As a global company dedicated to resourcefulness, Itron knows that there are very few resources more precious to an organization than its people. With nearly 6,000 employees working together to help utilities and cities better manage energy and water, creating an inclusive culture lays the foundation for everything we do.
At Itron, we believe that inclusion is the key to unlocking the power of diversity. By welcoming, supporting and empowering all voices to be heard, we create an authentic, purposeful employee experience. We lead with inclusion – it’s what brings us together, and diversity celebrates our differences. Our primary goal is to create an inclusive culture that works for all employees and attracts and retains the industry’s top talent.
As an inclusion-first organization, we believe building communities at Itron is incredibly important. We also understand we live in a time where people have a range of ways they may identify and have a multitude of interests. To meet our employees where they’re at, Itron is taking a modern approach to create communities for all individuals and to include those who are underrepresented. Our Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) team held a series of over 20 focus groups which led to the development of our Employee Resource Group concept, intended to help employees co-create their own community based on inclusivity needs at the intersection of an environmental, social and governance purpose. This allows us to decentralize inclusion so that all employees can take ownership and help drive their sense of belonging in a holistic way that makes sense to them.
Building further on those efforts, we are driving the development of several inclusion initiatives, starting with a 15-point assessment of Itron’s existing inclusion and diversity maturity and readiness. Itron also established an I&D Center of Excellence (COE) to continue to drive inclusion and diversity initiatives. Using insights from the assessment, we created a set of programs and plans, including an intranet site to house all I&D information, tools and resources as well as I&D COE-led initiatives that focus on facilitating inclusive celebrations and opportunities for employees to learn about cultures outside of their own. The assessment helped inform the business on the creation of Itron’s I&D plan, strategy and establishment of the COE.
We are continuing to take strides toward a more inclusive and diverse workplace. This includes expanding and empowering Itron’s Inclusion & Diversity Business Council that consists of business leaders whose roles span across the organization. The senior leadership who actively participate on the council help identify, align and execute best practices for inclusion and diversity efforts. By having business leaders participate on the Business Council, we are demonstrating the commitment and involvement with weaving inclusion into our company fabric. Council members are held accountable for helping build attainable goals, leading the charge on inclusive initiatives, emphasizing common I&D goals within their business unit and functional areas ensuring we have collaboration. Creating an inclusive culture that employees want to be part of is key to diversifying our workforce and is an effort that requires participation from everyone at Itron – from the C-level leadership team to every corner of our global operation.
Itron’s culture forms the foundation of our success and is at the heart of everything we do as a company. Our efforts to create an inclusive culture and diverse workforce are ongoing as we find new and better ways to invest in our people, programs that support their success and opportunities to celebrate what each of us has to offer. After all, people are our most precious resource. And we will never stop investing in them.
