Inclusion Education & Training Owens Corning

Challenge

Owens Corning employees expect a safe and inclusive environment where they can share ideas and bring their full selves to work every day. Raising awareness of unconscious bias and how it can impede fair work practices is essential to creating and preserving inclusiveness. 

Action

Based on the desire to create an inclusive and diverse environment, we developed an annual global Unconscious Bias program. The initiative was created to open dialogue and propel discussion on diversity and inclusion throughout the year. The first year focused on effectively incorporating diversity and inclusion in the workplace and helping employees stay aware of unconscious biases. The second year built upon our momentum and focused on gender diversity.

In August 2018, we are hosting our third annual event, Unconscious Bias - Fostering Cultural Inclusion. This workshop will dive deep into cultural differences; highlight GlobeSmart, an online cultural learning tool; and help employees create learning plans that support a global mindset and inclusiveness. Given recent company acquisitions, this topic is timely, as 56% of our employees now reside outside of the United States.

Outcomes

Since 2016, the workshops have been popular, with attendance at full capacity. During workshops, employees were challenged to develop action plans to create a more inclusive work environment throughout the year. Post-event survey results from the 2017 workshop showed that 93% of participants believed that the workshop provided insights that could be applied to their work, and 96% felt personally accountable for contributing to an inclusive environment.

We have also implemented several programs to address unconscious bias that emanated directly from the employee brainstorming sessions at these workshops. For example, Unconscious Bias jumpstarted conversations on work flexibility, leading to enhanced policies with more time for bereavement and parental leave.

Contact

Leah Maguire

Quote

At Owens Corning, we constantly strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment for our employees, so they feel valued and respected. It's not just the right thing to do; it adds value to business by fostering an environment that leads to innovative thinking in the workplace and in the communities in which we operate. The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge provides a productive forum for leaders and organizations to jointly address this challenging issue and affect change.

Mike Thaman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Owens Corning
Was this action helpful?
Yes
No