We have now surpassed three years since formalizing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative company-wide at Forrest Solutions — and we are thrilled with the progress we have made over the last 36 months and remain steady in our mission.

In our recent DEI Townhall earlier this month, we reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to creating an inclusive, diverse, open, and respectful environment within our company. This mission has remained at the core of our values, and over the last few years, we’ve taken substantial actions to drive awareness, understanding, and transparency to the various walks of life that contribute to the company culture at Forrest Solutions. We remain guided by our key pillars of community including:

  • Listening, learning, and acting
  • Committing to a culture where differences are valued
  • Encouraging dialogue of diverse ideas, topics, and issues enabling others to learn from this exchange
  • Promoting employment and leadership opportunities
  • Striving to prepare staff from all backgrounds to foster respect, understanding, awareness, diversity, and cooperation

Over the last several years, DEI has been the spotlight for Forrest Solutions. During our annual “We Are One! Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Town Hall,” Chief Operating Officer, Juan Pazmino, and Senior Vice President of Learning, Development, and Diversity, Jose Cruz, took center stage in front of hundreds of actively engaged employees to review the successes of implemented initiatives, the growth that has transpired since May 2020, and how much we desire to build on this momentum.

Here’s just a snapshot of some of our successes over the last 12 months:

Training and Educational Initiatives

A pivotal step in our journey has been the implementation of training and educational initiatives. These programs align with our business goals and encompass the principles of listening, learning, and acting. We’ve strived to establish a culture where differences are not just accepted but genuinely valued. Through encouraging dialogues on diverse topics, even the more challenging conversations, we’ve witnessed rapid progress and decisive actions to address critical issues.

Promotion of Opportunities and Leadership

As Forrest Solutions continues to expand, we’ve placed significant emphasis on promoting employment and leadership opportunities. Recognizing the importance of a diverse workforce, we’ve been proactive in providing platforms for growth and advancement.

This focus has led to a remarkable year over year increase in female-identified roles, continued growth in diversity across races that tower over national averages, and an incredible rise in internal promotions. Since 2020, internal promotions have more than doubled and remain steady with a promising trajectory for 2023.

DEI Curriculum

Forrest Solutions University continues to be a vital learning resource for all employees – especially in learning and development of our company culture. Forrest Solutions University, with all of our learning modules, resources, and thousands of hours of DEI videos, has been critical in onboarding and creating awareness around DEI initiatives company-wide.

Giving Back to the Community and a Continual Focus:

Our DEI journey began with the formation of a dedicated committee back in September 2020. This group of committed individuals has been instrumental in driving our initiatives forward. Our updated company website reflects our people-powered solutions approach, underpinned by our WPX culture, emphasizing how we treat each other and our external partners.

This approach is reinforced with our involvement in initiatives like:

  • The American Cancer Society’s Walks Against Breast Cancer – where we raised over $7,000 and showcased our dedication to making a positive impact beyond the workplace.
  • Continual spotlights of Forrest Solutions employees, their contributions to the company, and their importance to not only Forrest Solutions, but their community.
  • Monthly blog and social media posts highlighting holidays, observances, and events that promote kindness, understanding, awareness, and our DEI values.
  • NaVOBA, Veteran Owned Business Certification.

A DEI Learning Session:

To round out the DEI Town Hall, Senior Vice President of Learning, Development, and Diversity, Jose Cruz lead a DEI Learning Session, “Words at Work.” This session was an exercise in building inclusion through the power of language.

Language is a powerful tool for building inclusion at work. Inclusive language enables everyone at Forrest Solutions to feel valued and respected. Not only is inclusive language respective, it also generates high performance that delivers better results and productivity. During this session Jose looked at:

  • Why inclusive language matters
  • Busting the myths surrounding inclusive language
  • Ways to use the power of language to create an inclusive and productive work environment

Conclusion:

At Forrest Solutions, we see the annual Town Hall events; the ‘We Are One’ campaign; and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives not only as a way to foster a company culture that is inclusive to all groups of people, but as a way to invest in our employees.

Our journey, which began three years ago, has been marked by consistent progress and improvement. We are grateful for the feedback and heartfelt comments that guide our evolution as an organization. By championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, we’re building a stronger, more united company that celebrates our differences and fuels our collective growth.