplier diversity to ensure representation of minority- and women-owned businesses. All HITT, business units will establish teaming relationships with underrepresented firms by 2022, offering opportunity and advancement to minority- and women-owned small businesses.