Prologis

Virginia Colurcio

Incorporating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) at a grassroots level, from boardroom to hiring employees, to promoting, to supporting changes in workforce is not just necessary to right inequalities in corporations and businesses. True DEIB practices cause the ‘butterfly effect’ that resonates through and cascades into success for the business.

One of the three cornerstones at Prologis Europe is Culture & Talent, and in my role as Senior Vice President of People & Culture, Europe and Global Organisation Talent Strategy, I am highly conscious of  the role I play at creating an environment that empowers all groups of people within the workplace,  particularly within traditionally “white cis male” industries.

Skills, not bias

DEIB hiring policies should go beyond catering for equal opportunities—it should be a priority, at base level. I work hard to encourage our managers to break the cultural and stereotypical biases #breakthebias. Organisations today have workforce that are highly specialised and we cannot afford to focus on bias—especially when talent, skill and drive is bias-blind.

I am conscious of driving and creating within Prologis Europe a culture that makes space for every person. I believe that fostering belonging for human beings from all walks of life speaks volumes: the more welcome, safe and respected a work environment, the more its employees are proud to be the sum of its parts.

“No, really, how are you doing?” is a question I encourage our managers and leaders to be intentional  about asking their teams—I have found that genuine care and concern is one of the easiest ways to instil  a sense of belonging, inclusion, safety and warmth. There is a tendency to not want to ask the question because managers feel duty-bound to try to fix the issue or think it will become a protracted amount of time spent to really listen. But it’s a clear fact that a few minutes spent truly listening and responding with empathy goes a long way. To borrow a financial term, the return on investment (ROI) of the few minutes is enormous, creating connections that potentially shave off months of costly therapy for the employee.

Creativity lies within diversity

Diverse teams are proven to be more innovative, creative and productive as they bring different perspectives, experiences, and skills to the table. Our customers come from all five continents across the globe, from all cultures. The communities we operate in are also diverse. It is a given that our employees too, would be as diverse—and that is to be cultivated. Every new person, every new cultural addition, gives us an added edge to understand and provide better value to our customers. 

"I work hard to encourage our managers to break the cultural and stereotypical biases #breakthebias"

The Italians built villas mastering arches and curves to maximise sunlight and shade in the hot sun, while the Japanese know how to make use of every available space for storage: both masters of their realms, both equally artisanal. Similarly, the diversity within Prologis Europe create a tightly knit fabric with  different backgrounds, perspectives and ideas that lead to better decision-making, innovation and tech.

Inside strength, outside impact

A robust DEIB foundation at a policy level creates a unique strength to better understand and meet the needs of their diverse customer base. When companies have a diverse workforce, they are better equipped to understand and empathise with the experiences, needs and pain points of different customer groups.

Our managers are coached to be coaches themselves, recognising that enabling team leaders to truly facilitate the growth of their teams requires deliberate training and development. This includes working hard to develop a healthy and supportive feedback system within our teams.

We’re constantly refining our policies, our workplace environment and language to lead, coach and support our colleagues. We invest into communication strategies for our leaders to enable them to facilitate better and lead more effectively. 

As the world becomes increasingly diverse and interconnected, companies that fail to embrace DEI principles risk falling behind their competitors and losing relevance in the marketplace. A strong DEI policy is not only the right thing to do, but it is also the smart thing to do for companies that want to succeed in the long run.