At Apex, DEI is Core to the Values and Beliefs We Hold as a Company
It is also widely acknowledged that companies with diverse workforces benefit from the different perspectives and experiences their employees bring to the table—and that leveraging diversity on teams also leads to more creative solutions and innovations.
Apex Companies proudly embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and supports our employees in living and working as their authentic selves.
Apex’s DEI Commitment
Apex has made the following commitments to DEI:
- Build teams that are as diverse as the customers and communities we serve and maintain an environment where all our people can thrive.
- Initiate a plan to track diversity, equity, and inclusion across a series of metrics to establish a baseline that can be shared with stakeholders upon inventory.
- Prohibit discrimination on the basis of personal characteristics or other reasons at any time throughout employment, including during decision-making processes such as hiring; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; and disciplinary and employment actions.
- Engage in practices and policies through our recruitment and selection efforts which seek to mitigate unconscious bias and focus on building diverse and high-functioning teams.
- Expect respectful communication and cooperation between all employees.
- Rely on and invite employee participation in a team environment and encourage and permit the representation of all groups and employee perspectives to ensure delivery of best-in-class service to our clients.
DEI Governance Structure at Apex
Ideally, everyone at Apex “owns” DEI initiatives. But realistically, individuals, or a group of people, need to provide oversight and track progress. Apex’s DEI governance body is led by our CEO and chief human resources officer (CHRO), guided by our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) committee which represents diverse perspectives and is supported by the DEI Committee.
The purpose of this structure is to ensure empowerment to institute organization-wide change. The DEI governance body is designed to engage all levels of the organization as we embark on the journey of identifying goals and objectives.
At the heart of our operations lies a steadfast commitment to sustainability, ethical practices, and responsible corporate citizenship. Our ESG and DEI governance framework serves as a guiding light, ensuring that the decisions we make align with our core values and contributes positively to the communities in which we operate. Explore the intricacies of our governance structure below to discover how our ERGs, our ESG and DEI Committees, and ESG Subcommittees are integrated and supported by leadership.
- ESG Committee: an overarching work unit accountable for shaping Apex’s developing ESG program.
- DEI Program Manager (Chair): designs, executes, and manages the company-wide DEI initiatives to strengthen the company’s approach to the development of an inclusive corporate culture that empowers people, fosters innovative thinking, and creates successful outcomes.
- Committee Co-Chair: collaborates with the program chair to help develop the committee objectives, organize and manage the committee’s activities and ensure successful outcomes.
- DEI Committee (sub-committee): an overarching work unit accountable for aligning DEI strategy with organizational strategy and ensuring access to sufficient resources.
- Executive Sponsors: senior leaders who mentor and advocate for the ERG groups—help bridge the gap, drive the group’s efficacy, and connect its mission to Apex company goals.
- Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): these play a critical role in sharing the perspectives and experiences of groups of employees and are designed to create safe spaces for people from diverse backgrounds to build an internal network and community.
- Project Group(s): primarily accountable for implementing the DEI strategy across the organization and reporting to leadership groups on progress, challenges, and resourcing needs. The DEI strategic pillars or initiatives will dictate if these are required and how many. Project groups report to the DEI committee.
- Ally: in the context of ERGs, an ally is a person of one social identity group who advocates for and stands up in support of members of another group, even if they do not personally identify with that group, to support that group’s mission and goals.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
ERGs are employer-sponsored networks or groups of employees that form based on a shared characteristic or background. These groups allow employees with commonalities to meet, support each other and produce a particular outcome that can help improve the business and job satisfaction. Voluntarily led by employees, these groups advocate for themselves. However, in addition to fostering their own professional development, they often become a valuable resource to employers by providing information about a group’s identities and needs, and by performing community outreach, opening new networks for recruiting, supporting business objectives, and serving as a visible sign of an employers’ commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace. They also serve as an empowering and safe avenue for employees to express themselves and seek support within an organization.
Apex currently has seven active ERGs and is looking for sponsors internally to establish new ERGs:
- Administrative Community—offers a support network for those in administrative roles at Apex, their champions, and advocates, or for those who are interested in connecting further with Apex’s administrative community.
- BIPOC—fosters inclusivity and professional growth, amplifying voices and advocating for positive workplace changes to empower BIPOC employees and create a thriving, diverse organization.
- Emerging Professionals—for those who are at earlier stages in their professional careers (regardless of age) and those who want to provide support and mentorship to this community of employees.
- Mapping Professionals—for employees who work in this discipline, want to learn more about GIS/CAD, and are supportive of a community of practice at Apex.
- Pride—for those who wish to provide and promote LGBTQIA2S+ visibility among staff and management related to current workplace and social issues that affect the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
- Wellness Alliance—for all who want to help remove the stigma around mental health and provide resources and support for optimal mental health for Apex employees.
- Women’s Leadership Alliance—for individuals who want to support and learn more about empowering women to grow personally and professional at Apex.