I consider myself lucky to be a part of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging team at Procore Technologies. At 2023’s Procore’s Groundbreak event, we had the opportunity to host Threads of Belonging, an interactive experience for attendees and employees alike. Our goal with the activation was to bring awareness to the various aspects that make people who they are while also highlighting the many connections between us. The end result was a true visual representation of both diversity and inclusion and a demonstration of interconnectedness in action. It was also one of the most visited expo floor activations, and we couldn’t have been more proud of how it was received by our Groundbreak attendees.
As people engaged in the activation, winding threads around spools labeled with identity markers like “Introvert,” “Latinx,” “Coffee-Drinker,” and “Caregiver," I noticed that people were taking their time, putting serious thought into how they identified and what markers they wished to choose.
As they spent time winding their threads, attendees also began to connect with each other. I listened as strangers commented to each other on which markers had a lot of thread and which didn’t. They talked about how they may have identified as one thing earlier in their careers, but they have changed as they’ve grown. I watched as two people laughed as they realized they had much in common with each other and then walked away from the activation, engaged in conversation about their backgrounds and where they came from. I smiled as people who had already participated led fellow colleagues over so they could also be a part of the activity.
When the conference was over, I spent a few minutes looking at the wall, thinking about the many similarities and differences between myself and my own colleagues, how both are critical for healthy teams, and the ways they make our work and our impact stronger and more impactful.
But don’t take my word for it. Who better than the employees who are active in multiple Employee Resource Groups to share their insights on inclusion, intersectionality, and belonging at work?
How Employee Resource Groups Create Belonging at Procore
“No one is in any one single box. I am a Black American woman, I am a woman working at a tech company, I am a person with ADHD, and so much more. Every part that makes me who I am needs attention. Sometimes I need uplifting, or to be listened to, or to be educated. Here I feel like I have a community for just about everything I need, which allows me to be the best employee I can be. I belong to ProBLAC, A Better Life for Everyone, and a Lean In Circle that is run by our Women’s Impact Network ERG. I get so much out of belonging to these communities where I feel that I am understood.”
Sarita, Project Manager, Professional Services
ERGs: A Better Life for Everyone, ProBLAC, Women’s Impact Network
“Community is about honoring people for who they are and giving them what they need, it’s not about expecting people to show up because they feel they have to. It makes you feel safe to show up at work for who you really are.”
Ashten, Orientation Specialist
ERGs: Caregivers, Jewcorians, Women in Tech
“I am a veteran, and I am a caregiver. I want to talk about those two aspects of my life with people who understand. Procore gives me more than one safe space here to talk about who I am and what’s happening in my life.”
Bri, Sr. Integration Implementation Specialist
ERGs: Caregivers, Veterans
“In the past, I felt like I had to live two lives: my professional life and my home life. But here I know that I can come in and give 110% of myself. I can talk about my Hispanic heritage, and I can talk about coming out, being married, and adopting a child–and what that has been like in a traditional Hispanic family. Because of the supportive communities here, I can bring a lot of myself into conversations and not worry about that having a negative impact on work relationships.”
Cris, Subscription Management Consultant
ERGs: ProQueer+, Unidos
“I’m a member of several ERGs at Procore, where I fill the roles of leader, participant, and ally. It’s empowering to share all sides of myself. It’s powerful what can happen when you bring people together who can celebrate differences and similarities.”
Juliana, Software Engineer
ERGs: Unidos, Veterans, Women in Tech
“ERGs provide opportunities for connection, growth, and leadership. Meeting someone through an ERG makes it comfortable to get to know someone, regardless of their title, because there are so many shared experiences to relate to.”
Joe, Sr. Revenue Enablement
ERGs: Asia Pacific & Islander, Unidos
“The way we identify isn’t always visibly evident. The ERGs at Procore have given me spaces where I can belong with people who look like me and with people who understand what it’s like when your brain works differently than others. ERGs give me communities where I feel like I don't have to over-explain my identity because there are others who may have a similar experience.”
Robbin, Sr. Product Designer, Design Systems
ERGs: A Better Life for Everyone, Asia Pacific & Islander
Our goal at Procore is to co-create a culture where diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are embedded into everything we do. An outcome of that goal is that employees like Sarita, Ashten, Bri, Cris, Juliana, Joe, and Robbin, feel that they, indeed, come to work and show up the way that they choose while feeling safe and secure in that choice. Learn more about our ERGs on our career site and about the work we do to help drive diversity and inclusion in the construction industry.
- Diversity & Inclusion
