Our work in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion is an extension of our closely held values and an expression of the type of place we want to be: a space that’s welcoming and inclusive for all Kittelson staff.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Committee
The DE&I Committee is a group of rotating team members who guide the firm’s DE&I initiatives. This committee receives staff input through small group sessions, feedback forums, and open meetings, and works directly with Kittelson leadership to prioritize actions, keep the work moving forward, provide accountability, and measure progress.
Staff Experiences Assessments
We periodically contract with external, objective vendors in order to better understand the experiences of staff across Kittelson. This has included working with a human resources consulting firm to conduct an independent analysis of compensation-related practices to ensure consistent, unbiased, fair pay outcomes, and partnering with survey consultants to conduct anonymous surveys of staff experiences, including leadership demonstration of DE&I, inclusiveness of work environment, transparency around promotion and compensation, and barriers to upward mobility.
Employee Resource Groups
Launched in 2020, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are important internal networks and places of community at Kittelson built around shared experiences. Our ERGs build mutual support among peers, create space for discussing important issues and common experiences, generate new ideas, and help ease new team members’ transition to the firm. ERGs at Kittelson are member-led, mission-driven, and each group has a leadership sponsor who advocates for the group and elevates their ideas, concerns, and perspectives. Actively-meeting groups include BIPOC, Rainbow Road, Women@Kittelson, Foreign Nationals, Mental Health, Staff Approaching Retirement, Interfaith Table, and New Staff.
Inclusiveness in Hiring Practices
We seek to continually enhance the way we recruit, review, and hire applicants. Steps in this area have included expanding training, using editing tools to catch and remove bias in job descriptions, including salary ranges on all job posts, and designing a compensation package that supports a variety of situations.