Diversity and Inclusion: Our Impact
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Skanska USA Building
Highlights of our 2023 journey
We are committed to an inclusive culture that respects our people, builds strong teams and enhances our performance.
Our Commitment
Skanska USA Building is committed to an inclusive culture that respects our people, builds strong teams and enhances performance.
Our people shape our culture.
Our culture drives our inclusion.
Our inclusion impacts our community and society.
Launched 15 local D&I Councils that began leading action-oriented efforts to cultivate and maintain an inclusive culture in support of our people, customers and communities
Continued investing in our communities and contributing to the UNSDGs
Grew the D&I Team with new National Director of Culture and Engagement role
Evolved our internship program, providing interns with more resources and stronger connections
Implemented new Equal Opportunity Employer training for managers and above
Established priority metrics in three key areas: People, Culture and Community
Launched the Excellence in Construction Leadership Program, an executive-level program designed to facilitate knowledge sharing and mutually beneficial partnerships between Skanska and the diverse businesses that build up our communities
Strengthened partnerships and alignment nationally and globally within Skanska to reinforce our foundation and expand our commitment
Expanded the D&I Team with new National Director of Inclusion and Partnerships role
Our culture drives inclusion.
Our inclusion positively impacts society.
Expanded and enhanced employee benefits with a whole health focus
Skanska USA Building’s (Skanska) D&I Strategy provides the foundation and structure for our D&I approach. It supports our mission to create a collaborative culture grounded in openness, fairness, trust and respect. These efforts are driven by our people and a commitment to Skanska’s purpose—to build for a better society. We believe we must build with and for everyone.
Our Strategy
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Reflecting Skanska’s commitment to D&I, we have established a national D&I team to facilitate our D&I Strategy and better support our people, customers and communities. In 2023, three longtime Skanska employees joined the team, reporting to Senior Vice President – Diversity & Inclusion Dina Clark. Each teammate comes to her position from a different place, both geographically and functionally, within Skanska.
Growing Skanska USA Building’s Dedicated National D&I Resources
Ayesha Adams National Director of Culture & Engagement
Kelly Daige National Director of Inclusion & Partnerships
Laura Flores Executive Assistant – D&I, EHS and Sustainability Services
I’m proud of what we accomplished together in 2023. We solidified our foundation, which is built upon Skanska’s Values, D&I Strategy, and an unwavering commitment from leadership. We evolved our efforts with local D&I Councils and established a national D&I team focused on strengthening our inclusive culture and expanding partnerships that benefit our teams, clients, projects and communities.
Dina Clark Senior Vice President – Diversity & Inclusion
Our Foundation Authentically anchor and evolve our why as a business imperative, building a solid foundation that will enable sustainable change.
Our People Recruit, retain and develop an inclusive workforce, where people are cared for and can be their best selves. Our people are the drivers of our inclusive culture.
Our Culture Build an inclusive environment that recognizes, supports and connects our people.
Our Community Expand our commitment through our collaboration with clients, vendors and community partners.
Our Accountability Identify and track metrics that measure progress in four key areas: -Compliance -Culture -Community -Innovation
Our Impact Share and elevate the evolution of our efforts.
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Our D&I Commitment
A Skanska USA Building progress report
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Our Stories Shape Our Journey
Our stories, both personal and cultural, play a significant role in shaping our journeys through life. They contribute to the formation of our identities; they influence our beliefs, values and behaviors; and they create a shared understanding that helps us feel a sense of belonging in our communities.
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Our Commitment Our People Our Culture Our Community Our Path Forward
Skanska USA Building 389 Interpace Parkway, 5th Floor | Parsippany, New Jersey 07054
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people
Kelly builds and strengthens relationships within Skanska and our key market sectors as well as with external organizations and networks in the D&I space. She develops national approaches and metrics to evolve our customer, community and employee engagement.
To cultivate an inclusive culture, Ayesha primarily supports our local D&I Councils as well as efforts with employee engagement; learning and development; and new hire onboarding and retention. She works with leadership, Skanska Women’s Network, HR and Supplier Diversity, helping ensure all are progressing on their D&I journeys.
Laura works with both our national D&I, EHS and sustainability teams, supporting their communication, coordination, tracking and reporting efforts.
Our Community
Our Culture
Our People
Our Path Forward
Our people are the very core of Skanska, and they drive our inclusive culture. To best support them, we are building an environment where openness, fairness, trust and respect thrive. We’re committed to the success of our people at every career stage. Their recruitment, retention and development are key to sustaining a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Our
Recruit
Providing Paths of Opportunity
Focus on YVOS and employee feedback help improve employee satisfaction
Building a Culture of Care and Respect
Most often when employees are asked why they work at Skanska, they answer with the same response: it’s because of the people. To share just a few reasons why, we sat down with Senior Sustainability Engineer Thomas Fitzgerald, EHS Director Maria Inlow, and USA Building President and CEO Paul Hewins.
“I’ve worked in construction since I was a young man, but before I came to work at Skanska, no one ever took an interest in helping me see where my career could go. I’ve grown beyond being a craft laborer because people at Skanska told me my talents and skills were valuable and could be used in other ways. They started me down the path I’m on now.”
Retain
Develop
Our Interns
In 2023 we enhanced national and global connections within our internship program in many ways, a few of which included:
Superintendent Ian Wilson joined Skanska as a labor foreman and in less than a year was promoted to general foreman. This was a career crossroads moment: he couldn’t progress further in the trades, yet he didn’t want to stay where he was. The late Chris Kelley, a general superintendent with Skanska, encouraged him to earn a Construction Supervisor License (CSL) —the gateway to being a superintendent. Along with earning his CSL, Ian used our tuition reimbursement program to earn a degree in project management. At the time, tuition reimbursement wasn’t provided to craft, but senior leadership saw his potential and had it approved. Since then, Skanska has provided tuition reimbursement for craft laborers. Today, Ian is seeking to provide upward paths for others: “I’m working with leadership in Boston to start a mentoring program for craft workers. We have an opportunity here to strengthen our teams while bringing others up with us. Many people in the trades don’t know there’s an opportunity for upward career mobility until someone reaches out and shows them the way.”
Results from the 2021 Your Voice, Our Success (YVOS) employee survey showed our Florida teams viewed career development as a growth area for the business, and HR Business Partner Fredrik Rönning was determined to address it. “It was clear that our people wanted to get better in this space, so we tailored a training for our team members to address development topics, such as self-awareness and active listening skills,” Fredrik said. “We wanted to promote more meaningful team member interactions in our Florida offices and projects.” The program was rolled out in 2022 with 100+ team members having completed the training. Since its launch, our unwanted turnover rate in Florida has been cut in half. The Florida offices have also improved their career development satisfaction scores on the YVOS survey.
Chief Operating Officer Skanska USA Building
Chris Toher
Roger Spurlock EHS Coordinator
People
With the support of Skanska Women's Network Midwest, the Ohio office took steps to ensure that female students were aware of internship opportunities. The results exceeded expectations, with females comprising 33% of the intern class.
Manager swaps where interns can learn from another Skanska leader in a different region Virtual lunch and learns with an overview of Skanska’s global impact, project highlights and networking An HR support system for graduating students who want to apply for full-time work or continuing students who would like to return for another internship
33%
More Intern data
Interns joined our teams
139
universities represented
63
states represented
17
departments at Skanska USB supported
5
Our turnover rate in Florida has been cut in half.
50%
“Having a fun and engaging team really opens up your eyes to a company that allows you to grow into a person you want to be.”
Thomas Fitzgerald Senior Sustainability Engineer
Ian Wilson Superintendent
Universities represented
States represented
Departments at Skanska USB supported
Annual Employee Engagement Survey Your Voice, Our Success
Realizing the Power of Veteran Mentorship
Strengthening a Culture of Inclusion
We strive to uphold an inclusive culture where team members are recognized, included and supported; they feel valued, connected, and physically and psychologically safe. Our people strengthen our culture in many different ways—from learning Spanish to better communicate with trade partners, to listening, valuing and responding to the needs of our military members. Hear the perspectives and experiences of National Director of Culture & Engagement Ayesha Adams, Assistant Superintendent J.W. Weathers, EHS Manager Tavarus Sample, and USB President and CEO Paul Hewins.
“I can tell when an organization is simply paying lip service to D&I and when they’re genuine; Skanska is definitely the latter. Colleagues make a conscious effort to listen, be inclusive and course-correct when needed. I’ve seen this in action with leaders like Chief Strategy Officer Anita Nelson who talks about creating safe spaces and respecting diverse viewpoints, and Account Manager Todd Lofgren, who seeks to include historically underutilized businesses businesses in pursuits whether or not there’s an inclusion goal. This environment is what keeps me at Skanska.”
D&I Councils
We kicked off 2023 with 15 formalized D&I Councils across the U.S. With 154 members representing all departments in our organization, the councils focus on engaging our people in efforts that embed inclusion into the daily activities of our offices and projects and ultimately lead to meaningful, authentic relationships within our communities.
The best opportunity to measure the success of our culture is through the results of our annual employee survey—Your Voice Our Success (YVOS). The survey responses are anonymous, and it’s conducted by a widely respected third-party company. We act on the results of YVOS to ensure we are living our values and delivering on our cultural goals.
For Army Veteran Russ Marron, it was the hands-on, fast-paced, and challenging aspects of the construction industry that drew him in. He was aware, though, that military transitions take time and that he didn’t need to brave it alone. Shortly after joining Skanska, Russ connected with Senior Safety Director Jarrett Milligan, a fellow Veteran. Jarrett became a mentor for Russ, helping him learn the technical aspects of construction. The two also discussed team organization, leadership and problem-solving skills. Russ explained, “Jarrett helped me bridge the gap between approaching challenges with a military mindset versus the perspective of our teammates and clients. With his mentorship, I had the courage to lead a project team using my transferrable skills while committing to learning as much as possible.”
Indira Santiago Marketing Coordinator
Our people are leading the way, building an inclusive and psychologically safe culture at Skanska. Our culture is one of connection and collaboration where everyone is seen, supported and valued. Under our hard hats are big hearts that make sure all have a place at the table where we share and create the stories that shape our D&I journey.
Culture
Act Ethically and Transparently
Care for Life
Be Better Together
Commit to Customers
Overall Results
91%
Employee Response Rate
87%
Feel engaged with the business and each other
84%
Feel enabled to do their jobs well
89%
Excellent Leader Index
99%
Understand Skanska’s Code of Conduct
97%
Never feel pressured to compromise the Code of Conduct
Confident reported unethical behavior will be handled effectively
The majority of responses ranked much higher on average than others collected by the third-party company, which include the construction industry and high performing companies across the globe. Results shown below represent Skanska USA Building employee feedback.
Our Values in Action
Russ Marron Project Manager New York, NY United States Army – Engineer Officer, Major
The Green Sticker Program
Construction employees are nearly four times as likely to commit suicide and are at a greater risk of mental health concerns when compared to the national average. To better equip people to make potentially lifesaving, peer-to-peer connections we launched the Green Sticker Program. Since 2021, the program has expanded with 17 offices taking part in the training. Those who finish the program are better equipped to recognize mental health challenges in the field or in the office and point people to professional services. Trainees wear a green sticker on their hard hat, letting peers know they are a safe place to turn to when dealing with a mental health issue. It’s a powerful symbol of support and solidarity.
Focusing on People and Community Seattle, WA
Answering the Call to Action Houston, TX
“The engagement and collaborative effort of our local D&I Councils is focused on developing a plan that addresses unique regional needs while maintaining alignment with our D&I Strategy. The work of our councils is strengthening our culture and propelling us forward.”
Chris Toher Chief Operating Officer, Skanska USA Building
Answering the Call to Action When there was a call to create a local D&I Council in the Houston/North Texas region, Senior Project Engineer Scheinderley “Eli” Dupuy was happy to help. Additional volunteers from local leadership, operations, business development, marketing, HR and the supplier diversity team joined. With the council established, the group aligned its initiatives with their local office 2023 business plan, which focused on recruitment and retention as well as community and supplier diversity outreach. Houston/North Texas D&I Council’s Co-Lead and Senior Project Engineer Eli Dupuy and Council Vice Co-Leads—Senior Project Engineer Suhas Sreekantaswamy and Assistant Project Manager Francy Gonzalez—teamed up to distribute food to those in need in their local community.
“The council has been really impactful. Internally, it’s created a space where local leadership can interact and brainstorm regularly with a variety of team members, creating a synergy of actionable goals that benefit our community.”
Eli Dupuy Senior Project Engineer
Focusing on People and Community Seattle’s D&I Council focused on action-oriented efforts that cultivate and sustain colleagues, customers and communities. Their partnership with Seattle Public Schools’ Office of African American Male Achievement continues alongside our Youth in Construction Program, which introduces young people from underrrepresented groups to construction career paths. More than 80 students attended our second annual Lined Up for Success event, which launched the school year for participants in the Kingmakers of Seattle program. This program supports the cultural, historical, social and emotional needs of boys and teens and is run by Seattle Public Schools’ Office of African American Male Achievement.
Since 2022, 398 Skanska employees across 17 offices have earned their green sticker.
398
98%
Understand health and safety rules and procedures
95%
Feel their manager cares for their wellbeing and is respectful
90%
Have good opportunities for learning and development at Skanska
92%
Believe their manager demonstrates inclusive behaviors
Feel their manager views D&I as a business imperative
Agree different points of view are encouraged and valued
94%
Understand how their job contributes to building for a better society
Agree Skanska provides sustainable solutions to customers and society
Use customer feedback to improve products and services
Our Community Impact
Building for a Better Society
The projects we deliver are more than concrete and steel—they are spaces where people live, work, educate and heal. To deliver on our purpose to build for a better society, we do more than construct buildings. We build authentic connections across our communities to enhance our projects and shape a better future. The results are impactful.
“I encourage every project team to start making sustainability-focused decisions early, not just so we can achieve a specific certification, but so that we can truly make a difference in our communities. D&I is a pillar of sustainability, so the more we can include people with diverse backgrounds, the better we can innovate, which not only helps our projects but society as a whole.”
In Nashville, Skanska and HASTINGS Architecture sponsored a new home and built its framing in just one day. They later joined homeowner Theodore Caldwell, a mail clerk for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers since 1989, for a ribbon cutting ceremony. Based in Ft. Worth, Texas, Cowtown Brushup brings together volunteers to refresh home exteriors and help keep neighborhoods vital. Eligible community members are often elderly residents on fixed incomes. Our North Texas team sponsored and volunteered through Habitat for Humanity to support these efforts. It was a big day for the Ft. Worth community, with nearly 1,000 volunteers refreshing homes, sometimes next door to each other.
Ladan Haji-Mohamed Senior Sustainability Engineer
To build strong and resilient communities, we’re forging enduring partnerships anchored in shared values and a commitment to uplift our teammates, customers and communities. We integrate inclusive business practices during field operations to enhance trade partners' opportunities before, during and after our projects are complete.
2023 Corporate Community Involvement
Improving our Communities with Habitat for Humanity
Investing in our Partners and Communities
Assistant Vice President – Supplier Diversity Terrie Daniel joined us from the University of South Florida to talk about our co-created Mentor Protégé program. Similar to CMBB, this program provides historically underutilized businesses with insight into the industry and opportunities to grow their network through educational programming. Several recent CMBB graduates also sat down with us to share their experiences and the benefits of our training program. Launched in 2007, CMBB is a free, 10-week course designed to equip businesses with the knowledge and tools to thrive in the construction industry.
D&I and Sustainability
Being a responsible business, inside and out, means Skanska works with care for local environments and communities. We achieve our full potential by embracing diversity and creating inclusive environments by:
Community
Volunteered with Habitat for Humanity across the U.S.
388 hours
Donated to our communities
$2.7M
Supplier Diversity
Next-level Partnerships
Our new Excellence in Construction Leadership Program (ECLP) is an open-ended, nomination-based program designed to facilitate ongoing access, knowledge sharing and mutually beneficial partnerships between Skanska executives and executives from small, minority-owned and other historically underutilized businesses who are ready to take on larger industry roles. Many other construction companies have adopted regional programs similar to CMBB since it was initially launched in 2007; however, Skanska’s ECLP program is the first of its kind to focus specifically on nationwide, executive-level development.
"Facilitating access to diverse partners though inclusive business practices is our Supplier Diversity mission. The ECLP will strengthen partnerships nationwide between our Skanska leadership teams and our diverse business partners."
Joy Yue National Director - Supplier Diversity Skanska USA Building
Read Skanska's Global 2023 Annual and Sustainability Report
Inspiring the Next Generation
Day of Discovery is an initiative designed to engage and inspire the next generation of women leaders while showcasing the many exciting opportunities available within the architecture, engineering and construction fields (AEC). Throughout the year, Skanska teams across the U.S. collaborated with clients and industry partners to introduce young women to the AEC industry.
Gifts-in-Kind
$58K
Employee volunteer hours donated
7,045
Value of hours donated
XXX
Total financial contribution
$1.5M
$572K
$604K
Awarded in contracts to small, minority-owned and other historically underutilized businesses
$1.56B
Firms graduated from our free Construction Management Building Blocks™ (CMBB™) program
79
CMBB graduates prequalified
40
Firms graduated from CMBB since 2007
800+
Learn about two of these recent projects in the videos below
Laying the Groundwork for Trade Partners to Thrive
A Responsible Business for People and Planet
Safeguarding the environment Embracing diversity and creating inclusive environments Ensuring health and safety for all Maintaining fair and ethical business operations
Delivering on Purpose
While we actively support all the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we've identified seven where our business will have the most impact.
UNSDG Goals Supported
Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth, Academic and PE Building – Vancouver, WA
The new, 35,000-SF academic and 15,000-SF physical education buildings are purpose-designed to support ASL/bilingual education. The project team collaborated with CDHY students and DeafSpace design consultants to incorporate elements that enhance accessibility, comfort and sensory experiences, helping to create a sense of belonging for the students.
County of San Mateo, Cordilleras Mental Health Center – Redwood City, CA
To normalize psychiatric care, healthcare providers, designers and builders are joining together to transform behavioral healthcare through secure, home-like treatment facilities such as Cordilleras. The 60,000-SF campus has four, single-story mental health recovery centers and a three-story co-housing building for 57 residents. The buildings are arrayed around outdoor seating, community gardens and recreation courts.
Awarded in contracts to DBEs
DBE firms graduated from our Construction Management Building Blocks™ (CMBB™) program
“We have an opportunity to go much further on our D&I journey. To evolve our business, we must advance our people. This means remaining intentional in our inclusivity efforts; moving our people more swiftly through their careers by providing better training, support and opportunities; and opening the doors further to welcome individuals with even more varied skillsets and backgrounds. If we do this, innovation, creativity and, most importantly, our people will thrive.”
Paul Hewins Chief Executive Officer, Skanska USA Building
Looking ahead at the months to come, our D&I efforts will focus on:
Evolving and strengthening global connections
Continuing our commitment to the UNSDGs
Strengthening existing partnerships and forming new ones, both internally and externally
Supporting our D&I Councils
At a national level, we’re committed to supporting the local efforts of our councils—the heartbeat of our D&I efforts. Local leadership and our national D&I team will work with the councils to ensure their commitments align to our D&I strategy while supporting local office priorities.
As on every construction project, fostering productive partnerships within our teams and throughout our communities will be critical to our ongoing success. We will:
Anchor our efforts to key market sectors like healthcare, science and technology, and higher education. Reinforce internal partnerships with SWN, EHS, Business Development, Supplier Diversity and Skanska USA Commercial Development and USA Civil. Develop resources to support our general managers as they set local D&I priorities.
We will track all efforts that align with the UNSDGs and expand our commitment by incorporating new goals.
Our organization will continue participating in global forums and contributing to Skanska’s global D&I journey.
To build stronger, we will go deeper. We will develop deeper connections within our communities and with our Skanska teammates, partners and customers. As we build on the positive momentum of 2023, we will remain focused and flexible.
Path Forward
Our Partners
iBuild Summer Camp
Our Community Impact: Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth
The new, 35,000-SF academic and 15,000-SF physical education buildings are purpose-designed to support ASL/bilingual education. The project team collaborated with CDHY students and DeafSpace design consultants to incorporate elements that enhance accessibility, comfort and sensory experiences, helping create a sense of belonging for the students.
Our Community Impact: Cordilleras Mental Health Center
Our Florida-based D&I Council hosted a Middle School Summer Camp Day for iBuild Central Florida where students gained STEM literacy and exposure to careers in construction.
