Inclusion: Inclusive Workforce

What is an inclusive workforce?

WSDOT is ensuring that every voice is heard and different perspectives are considered. We do this by (click through the tabs to discover):


Inclusive Workforce Index

How do we measure an inclusive workforce?

We survey employees annually. WSDOT has developed an “Inclusive Workforce Index” to measure the success of our inclusion efforts. The index gives equal weight to five statements our employees are asked to score in an annual engagement survey. Clicking the tabs above will give you more information on each.


Progress  
2019
Inclusive Workforce Index
73% on track status icon
on track

WSDOT employees were asked to indicate their agreement with five workforce inclusion statements, bulleted below.

  • I have the opportunity to give input on decisions affecting my work.
  • My agency consistently demonstrates support for a diverse workforce.
  • At my workplace, I feel valued for who I am as a person.
  • I take initiative to incorporate other’s opinions into my work.
  • My thoughts and opinions matter at work.


    • More about the Inclusive Workforce Index

    Why is an inclusive workforce important?

    WSDOT seeks to understand, be sensitive to, and employ a workforce that reflects the many diverse communities we serve. Building a diverse and inclusive workplace helps drive innovation by creating an environment where “outside the box” ideas are heard – which helps employees do their best work for the people of Washington state. WSDOT recognizes the importance of inclusion in our workforce and will continue to foster a work environment wherein employees feel welcome and safe to bring their true selves. WSDOT measures success through the Washington State Employee Annual Engagement Survey.

    How are we doing?

    Since 2013 WSDOT employees have been asked annually if they have the opportunity to give input on decisions affecting their work and if WSDOT consistently demonstrates support for a diverse workforce. To help progress in these areas, new WSDOT-specific statements have been added to the 2018 Washington State Employee Engagement Survey and combined to create the Inclusive Workforce Index.

    What are we working on?

    To ensure our employees feel valued, the agency continues to build a work environment that is respectful, supportive and inclusive to everyone. WSDOT is assessing ways to integrate diversity and inclusion into development and leadership training, in addition to identifying training opportunities for inclusion, civility and building a respectful work environment. We will continue to find ways to communicate and highlight the agency’s values and goal areas, in hopes of providing our employees with a better understanding of how their roles fit the bigger picture of the agency.

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    Including employees in decisions

    How do we measure including employees in decisions?

    We survey employees annually. We aim to increase to 66% the percentage of surveyed WSDOT employees who respond positively to the statement “I have the opportunity to give input on decisions affecting my work.”


    Progress     Target    
    2019 2021
    66%  Arrow to right  66% on track status icon
    on track

    Why did we pick this target?

    Since at least 2013 WSDOT has asked employees about this statement; growth has been slow but steady. The agency has increased its efforts to make our employees feel included through the designation of Inclusion as an agency goal in 2017, and the addition of an Inclusive Workforce strategy in 2018. With the added emphasis, agency Human Resources professionals feel that 66% is a reasonable expectation. We’re paying close attention to this target and will adjust accordingly.


    More about including employees in decisions

    Why is an inclusive workforce a priority?

    WSDOT seeks to understand, be sensitive to, and employ a workforce that reflects the many diverse communities we serve. Building a diverse and inclusive workplace helps drive innovation by creating an environment where “outside the box” ideas are heard – which helps employees do their best work for the people of Washington state. WSDOT recognizes the importance of inclusion in our workforce and will continue to foster a work environment wherein employees feel welcome and safe to bring their true selves. WSDOT measures success through the Washington State Employee Annual Engagement Survey where, among other things, employees are asked if they agree with the statement “I have the opportunity to give input on decisions affecting my work.”

    How are we doing?

    Since 2013, WSDOT employees have been asked if they feel included in decision making annually. In the 2018 survey, 65% of employees responded positively, the highest percentage since 2014 when 57% responded positively. WSDOT set a target in 2018 to meet 66% positive response by 2021. In the 2019 survey results we met the goal of 66% positive responses.

    What are we working on?

    To ensure our employees feel valued, the agency continues to build a work environment that is respectful, supportive and inclusive to everyone. WSDOT is assessing ways to integrate diversity and inclusion into development and leadership training, in addition to identifying training opportunities for inclusion, civility and building a respectful work environment. We will continue to find ways to communicate and highlight the agency’s values and goal areas, in hopes of providing our employees with a better understanding of how their roles fit the bigger picture of the agency. To evaluate progress in these areas, we will continue to pay close attention to the responses to WSDOT-specific statements in the Washington State Employee Engagement Survey.

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    Valuing diversity


    How do we measure valuing diversity?

    We survey employees annually. We strive to increase the percentage of surveyed WSDOT employees who respond positively to the statement “My agency consistently demonstrates support for a diverse workforce.”


    Progress   Target
    2019 2021
    77% Arrow to right 75% goal met status icon
    goal met

    Why did we pick this target?

    WSDOT has asked employees this question since at least 2013 and achieved its goal, 75%, in 2018. The agency has increased its efforts to make our employees feel included - Inclusion became an agency goal in 2017, and WSDOT added the Inclusive Workforce strategy in 2018. With the emphasis, agency Human Resources professionals feel that 75% is a reasonable expectation.


    More about valuing diversity

    Why is an inclusive workforce a priority?

    WSDOT seeks to understand, be sensitive to, and employ a workforce that reflects the many diverse communities we serve. Building a diverse and inclusive workplace helps drive innovation by creating an environment where “outside the box” ideas are heard – which helps employees do their best work for the people of Washington state. WSDOT recognizes the importance of inclusion in our workforce and will continue to foster a work environment where employees feel welcome and safe to bring their true selves. WSDOT measures success through the Washington State Employee Annual Engagement Survey where, among other things, employees are asked if they agree with the statement “My agency consistently demonstrates support for a diverse workforce.”

    How are we doing?

    Since 2013, WSDOT employees have been asked if they feel included in decision making annually. The 2018 results showed 75% of employees responded positively, the highest percentage in the last five years and meeting our 2021 target. In the 2019 our results increased by an additional 2%. We hope to continue to see this positive response next year.

    What are we working on?

    To ensure our employees feel valued, the agency continues to build a work environment that is respectful, supportive and inclusive to everyone. WSDOT will be assessing ways to integrate diversity and inclusion into development and leadership training, in addition to identifying training opportunities for inclusion, civility and building a respectful work environment. We will continue to find ways to communicate and highlight the agency’s values and goal areas, in hopes of providing our employees with a better understanding of how their roles fit the bigger picture of the agency.

    Useful information

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    Valuing employees


    How do we measure valuing employees?

    We survey employees annually. We strive to increase the percentage of surveyed WSDOT employees who respond positively to the statement “At my workplace, I feel valued for who I am as a person.”


    Progress  
    2019
    69% on track status icon
    on track

    More about valuing employees

    Why is an inclusive workforce a priority?

    WSDOT seeks to understand, be sensitive to, and employ a workforce that reflects the many diverse communities we serve. Building a diverse and inclusive workplace helps drive innovation by creating an environment where “outside the box” ideas are heard – which helps employees do their best work for the people of Washington state. WSDOT recognizes the importance of inclusion in our workforce and will continue to foster a work environment wherein employees feel welcome and safe to bring their true selves. WSDOT measures success through the Washington State Employee Annual Engagement Survey where, among other things, employees are asked if they agree with the statement “At my workplace, I feel valued for who I am as a person.”

    How are we doing?

    In the 2018 Employee Engagement Survey, “At my workplace, I feel valued for who I am as a person” was added as an agency specific statement. In 2018 68% of employees responded positively and provided us with benchmark data. In 2019’s survey, the number of employees responding positively increased by 1%. This data provides us insights on inclusion in our current workforce landscape.

    What are we working on?

    To ensure our employees feel valued, the agency continues to build a work environment that is respectful, supportive and inclusive to everyone. WSDOT will be assessing ways to integrate diversity and inclusion into development and leadership training, in addition to identifying training opportunities for inclusion, civility and building a respectful work environment. We will continue to find ways to communicate and highlight the agency’s values and goal areas, in hopes of providing our employees with a better understanding of how their roles fit the bigger picture of the agency.

    Useful information

    Top of page


    Valuing others


    How do we measure valuing others?

    We survey employees annually. We strive to increase the percentage of surveyed WSDOT employees who respond positively to the statement “I take initiative to incorporate other’s opinions into my work.”


    Progress  
    2019
    87% on track status icon
    on track

    More about valuing others

    Why is an inclusive workforce a priority?

    WSDOT seeks to understand, be sensitive to, and employ a workforce that reflects the many diverse communities we serve. Building a diverse and inclusive workplace helps drive innovation by creating an environment where “outside the box” ideas are heard – which helps employees do their best work for the people of Washington state. WSDOT recognizes the importance of inclusion in our workforce and will continue to foster a work environment wherein employees feel welcome and safe to bring their true selves. WSDOT measures success through the Washington State Employee Annual Engagement Survey where, among other things, employees are asked if they agree with the statement “I take initiative to incorporate other’s opinions into my work.”

    How are we doing?

    In the 2018 Employee Engagement Survey, “I take initiative to incorporate other’s opinions into my work” was added as an agency specific statement. In 2018 86% of employees responded positively and provided us with benchmark data. In 2019’s survey, the number of employees responding positively increased by 1%. This data provides us insights on inclusion in our current workforce landscape.

    What are we working on?

    To ensure our employees feel valued, the agency continues to build a work environment that is respectful, supportive and inclusive to everyone. WSDOT is assessing ways to integrate diversity and inclusion into development and leadership training, in addition to identifying training opportunities for inclusion, civility and building a respectful work environment. We will continue to find ways to communicate and highlight the agency’s values and goal areas, in hopes of providing our employees with a better understanding of how their roles fit the bigger picture of the agency.

    Useful information

    Top of page


    Valuing input


    How do we measure valuing input?

    We survey employees annually. We strive to increase the percentage of surveyed WSDOT employees who respond positively to the statement “My thoughts and opinions matter at work.”


    Progress  
    2019
    64% on track status icon
    on track

    More about valuing input

    Why is an inclusive workforce a priority?

    WSDOT seeks to understand, be sensitive to, and employ a workforce that reflects the many diverse communities we serve. Building a diverse and inclusive workplace helps drive innovation by creating an environment where “outside the box” ideas are heard – which helps employees do their best work for the people of Washington state. WSDOT recognizes the importance of inclusion in our workforce and will continue to foster a work environment wherein employees feel welcome and safe to bring their true selves. WSDOT measures success through the Washington State Employee Annual Engagement Survey where, among other things, employees are asked if they agree with the statement “My thoughts and opinions matter at work.”

    How are we doing?

    In the 2018 Employee Engagement Survey, “My thoughts and opinions matter at work” was added as an agency specific statement. In 2018 61% of employees responded positively and provided us with benchmark data. In 2019’s survey, the number of employees responding positively increased by 3%. This data provides us our current workforce landscape on inclusion in the workplace.

    What are we working on?

    To ensure our employees feel valued, the agency continues to build a work environment that is respectful, supportive and inclusive to everyone. WSDOT is assessing ways to integrate diversity and inclusion into development and leadership training, in addition to identifying training opportunities for inclusion, civility and building a respectful work environment. We will continue to find ways to communicate and highlight the agency’s values and goal areas, in hopes of providing our employees with a better understanding of how their roles fit the bigger picture of the agency.

    Useful information

    Top of page