consultant to develop the recommen- dations report and funding Berg’s new position of director of inclusion, culture and engagement have been key steps in the successful launch of Dome’s DEI program, according to Berg. “You need leadership support, and you need to fund it; this is not something you can kind of do on the side.” On Dome’s new DEI website page


(https://www.domebuilds.com/about- us/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/), the company adopted the vision to create an environment where everyone at Dome has a voice, sees opportunity, thrives, and can be who they are. Also communicated on its webpage is the leadership pledge to “improve the fairness, inclusiveness, and transparency of our policies, processes, and strategies on a continuous basis.” Mentoring opportunities, education


and training, and changes to recruiting are some of the major initiatives Dome has undertaken as part of its DEI program to date. All employees have gone through a basic conscious inclusion program, and every new employee spends time with Berg learning about Dome’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging during their onboarding process. Te overwhelming reaction from new


recruits? “People are so appreciative; that’s been really cool,” she said. “Te new generation – Millennials, Gen Z, are just like ‘oh yeah, I want to work for a company like this!’ I think it will continue to be seen throughout the industry that we are using a different approach, and we will continue to attract more diversity.”


Mentorship, Education, Allyship Nearly a third of Dome employees cur- rently participate in the mentoring pro- gram the company kicked off last year, and Berg expects to see that number increase with a reboot of the program this May. It is designed to increase com-


“The new generation – Millennials, Gen Z, are just like ‘oh yeah, I want to work for a company like this!’ I think it will continue to be seen throughout the industry that we are using a different approach, and we will continue to attract more diversity.” – Melissa Berg


munication and support for employees by pairing mentors with mentees across business units. Several educational events have


sparked conversation around DEI is- sues as well. During Pride Month in 2021, for example, more than 160 Dome employees tuned in for an optional gender and pronoun educational fo- rum with Autumn Long (the firstborn child of Dome’s director of innovation & learning), a nonbinary high school senior who is a champion in their high school for gender identity education and LGBTQ+ acceptance. Te discussion “generated so many good questions and was such an im- portant conversation,” Berg noted. “It’s something I never had seen at a con- struction company; it just shows how far we’ve gotten in our ability to have a conversation and not shy away from topics.” Recently, Dome rolled out an


“allyship” program Berg is particularly excited about. Employees can wear a “Dome Includes” logo on a pin or sticker to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and for diversity, equity and inclusion at Dome.


Industrywide Effort to Create Change While Berg has worked to drive change within her own company, she has also become an outspoken advocate and sought-after speaker at industry events. Over the last couple of years, she has made presentations at the Lean Construction Institute’s Lean Design Forum and par- ticipated in DEI panel discussions for NAWIC, WiOPS, and AGC, to name a few. In 2021 she joined AGC of California’s


DE&I Steering Committee. AGC organized the committee to help guide the devel- opment of recommendations put out in its DEI Task Force Report in 2021. The Steering Committee also leads the AGC DEI Forum, which offers a space for all member organizations to engage in frank conversations about transforming their corporate structure, policies, practices, and jobsites through its quarterly meetings. “I’ve been really energized meeting the other folks on the [AGC DE&I] Commit- tee,” Berg commented. “All of us joining together as a united front, speaking the same language—it feels like good energy. I think the construction industry badly needs a leader in diversity and inclusion, and AGC has positioned itself to be an incredible leader on this front.”


CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR MAY-JUNE 2022


15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32