Hensel Phelps shows us their Culture of CARE in action

Our Culture of CARE never stops.

We’ve spoken about this excellent program before, but it’s always a good time to celebrate and promote workplace diversity. That’s the mission of this work, and it’s what we aim for with a number of resources available to our members, all designed to achieve diversity goals at every level of an organization.

We recently saw a success story in action thanks to our friends at Hensel Phelps. We first checked in with Shannon Gustine, director of operations at the firm’s Pacific Northwest office, to see how the Culture of CARE worked in an actual boots-on-the-ground environment.

Shannon told us that the Culture of CARE gave a “common thread” for inclusion and diversity across Hensel Phelps jobsites, setting consistent standards for the firm’s expectations. We heard a similar theme when speaking with folks on the jobsite, hearing from laborer Tanesha Robertson that the culture at Hensel Phelps was one of acceptance.

“They give you responsibilities and they allow you to have a voice,” Tanesha said, speaking to her experiences as a woman in construction. Though she said there’s “still a lot of work to be done” in fully bringing women into the industry, Tanesha believed the culture was improving and moving in a more inclusive direction.

Other workers we met spoke to a more general side of care. Even when we’re not looking specifically at matters of diversity, building a Culture of CARE can yield big dividends in fostering a work environment where employees of all experience can feel welcomed and part of the team, no matter if they’re an apprentice on their first day or a new foreman getting to know their crew.

Denis Gagne, a laborer foreman relatively new to Hensel Phelps, told us he’d worked for many different companies but has “never been treated with such respect” as he does now.

“It trickles down from the leadership,” Denis said, describing a culture where employees are encouraged to be friendly toward each other and can follow the example of management that seeks to know the individual worker.

We’re happy and proud to see how this program has benefited the good people of Hensel Phelps. See the full video of our time with their team and on the jobsite to get an idea of how the environment there continues to grow and change for the better.

Whether it’s through our trainings, posters or other guidance, the Culture of CARE program can help you build a better workplace for everyone on your team. Take our pledge today and check out the program’s webpage to learn more and sample its materials. Contact us for more information!