Brady SoCal contracting promotes collaboration by holding daily “stretch-flex” limbering up sessions at its construction sites, COVID-19 masks firmly in place.
Scout Distributing is redoubling its efforts toward inclusion and racial equity after realizing that it has never received an application from or hired a Black employee in three years of wholesale alcoholic beverage sales.
The San Diego Humane Society, while prizing its empathy toward animals as well to employees and customers, held a contest for the best work-at-home photo to reengage with staffers working distantly.
These examples are among many that illustrate a finding from this year’s Top Workplaces survey by Energage of 53 markets around the country: San Diego outranks most places for embracing an inclusive workforce and promoting collaboration among individuals and their work teams.
“We see that San Diego is significantly more inclusive,” said Energage founder Doug Claffey.
The company’s first “culture dimensions analysis” report showed that San Diego companies’ employees mentioned inclusiveness 16.5 percent of the time, compared with 13.8 percent nationally.
Of 12 categories analyzed, based on three-word descriptors employees mentioned, San Diego employees also valued collaboration 10.9 percent of the time, compared with a 9.5 percent national average. The other 10 categories showed little variation from the national norm.
Claffey said San Diego’s corporate makeup and demographic profile may explain respondents’ frequent mention of words related to inclusiveness and collaboration.
“The slightly lower emphasis on pace might be because they enjoy the outdoors,” he said.
As an example of another area, he said, Washington, D.C., rated even higher at 17.3 percent on inclusiveness but way below San Diego and other areas for “caring.”
Leaders of a sample of this year’s 70 top workplaces in San Diego said they consider inclusiveness and collaboration essential and work to improve both.
Rick Marshall, president of the 345-person firm that installs drywall, fireproofing and other construction materials, said the stretch-and-flex routine was inspired by the 1986 movie “Gung Ho,” in which Japanese managers introduced limbering-up exercises as a way to build company teamwork. He calls his crews “construction athletes.”
Scout Distribution CEO Jeff Hansson said the COVID-19 pandemic prompted him to institute new communication channels to keep in touch with his 51 employees before nearly all returned to work at the Scripps Ranch headquarters. He also encourages collaboration through such drives as a sustainability campaign to reduce waste.
But the realization that the company lacked any Black workers prompted him to reach out to organizations that could help him improve diversity.
“We need to make people feel safe and comfortable and know there’s equality in the workplace,” he said.
Tina Nguyen, head of San Diego Humane Society’s personnel department for the 533-person workforce, said when she realized that a handful of employees was handling all translation duties, she identified all those who could speak a foreign language and spread the workload. To build teamwork, employees competed in a photo contest to show the best work-at-home environment.
Other examples of local company efforts at collaboration and inclusion:
- The Booz Allen consulting firm developed new anti-cyberattack software by tapping multiple departments in multiple cities;
- Spinal Elements, a medical devices company with 104 local employees, coaxes introverted employees to participate in team-building games, such as voting in a pumpkin-carving contest if they didn’t enter the contest themselves.
- SmashTech, developer of health and beauty products, queries its 72 employees regularly on a variety of topics and attitudes. “I don’t think you can have true collaboration if you don’t have everyone included in the conversation,” said Rob Macabante, vice president of operations
Jennie Brooks, Booz Allen’s senior vice president and regional leader of San Diego’s offices with 1,349 local employees, echoed the thoughts of many top workplace executives in explaining why San Diego ranks high in inclusiveness and collaboration.
“Our military roots, with research and development and the innovation sector in San Diego, instill a great sense of collaboration and innovation,” she said.
Anita Trotta at Spinal Elements said San Diego’s diverse population from many places inherently leads to a greater degree of inclusion.
“Over time our children are exposed to different children that have lived in different places and seen different things,” Trotta said. “So naturally we have evolved into a community that tends to be focused on innovation and community.”
Roger Showley is a freelance writer.
