Cresa's Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging 2021 Report
Cresa’s DIB Committee members are committed to change. We acknowledge that our current workforce does not meet our own standards for diversity, nor does it accurately represent the communities in which our offices are located. To change this, we’ve established actionable goals to bring us into a more diverse and inclusive future.
Our formal Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB)
program was launched in 2018 with the creation of our Diversity Council. In
June 2020, the 45-member Council was spurred into further action. We split up
into 4 committees, each with its own specific focus and target objectives. By
making our efforts measurable, “embrace diversity” becomes more than a core
value – it’s ingrained in our business model. The creation of these committees
was prompted by the Black Lives Matter protests spreading across the U.S. and
around the world, illuminating the injustices black people still face each and
every day.
Together we strive to encourage, support and celebrate the
diverse voices of our employees. The threads of our individual experiences are
woven together to create a culture of inclusivity and innovation – one that
strengthens our relationships with partners, clients and the communities we
serve. Our intent is to make Cresa a place where leaders are cultivated, and
every person – from every walk of life – feels empowered to thrive.
In this blog, we will feature Cresa’s 2021 Annual Diversity,
Inclusion, & Belonging Report. If I
can answer any questions about Cresa’s efforts, please contact me at
301-841-6542.
Cresa’s 2021 Annual Diversity,
Inclusion, & Belonging Report
From awareness to action
As the world’s largest occupier-focused commercial real
estate firm, we understand our collective impact and recognize our
responsibility to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.
Creating an environment where employees can thrive is
critical not only to the success of our own organization, but also to the
success of our clients. More importantly, it’s the right thing to do.
This Annual Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Report
keeps us accountable and promotes transparency as we continue to learn and find
new ways to honor and leverage divergent human experiences.
Our Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging mission
Together we strive to encourage, support and celebrate the
diverse voices of our employees. The threads of our individual experiences are
woven together to create a culture of inclusivity and innovation – one that
strengthens our relationships with partners, clients and the communities we
serve. Our intent is to make Cresa a place where leaders are cultivated, and
every person – from every walk of life – feels empowered to thrive.
Championing diversity: change begins at the top
Our executive team is personally committed to driving
diversity at Cresa. Whether weighing in on strategic hires or establishing
metrics to measure the effectiveness of our diversity programming, our leadership
is ultimately responsible for eradicating any systematic barriers to equity and
inclusion within the organization.
Formation
of the Diversity Council
Communicating & recruiting with intention
Cresa’s formal Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB)
program was launched in 2018 with the creation of our Diversity Council. The
Council, made up of individuals with varied specialties, backgrounds and levels
of professional experience, developed measurable goals for the new initiative.
By making our efforts measurable, “embrace diversity” becomes more than a core
value – it becomes real and achievable.
In June 2020, the Council was spurred into further action,
splitting up into 4 committees, each with its own specific focus and
objectives. The creation of these committees was prompted by the Black Lives
Matter protests spreading across the U.S. and around the world, illuminating
the injustices Black people still face each and every day.
Throughout our diversity journey, we learned it’s not enough
for a workforce to simply be diverse; it must also feel empowered. Inclusivity
became an integral component of our program and, in 2021, several of the
Council’s subcommittee members formed Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). The ERGs
provide an opportunity for Cresa employees with common identities to connect,
network and seek professional development.
Whether hiring, communicating with existing employees, or
conducting recruitment and outreach, the Council’s efforts focus on creating an
atmosphere where individuals feel comfortable sharing their unique
perspectives.
2021
Accomplishments
Appointment of Outside Board Member with Diversity Focus
We are thrilled to welcome Angela Roseboro to our Board of
Directors. In this role, Angela develops and implements initiatives to drive
inclusion and cultural growth at Cresa. She has over 20 years of human resource
experience and has held positions leading diversity and inclusion, talent
management and leadership development for companies in a wide range of
industries.
Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Framework
This document reflects the leadership team’s commitment to
creating a diverse workplace that is reflective of the clients we serve. It
outlines key objectives for the next 3 years and identifies ways to integrate
diversity initiatives into existing corporate processes to enable progress.
Diversity & Inclusion Calendar
This calendar ensures we create an inclusive environment
year-round by highlighting important dates for a variety of groups, cultures,
religions and causes. We have also included Quiet Days, which allow employees
the space to acknowledge important occasions.
Employee Spotlight Program
These regular communications highlight the unique
experiences and achievements of Cresa team members. This program has been met
with great enthusiasm and has helped forge and strengthen connections between
Cresa employees across departments and geographies.
Ambassador Program
Each Cresa office has appointed an ambassador who drives
corporate diversity initiatives at a local level. This program encourages
employees to take an active role in our diversity and inclusion efforts.
Cresa Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
These voluntary, employee-led groups create an opportunity
for individuals who share a common identity to meet and support one another.
Additionally, ERGs help identify future diverse leaders and create opportunities
to educate the rest of the organization on diversity-related issues. Outlined
below are descriptions of several existing Cresa ERGs.
Cresa Cultures
A multicultural community intent on leveraging members’
unique backgrounds to further professional growth and facilitate networking.
Cresa PRISM
A community of LGBTQ+ employees and allies committed to
creating a respectful and inclusive environment for Cresa employees across the
sexual and gender spectrum.
Women of Cresa
A community of women and allies within Cresa who provide
networking, mentoring and development opportunities to encourage personal and
professional growth.
Ongoing
initiatives
Cresa Development & Enrichment Associate Leadership
(DEAL) Program
This advisor development program provides baseline
compensation to new advisors, attracting a more diverse group of candidates to
the field of brokerage where compensation is predominantly commission-based. By
eliminating the financial risk associated with this profession, we remove a
major barrier for many potential candidates. We expect the DEAL Program to
launch in Q4 2021.
Unconscious Bias Skill Building Workshops
We hired The Burns Brothers to conduct workshops designed to
help Cresa employees explore their implicit biases and develop skills to adjust
automatic, discriminatory patterns of thinking. This program launches September
2021 across the organization and an additional workshop will be conducted at
Cresa’s Annual Leadership Meeting in January 2022.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Assessment
The Burns Brothers will also conduct a multilevel
crossfunctional DE&I Assessment to obtain information about the
effectiveness of our diversity initiatives. The assessment will show what is
working and also identify areas for improvement. We believe this is an
important step, one that signals our commitment to transparency as we grow and
strive towards a more diverse and equitable workplace.
Broadening
our perspective
Thinking beyond race and gender
As we look to the future, our perspective on diversity
continues to broaden, expanding beyond race and gender to include less visible
forms of inequality such as income, education, ability, religious beliefs,
sexual orientation, family status and more. In order to see our employees and
clients more holistically, we must also honor the way an individual’s social
identities overlap. Incorporating intersectionality is central to our diversity
and inclusion efforts and we will continue to adapt and explore new approaches
throughout our journey.
End of Report
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