While Curia is proud to have above-industry global female and U.S. minority representation at our senior levels, as well as various DE&I related items occurring at a local level worldwide, we needed a focused and broader team to bring further impact, consistency and expansion to our DE&I efforts globally. To address these needs, the Curia DE&I Council was created in early 2021.

Our DE&I Council, currently with more than 40 global members representing a range of underrepresented populations, corporate functions and geographies across the organization, is designed to be a strong voice at Curia, helping to further cultivate a work environment where all employees thrive. The DE&I Council has two executive co-sponsors and a senior HR leader who meet monthly with DE&I Leadership to guide and support them as they implement the strategy which is supported by six key pillars:

Recruitment – Increasing the number of diverse and qualified candidates in the recruitment process, thereby increasing the number of diverse and qualified candidates hired

Professional Development – Promoting career development opportunities for the talent-diverse workforce within Curia

Engagement & Recognition – Internal and external promotion and communication of DE&I activities and achievements

Community – Enhancing our spirit of inclusion, so that every Curia employee feels a sense of belonging and respect

Education – Educating our workforce on the business impact of DE&I to demonstrate the need for expanded inclusive behaviors, and to provide the tools necessary to implement those behaviors

Cultural Awareness – Highlighting, celebrating, and understanding our global workforce

Our efforts will be expanding this year as the team implements a broad-based outreach program designed to increase DE&I engagement and awareness on a global basis. Experienced leaders have been appointed to each pillar, and they have recruited volunteers to serve with them on the Council.  

Many foundational elements were laid in 2021 to pave the way for a number of new initiatives and programs in 2022 and beyond; striking a balance between meeting the needs and expectations of Curia’s diverse employee base, while maintaining a set of achievable objectives for the company.  Some examples of early actions from the Council include: creating a branding and communication platform for delivering consistent DE&I information through various channels, disseminating a cultural calendar, and initiating Employee Resource Groups, beginning at the grass roots with enthusiastic volunteers focused on women, early-career professionals and LGBTQ+, with a plan to expand to other populations and their allies over time. 

Key items planned for 2022 are inherent bias training which will include an individual assessment of inherent bias in order to establish a baseline from which to improve, Employee Resource Group expansions, stay interviews for diverse talent, new approaches to recruitment efforts that will attract diverse talent, a pilot female-focused mentorship program, and the incorporation of DE&I assessment questions in our annual employee engagement survey, which will inform our DE&I strategies and actions.  A key component of the councils programs and initiatives is tracking quantitative and qualitative data when possible to guide future actions.  While we are eager to make a significant DE&I impact at Curia as rapidly as possible, the DE&I Council have taken a significant step on our journey of cultivating a work environment where all employees thrive.