The Importance of Representation
October 4th, 2021
Hispanic Heritage Month started on September 15th, and I was so excited to share stories, videos, and photos of my Puerto Rican heritage. While I type away and gather information to share on my media platforms, I took a moment to acknowledge the lack of Hispanics I see in my profession, and lack of people of color within the AEC industry. I have often wondered what it would be like if there were more people from my culture, in my company, at networking events, in associations, at the happy hours, and in the client meetings. The sense of community and comfort I have with my culture would be so refreshing to have in my professional environment. The thought of the opportunity to be creative and innovative with individuals from my culture, who I share similar experiences and passions with is so exciting, yet far from my reality.
As we move into the month of October, which is Global Diversity Awareness Month where we recognize the positive impact a diverse workforce of people can have on society, let’s also think about how important representation is in the workforce, and what we can do to change the lack of diversity in our industry. Research shows that the most diverse companies are now more likely to outperform less diverse companies in profitability and that is due to the amount of diversity of thought when making decisions, the representation and sense of belonging people from both gender diversity and ethnic culture diversity have in their company and their company’s leadership. When people are represented, heard, and accepted for who they are, they will perform at their highest level.
I am proud that HRP has embarked on a journey to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for its employees and partners. I look forward to the progress we will make and the many lives we will change, for the better.
Alicia Washington, Principal, Director of Marketing and JEDI at HRP Associates, Inc.
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