2020 SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
BEST & BRIGHTEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR
& CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COMPENSATION, BENEFITS & EMPLOYEE SOLUTIONS
EMPLOYEE ENRICHMENT, ENGAGEMENT & RETENTION
EMPLOYEE EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT
PAGE 04
PAGE 06
PAGE 08
RECRUITMENT, SELECTION & ORIENTATION
EMPLOYEE ACHIEVEMENT & RECOGNITION
COMMUNICATION & SHARED VISION
PAGE 10
PAGE 12
PAGE 14
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
WORK/LIFE BALANCE
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
PAGE 16
PAGE 18
PAGE 20
STRATEGIC COMPANY PERFORMANCE PAGE 22
COMPENSATION, BENEFITS & EMPLOYEE SOLUTIONS HIGHLIGHTS • Employee Hall Pass: An extra paid day off to spend at school related events with children, siblings, nieces or nephews. 225 hours were used by 32 employees in 2019. • Large percentage of profits shared through a performance-based bonus program • Gym membership reimbursement program for employees who choose to participate • Special training programs to assist with personal growth, including finances
During this year’s health insurance renewal, employee’s premiums were reduced between 2% and 57% with no changes to the plans • Full range of employee benefits: medical, dental, vision, life and disability available through an online, easy-access portal • Additional plan type with lower premiums added as an option for employees with low medical costs • Base pay increases averaging 3-4% • 401K matches totaling $158,500 in 2019 • $84,575 given in traveling bonuses throughout the year to compensate for time spent away from home • $2,400 in referral bonuses paid out to employees who successfully referred a new hire • $2,400 in cash bonuses given to individuals for their safety in construction knowledge at monthly company-wide safety meetings • Employee Assistance Program • Special holiday celebrations • Handwritten notes from the CEO to employees and their spouses • Hardship funds available to all employees • EV Youniversity training opportunities
• Gifts to open with their families on Christmas morning (each gift was accompanied by a handwritten note from the CEO to the employee and their family) • An EV onesie, a gift card and a pack of diapers for new parents • Valentine’s Day treat for female office staff to get manicures or pedicures with wine and chocolate in the middle of the work day • Tuition reimbursement with a paid day off and special gift after graduation • Free flu shots and TB testing during a company-wide meeting in order to capture as many employees as possible • Opportunity to donate blood onsite multiple times per year • Continuous performance management utilizing uMap™ and Thrive365™ programs • Live streaming available for meetings, which is beneficial for our out of town employees • Cyber attack training to assist our employees in recognizing scams at work and at home • Various retreats throughout the year for fellowship, planning and team building (attended by over 50% of the company)
EMPLOYEE EVENTS
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS & SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING This year, we provided training to certify our employees in the area of mental health and suicide prevention. The focus was on QPR, (Question, Persuade, Refer), which is an emergency response to someone in a crisis or struggling with mental illness or challenges. We currently have over 50 employees who went through the training to recognize and respond to somebody who is struggling, depressed or suicidal. FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY Elzinga & Volkers full paid for a Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University program to any employee who wanted to learn about financial responsibility. The 9 weeks of classes were hosted by our VP of Operations and his wife and attended by a dozen employees with their significant others. The classes taught financial principles on how to become debt free, save for the future, build wealth, be generous to others and so much more. Everyone who attended was able share ideas with others in the class and give encouragement. As these principles are rooted in the company philosophy, they offered this as a free class to pass along these financial principles to their employees.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY We hosted an outstanding Christmas party that had food, music, entertainment and over $10,000 in prizes. In addition, we reserved a block of rooms at a local hotel and covered over 50% of the cost for any employee and their guest.
WELLNESS EVENTS In early 2019, a team sport was highly requested when surveying our employees on how we could improve our wellness program. We put together three events to encourage exercise and bonding outside of work hours; a softball game, kickball game and team participation in a community 5k. All the events were funded by the company. BOWLING PARTY We invited all our employees to participate in a company-paid bowling party one afternoon, during work hours, to give everyone time to relax and reconnect with coworkers they may not always get to see.
4,500 DAYS CELEBRATION A family picnic was held to celebrate 4,500 days without a lost time injury, a big feat in the construction industry and a testament to our employeecentric culture.
EMPLOYEE ENRICHMENT, ENGAGEMENT & RETENTION HIGHLIGHTS
• Continued improvement of our employee onboarding process • Employee intranet showing birthdays, work anniversaries, upcoming events, etc. • Charity outing participation • Employee advancement and performance bonuses • Continuous business expansion and opportunities • Added office location in Grand Rapids for employees who currently commute • Business planning retreats • Monthly employee newsletter • “Savoring Our Successes” weekly meeting to share personal and professional good news with the whole office • Monthly safety and company update meetings • Nationally recognized safety program • Employee Christmas party • Leadership open door policy • Annual project management, field management and trade retreats • Christmas bonus program • Chili cook-off with Michigan/MSU tailgate • Education reimbursement • Leadership breakfasts with field personnel • Online employee store to purchase logoed apparel • Personalized holiday gifts for every employee
FIELD STAFF OUTINGS In years past, the tradespeople have not received pay during the time they were gone for their outing. Office staff is paid for the Thanksgiving Gathering and the Summer Office Outing and senior field staff have paid time for their annual outing, but the tradespeople had been exempt to that luxury until this year. To ensure consistency across the board and to demonstrate equal appreciation, the tradesperson outing has been changed to a paid afternoon, moved to a Friday and starts with lunch followed by a group activity. This year, EV rented several lanes at a local Fowling Alley to provide a fun, laid-back atmosphere in which the team members could bond.
THANKSGIVING GATHERING Each year the office gathers the day before Thanksgiving to celebrate the upcoming holiday with our work family. The tradition started in 2015 with approximately 30 people in attendance. We would have lunch together as a team, in our conference room, and then share what it is that we are most thankful to have. We would spend two hours of paid time getting to know one another on a deeper more personal level. As we have grown, so has our party, in size and duration. This year, we rented an offsite room where we could meet to first enjoy a catered meal and then have some time for team building. We had 45 staff members participate in a few team building exercises and games, and then as has become tradition, moved our chairs into a circle. We then, oneby-one, again had the opportunity to share what we are most thankful for. Comments included far more than my job, my house, my family… most were deep and thoughtful, some brought tears. By the close of the meeting, you can’t help but have a deeper, more personal connection with everybody there. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Once a month a member of the committee selects an article that related to employee wellness in an effort to help enrich their employment experience. Article titles have included How to Fight Burn-Out, 47 Habits of Highly Successful Employees, Five Ways to Recognize People and Tools of Encouragement. We try to keep the articles relatively generic to maximize the number of people the article benefits. At times though, like with the last two listed above, the articles are more directed to managers to help them better communicate to team members. OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN & GROW EV offers several opportunities for employees to get involved, grow professionally and become a well-rounded individual. From safety trainings and EV Youniversities to involvement at tech centers and career fairs, employees are given the opportunity to learn and help others to learn. Each month a volunteer opportunity is also promoted to employees. Sometimes it’s as simple as a blood donation, other times it may be walking in a parade, yard clean-up or the United Way Day of Caring participation. EV offers employees and families the opportunity to go to a Broadway Show at a reduced ticket price. We sponsor outings for every level of employee to both show appreciation for the hard work and to build the team.
PERSONALIZED HOLIDAY GIFTS Our CEO, Mike Novakoski, goes above and beyond when it comes to the holidays. Like many companies, we have year-end bonuses and a festive, offsite holiday party that includes spouses, but Mike goes further. He spends time with the crews of each project site by taking the teams to breakfast or lunch, allowing him the opportunity to not only learn more about them personally, but also use the opportunity to receive their feedback on what the company can do to make their jobs better (i.e. what kinds of tools or equipment would make them more safe, efficient, etc.). We also have a second holiday party in the office. For the last couple of years, the last day in the office prior to the start of holiday break we have a progressive lunch. Employees are encouraged to wear their best holiday pajamas, ugliest sweater or some other festive attire. At noon, we meet in the conference room to kick off the afternoon, hear about the different stations and share excitement about the upcoming holiday. There are games and trivia throughout the office as well to encourage mingling and interaction. Finally, Mike takes the time to make a personalized gift for each family. At the beginning of December, each employee is given a box addressed to their family to be opened on Christmas morning. Each box contains a personal, hand-written note from Mike, to the family. Gift boxes are tailored to each specific family. Contents may include lottery tickets, candy, gift cards to local restaurants, cash, kids items, etc.
2019 VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE 6.9%
EMPLOYEE EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS • Training and certification tracking program • Annual stakeholders report • Corporate, company-wide safety meetings with a main topic presented each month by an industry expert • Monthly in-house training through the EV Youniversity Program • Project management & field management meetings for cross-training • Educational reimbursement programs for MBAs and other education programs • Mentorship programs • Summer internship program • Safety Manual distributed to all employees and continuously updated • Quality Standard Manual distributed to all employees and continuously updated • Field manager/foremen meetings where industry experts are brought in to discuss best practices of their trades • Field personnel onboarding and new hire training that is specific to their position • Online safety training with over 300 courses available 24/7 to all employees • Hosted lunch & learns to bring in industry experts and introduce new products • Michigan Safety Conference attendance • Project management safety walk through • Paid time to attend training programs through local industry associations or renew certifications • Employee participation in Chamber of Commerce leadership programs through local chambers • Executive team attendance at multiple training/educational sessions hosted by the Young President’s Organization (YPO) each year • Operations staff attendance in leadership training through the Associated Builders and Contractors of West MI • Supported the CORE Construction Skills program through the Associated Builders and Contractors of West Michigan • Continued attending events for our
insurance captive, a self-insured program where we are required to attend (2) board meetings and (2) workshops annually with our co-owners of the GCI Captive • Covered the cost of various training certifications for our field employees
EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION BY THE HOUR • 18 EV Youniversity Sessions: • 6 Lunch and Learns: • 4 Smart365 Training Series: • 2 Construction 101 Classes • ABC Industry Courses
584 107 87 27 1,517
Total Hours of Employee Participation:
2,322!
SMART365 TRAINING SERIES Last year, we ignited a spark that we coined Smart365. This initiative was meant to challenge our employees to think outside the box and showcase ways of working smarter and communicating that to the rest of the company. By doing this, we identified new training opportunities. In addition, we surveyed the company and asked for where they needed help honing their skills. From those results we were able to set up a new series titled “Smart365 Training”. Topics for this training include 30-60 minute review sessions of commonly used programs and going through some tips and tricks for how to work more efficiently. Procore, Bluebeam, Microsoft Excel and Outlook are a few programs that we have reviewed and begun offering training for. For example, with Procore we broke the training down into four sessions, starting at a beginner level and working up to the more expert level concepts. This training was offered in our office, as well as via live stream. That way employees around the country were able to join. This will be a continued series as we move forward with new and existing programs. CONSTRUCTION 101 COURSE Even though we are a construction company, there are some of our employees who may not have come from a construction background or previously dealt with the operation of actually constructing a project. Over the course of two 90-minute sessions, office leadership led a group of non-operations employees through the life of an EV construction project starting from the proposal phase and early preconstruction through closeout. Diving into a construction project and all of the processes can be a long list, but during the two sessions topics were covered to give our fellow employees an overview of how a project gets delivered. They hear about updates in meetings and in newsletters and this was an opportunity to let them ask questions and learn. Topics covered were construction jargon, acronyms, delivery methods, contract types, preconstruction phases, bidding, construction team roles & responsibilities, document control, meetings, scheduling, quality, safety and much more.
Over $130,000
Was Spent on Employee Training and Development in 2019
EMPLOYEE TESTIMONIALS “I have always enjoyed the classes offered by EV. I just had the opportunity to attend the Healthcare Construction Workshop recently. The class provided a lot of information about working in hospitals and code. EV has been key in my development to help me gain more experience and learn how I can do better in my role as an Assistant Field Manager. I value the classes offered and moreso the investment EV makes in us as employees to give us the tools needed to succeed.” Miguel Delao Assistant Field Manager “In August 2019, I was given an opportunity to attend the Global Leadership Summit. This two day event brought together professionals from across the nation to engage in discussion and attend presentations from influencers in multiple industries. Navigating change, maximizing productivity and generational challenges within the workforce were among the many topics covered. While these each mean something different to our unique businesses, they are all relevant to what we do and how we operate at our best. This was a great event and is one I look forward to attending again in 2020.” Dan Behler Senior Project Manager
RECRUITMENT, SELECTION & ORIENTATION HIGHLIGHTS • Career Quest event participation • Open interviews at all office locations • 30 and 60 day check-in with Office Leadership Team member • College internship program • Incentive program for employees who work out of town • Teaching trades classes at MATC • Teaching ABC carpentry class • KCTC hands on assessments • Onboarding - completing a uMap™ prior to their first day to introduce themselves to the rest of the company • Employee referral program • Referral bonuses • Open positions announced at safety meeting, in newsletter and on EVinsite
• Field Leadership Team members added to field manager interviews/discussion around job shadowing as part of the interview process
• Career Fair attendance – college and others
• Structure added to field manager onboarding to ensure all topics were covered by a subject matter expert
• Jump Start participation
• High school visits in three districts
• Student mock interviews
• Hands on ‘dig in’ event with Hamilton Schools
• Student project site tours • Online application system • Blueprint for Success onboarding program • 90 day check-ins • Office buddy system for new hires • New employee orientation with CEO & COO
• Added future peers of the role being filled to the standard interview process • Started using uMap™ as a tool for 90 day check-ins for field personnel • Finalized hiring (go/no go) of field managers after one week of orientation
• Swag bag and small celebration for new office hires on their first day
PEER INTERVIEWING Peer interviewing was implemented at Elzinga & Volkers in 2019. It’s typical that a candidate would meet their future supervisor and maybe that supervisor’s peers, but to meet the prospective employee’s peers give them a chance to see what the job really entails and a realistic idea of what working together could look like. The current team can assess if the individual would be a good fit and has a chance to discuss the details of technical skills. Peer assessments don’t stop once the offer is extended. The onboarding process covers a cross section of topics that are taught by current employees who are subject matter experts in their respective areas. Feedback is sought once the new hire has completed different blocks of topics.
MI CAREER QUEST “DIG IN” EVENT Elzinga & Volkers had an opportunity to ‘dig in’ with Hamilton Middle School fifth grade students, showing them different aspects of construction and what they could build in their school’s open courtyard. The students visited 15 stations where they learned about design, construction management, construction technology and got their hands dirty doing some hands-on work. A representative from the school shared that this type of project based learning “… gives them a better understanding of what it is they’re trying to do in the courtyard space; what goes into it, the work and what they have to think about as they go through it. Somebody can tell them all day, but until they see it and do it and interact with professionals... it can really set a kid up for success if they see how it fits into the real world”.
In 2019, we participated in the local MiCareerQuest event. This event is an innovative, experimental career event created by local organizations which offers West Michigan youth a chance to explore hundreds of occupations in high-demand industries by visiting hands-on booths and offers employers the chance to connect with tomorrow’s workforce. The event is attended by over 9,000 students from area schools.
2019 BY THE NUMBERS
47
new hires
12+
site visits for student groups
14
people referred a hired employee
$2,400
in referral bonuses paid
$85,075
paid in incentive bonuses for employees who worked out of town
EMPLOYEE ACHIEVEMENT & RECOGNITION HIGHLIGHTS • Public recognition for major project wins • Performance-based bonuses • Personalized notes and gifts of appreciation from the CEO and c-suite executives with a year-end gift • Recognition and rewards for small successes • Special recognition for completing higher education, training and certifications • Milestone celebrations for birthdays, anniversaries and retirement • Recognition for job promotions • Service awards with gifts • Good job letters displayed at company-wide meetings • Employee growth plans and goal setting through employee uMap™ software program • Safety milestone celebrations • Shout out cards to recognize a coworker’s accomplishments • Personalized notes for new hires with a small token of appreciation • Men’s and women’s retreats • Tradesperson outing • Thanksgiving office party • Christmas office party • Michigan’s Adventure employee outing
SERVICE AWARDS Employees who reach certain milestone years of service are publicly recognized for their dedication to EV. At one year, they are recognized at a monthly company-wide meeting. At five year increments after that, each person is recognized at our annual holiday party in front of the rest of the company and their spouses. This year, those who had completed five years of service were thanked individually as the leadership team took a few minutes per person to highlight their successes and accomplishments. Anyone who had reached 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years with the company received a monetary gift based on their years of service.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR In 2019, we kicked off an initiative that recognized the importance of employees engaging and excelling after 90 days. Three to six months after a new hire’s first day, their supervisor will send them a personal note of encouragement and thank them for being a great addition to the team. They will include a personalized gift as well, to really let employees know that we notice, care and appreciate all their efforts and hard work! STUDENT OF THE YEAR Jereme Reeths was recognized as Student of the Year for attending the most EV Youniversities, lunch & learns, Associated Builder’s and Contractors courses and Smart 365 classes. EV is always striving to acknowledge their employees’ commitments to higher education. ACKNOWLEDGING EXTRAORDINARY SAFETY PRACTICES Cash awards and a thank you lunch with a member of the executive team were given to field employees who were noticed going above and beyond in safety. Extraordinary safety practices and making safety a priority on every project site, every day, is EV’s top priority, so when employees go above and beyond we always try to recognize it! COMPANY RETREATS The men’s, women’s and tradesperson outings, while not new, continue to evolve into amazing events where each and every employee is encouraged to take paid time off from work to spend the day/night to reconnect with our peers. Oftentimes within the hustle and bustle of the construction industry, we can become invested in our projects/work and forget to take some time to get to know the people we spend more time with than our own families. These outings are an important way to build lasting relationships and meaningful connections to remind each other that we are on one team that works together for the common goal of being leaders in the industry. For the men’s retreat, half of the group golfed while the other half went shooting. When finished, they reconvened as a group to smoke meat and grill food together. This year for the ladies retreat, personalized touches and making everyone feel included were the main goals! Each morning leading up to the retreat, each lady would be welcomed by a small, but personalized, gift to get them excited for what was to come. At the retreat, each lady received a personalized gift bag in their rooms. All the ladies sat together and bonded over team building games, cooking together and many outdoor activities, creating memories and bonds that will surely last. Bad weather wasn’t stopping these ladies from having a wonderful time kayaking, paddle-boarding, using the massive downhill slip-and-slide and sitting around bonfires. What better way to bond with your peers than to have quality time and fellowship together for 2 entire days!
PLEASANT SURPRISES Recognizing employees for their dedication to getting the job done, even if that means working out of town and away from family for weeks on end. EV recognized one employee by sending him, his wife and their daughter on a little weekend getaway as a token of appreciation for many weeks spent apart from them. Another pleasant surprise EV regularly does is to celebrate with employees on their milestone birthdays! This includes a personalized card from their supervisor, as well as a gift and lunch or snacks with the whole office!
COMMUNICATION & SHARED VISION HIGHLIGHTS
• Monthly safety meetings • Business plan maps • Stakeholders report • EVinsite (employee intranet) • Monthly company newsletter sent to homes • Monthly project newsletters • 2023 painted picture • Smart365 - Sharing better ways to do things • Leadership teams in place for field and office personnel to interface with • Annual retreats for various teams • Quarterly touch point conversations • Friday celebration meetings • Office buddy program • Mentorship program • Weekly L-10 team meetings through the Traction Tools meeting platform • FLT Connection • Training computers automatically open EVinsite for company updates • Library of EV Youniversity videos added to EVinsite • uMap Review Software - Used to facilitate communication between managers and their direct reports on personal and professional goals and responsibilities
A/V UPGRADES In the interest of improving communication and easing the burden on employees who are working remotely, Elzinga & Volkers made significant upgrades to technology and the overall process for meeting recording and distribution. In our main conference room, we installed a high-tech AV system. The new microphones are ceiling mounted and sense where the speaker is, canceling out other background noise. A new camera was installed with improved image quality and increased width to include 100% of the room. The conference table was also fitted with a new “smart” switch that automatically turns on the A/V system when a user connects their laptop to the HDMI port. The majority of our group meetings are held in this room, and the new technology offers remote users a far greater experience to both listen in and participate. We also invested in Zoom accounts for our management staff. In years past, the company shared one account, which limited the use of the program and remote meeting options. This investment has now offered more flexibility and has encouraged the use of the program more broadly. We are already seeing less time spent on travel between project sites and more meaningful conversations with the use of screen sharing. Finally, we also improved our company-wide meetings and trainings with new technology. This past year we fitted the space with a new short-throw projector which offers a much higher quality image. The meetings are also streamed live for remote attendees. The recordings of each meeting are then shared on our internal employee website, so everyone has an opportunity to revisit trainings or meetings they might have missed.
ANNUAL STAKEHOLDERS REPORT
we BRING OUR CULTURE OUTSIDE THE WALLS TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE we Leverage technology TO MAKE EVERYONE FEEL CLOSE, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE
our culture scaleS with our size & travelS WELL with our business
WE properly balance PROCESS/SYSTEMS with the human connection OUR people are OUR TOP PRIORITY, even if a task IS not Precon leads the way in ‘safety BY design’ pm’s & fm’s are we have a strong INDISTINGUISHABLE culture of accountability IN THEIR DELIVERY there is seamless communication Sage & procore systems between ALL OPERATIONS & accounting are FULLY INTEGRATED WE HAVE robust business WE EFFECTIVELY USE technology to be development KPI’s bigger than we are
Precon deliverables FAR exceed the competition’S we have a robust trade contractor rating system
we have sUBJECT MATTER HIGHLY EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP EXPERTS for all aSPECTS of EXISTS IN ALL DIVISIONS our safety program THERE ARE advancement we encourage healthy living pathways FOR EVERYONE EXPANDED leadership OF national operations
we have an office outside of michigan Growth RELIES on flawless execution
Known for safety, quality & OUR CENTRAL focus on employees We have 10 new, long term accounts in 2023
Accounting is ‘defaulted’ to automation BROAD BRAND EXCELLENCE
WE Help our employees EXCEL IN everyday life
WE promote THE STRENGTH OF ALL SERVICE OFFERINGS
we encourage the development of secondary skill sets for everyone.
robust traveling self-performed trade teams
we have 10 fm’s/pm’s that live outside STANDARDIZED precon process THEY will know what of michigan for all projects, markets & we do, without explanation locations DEDICATED SAFETY we have expAnded ‘ALIVE365’ RESOURCE FOR NATIONAL in size and impact OPERATIONS we offer bilingual SUPPORT to our TEAM/partners
2023 PAINTED PICTURE RETREAT Our Painted Picture is a strategic planning concept that our CEO, Mike Novakoski, was introduced to 10 years ago. He felt it was the best fit for our organization because it was the right combination of dreaming, along with measurable goal setting. Since 2010, we have engaged a large number of employees and stakeholders in this process. While it is not feasible to engage every single person at the physical painted picture retreat, stakeholders are chosen to represent each department/division. Each liaison is given the opportunity to be a voice between the Executive Committee and their department. Our painted picture retreat takes place at a neutral location, away from the office. We get away from our usual daily routine, to brainstorm in a relaxed and more casual atmosphere. It is a place to collect insights and dreams shared by employees from all parts of the company in a comfortable environment. This is an integral part of communication within our company; where we are all given an opportunity to participate. The concept is that it is not fair for the company to ask employees to “buy in” if we are not given a chance to “weigh in”. Weeks prior to the event, each employee is given a reflection booklet and questionnaire to pen our thoughts. We are asked to envision what all aspects of the company could look like in three years. This is where we are given the chance to help set the direction of our company. While at the retreat, we then focus on the steps it will take to achieve some of those goals. The result of the planning process is a document that outlines the shared vision of what the organization will look like in three years. Once the painted picture is complete, the executive committee uses this document as a guide in their annual business planning and quarterly departmental initiatives.
In 2019, we transitioned our annual stakeholders update to a formal stakeholders report that was sent home to each employee so it could be read on their own time, as well as shared with members of their families. The final report was 24 pages long and included updates from each major division of the company, a recap of major accomplishments from the year and a look ahead at what the new year would bring. The report was very well received by employees and their families. One employee reported “I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the stakeholders report I received yesterday. This is such a valuable tool for our employees who aren’t privy to some of the content and especially to the national folks who can often feel out of the loop. This can be saved, referenced and re-read when the desire hits. My guess is I’m not the only one that loves EV! Anyway, GOOD JOB once again and thank you for sharing the great news with our employees and their families!”
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION HIGHLIGHTS • Sponsored Latin American’s United for Progress event • Sponsored the West Coast Chamber of Commerce’s Minority Business Awards • Female appreciation event • Retreat for female employees • Provided job applications on project sites – hiring in the communities in which we work • Worked with new bidding software that has added attributes for finding minority owned business, women owned business, veterans, etc. • Ensuring site signage is bi-lingual, as needed • Recreating our corporate safety manual in Spanish
THOUGHTFUL EVALUATION Diversity Goals Matrix
Diversity Goals Matrix
1 Year
Donations to Minority Groups
Engagement
Diversity Goals
Adopt corporate definition of a minority group. Donate to (9) organizations who support minority groups. (3) new organizations in year one Volunteer at 2 events (D&I member) and/or 1 D&I member on a community diversity & inclusion committee
Corporate Male vs Female Workforce Percentages
100% increase in field-based female workforce each year
Corporate Male vs Female Wage Gap
Present EC with wage comparision between men and women for similar positions for evaluation
Race & Ethnicity
Diversity Scorecard
Spanish CSM, QSM and Site Signage
3 Years
Maintain 100% wage equity based on gender for similar positions
Develop 3 new recruitment channels for 5 new hires of non-white racial or ethnic new hires of non-white racial or ethnic class class Develop a diversity scorecard that's accepted by the EC for review on a regular basis
Why is this important to E&V?
Financial support of minority groups helps (10) donations per year to organizations bolster the success of the group and helps who support minority groups allow them to continue to support their members To foster relationships with minority groups in our community to connect our company with local men and women who 8 total event engagements experience descriminiation and to gain a better understanding of the challenges they face Maintain track record of 100% increases The goal is to retain a percentage of female in field-based female workforce employees at over double the national percentage percentage
Comments
Of our donations to 42 different not-profits and organizations in 2018, 6 were to organizations who support minority groups, totaling $3,250 in gifts. Source: Accounting - Jenna 7/23/19
NAWIC, WM Hispanic Chamber, GRBCC, Lakeshore Diversity Alliance etc. Current employment spread at E&V is 84% male vs 16% female. Source: HR - Tammy K. 5/15/19. Compared to 89.5% male and 10.5% female nationally Source: US Census Bureau
In the construction industry workforce, men earn Our goal is to be a leader in wage equality 1.14x the salaries that women make for similar for the construction industry positions. Source: US Census Bureau To increase the diversity of our organization
A diversity scorecard will provide Maintain monthly evaluation of diversity measurable feedback at the executive level scorecard by EC, results published to and provide direct accountibility for company annually meeting our goals
Site signage Spanish sub-text, expanded Develop relationship with a translator for site safety rules in Spanish, targeted quick action when evaluation shows a CSM sections translated to Spanish by need for additional translations Aug 2020
One of the main focal points of the Diversity & Inclusion committee in 2019 was thoughtfully evaluating how diverse and inclusive our organization truly is. Working from the results of that evaluation, we recognized areas for improvement, discussed realistic and quantifiable actions that the committee could take to improve corporate diversity and internal & external inclusion and got to work on creating a Diversity Goals Matrix. This is the first time in company history that EV has tangible and quantifiable goals set in place in order to increase our diversity and inclusion footprint. Having this in place will create awareness and benchmarks to track our progression over the course of the next three years.
To increase buy-in of E&V's culture of safety and quality
DIVERSITY GOALS MATRIX - EXAMPLES Below are some of the ideas we’ve started working on to improve our diversity and inclusion within EV. Planned: • Donate to three organizations who support minority groups within the first year of adopting the matrix that EV has never donated to in the past. This will hold us accountable to pursue new opportunities each year which, in return, will create new partnerships in areas of our community that are constantly changing. • Maintain 10 donations to local, regional or national groups who support minorities each year over the course of three years • Within the first year, have at least one member of this committee join a community-based committee, board or organization relating to diversity and inclusion. • With a male-dominated labor force in the construction industry, we’re going to increase the number of female field employees by 100% each year for three years. Part of this initiative is requiring a female presence within our recruiting efforts at career fairs and community engagements. • Develop three new recruitment channels specifically aimed at increasing our exposure to a larger and more diverse applicant pool • A minimum of five new hires of non-white racial or ethnic class within three years • To gain more and deeper safety buy-in from Spanish-speaking crews, we are updating our Spanish site safety rules document to reflect more specific descriptions of our expectations and why those expectations are important. This updated site safety rules document will be accompanied by a site safety rules video, whereby two Spanish-speaking EV employees will provide a welcome to the Spanish-speaking crew, provide context to the safety topics covered and explain EV’s translation process if the crew has any questions, comments or concerns. • Create a D&I Scorecard to evaluate and track corporate progress on all diversity and inclusion goals listed on the matrix. Progress will be evaluated quarterly and published to the company annually • Actively pursue engagement opportunities for our female project managers and female division leaders to increase female interest in the construction industry through workforce development programs • Create Spanish sub-text on all site signage within one year. EV plans to release new branding and marketing initiatives in 2020. In order to correlate our D&I initiatives with this, we agree that having subtext on the signage will show how important site safety is with our future D&I footprint. Accomplished: • Indoctrinated the Diversity Goals Matrix into the 2023 Painted Picture, Elzinga & Volkers’ strategic growth and development plan • Created an EV-specific corporate definition of a minority group
DONATIONS & SUPPORT Below is a partial list of organizations we support with diversity in mind.
WORK/LIFE BALANCE HIGHLIGHTS • • • • • • • • • • • •
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Flexible work schedules Family focused benefits Special paid holidays A goal of work free weekends Wireless remote workplace technology Remote work sites Onsite cookouts Hall Pass program Spring Break Staycation Interoffice encouragement program (good job notes, etc.) Paid lunches with your supervisor for your birthday or hitting work goals Birthday wheel - Every employee is allowed to spin the birthday wheel that has prizes of different cash or gift card amounts to win a prize they can use with their friends or families MI Adventures family day Employee bowling party Annual Christmas party Company retreats Valentine’s Day pampering
CONVENIENT OFFICE LOCATION This year we added our new office location to our Blueprint for Success (BFS) manual for onboarding so new employees understand the procedures for working in that office location. In the BFS, employees are given information about the building (location, suite number, door code, where to park etc.), how workspaces in the office that can be reserved as well as meeting spaces in the office that can be used for both internal and external meetings. Employees also learn what technology is available and who to contact if they need a workspace or meeting room. This location can save not only employees’, but also our clients’ travel time, allowing everyone to spend more time getting their work done to get home on time.
HALL PASS PROGRAM In 2019, employees collectively used 225 paid hours using our Hall Pass Program, an employee benefit that allows all EV employees to enjoy up to 8-hours of free time with their child, grandchild, niece or nephew at a school related function, such as classroom parties or activities, field trips, college visits or academic achievements. Employees are asked to send in a picture or program from the event to “show and tell” how they spent their time.
STAYCATION Each year, during elementary, middle and high-school spring break, we put on a “staycation” event. There are daily activities that employees, their spouses and their children are invited to attend. We try to host events interesting to both genders and a wide range of ages. These events are fully paid for by the company. As an added bonus, employees are allowed to utilize their hall pass hours to attend with their children.
SPRING BREAK 2019
E&V STAY-CATION Monday, April 1 Get your groove on at Tarry Hall Roller Rink at 3300 Fairlanes Avenue SW in Grandville. Please arrive between 1:30 and 2:00 PM.
Tuesday, April 2 Jump into the fun at Rebounderz! Please plan to arrive at 10:00 for unlimited jumping at 7500 Cottonwood Drive in Jenison.
Wednesday, April 3 Make new discoveries when you join us at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum between 9:30 and 10:00 AM for a day full of exploring! 11 Sheldon Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
Thursday, April 4 Create your very own fairy or dinosaur garden to take home at Koetsiers Greenhouse! Please arrive at 9:00 AM. 1601 Spaulding Ave, SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.
Friday, April 5 Start spring break with a splash! Join us at the Holland Aquatic Center for Spring Break Splash from 1:00-4:00pm (1:00 arrival) at 550 Maple Avenue in Holland.
RSVP! Please RSVP for up to two events by Friday, March 29 on EVinsite! Tara will be present at each event so find her once you arrive and she will get you checked-in. Please include the names of each attendee and the ages of all children when submitting your RSVP.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE TIPS This year we focused on sending out tips to remind the company about work-life balance and mental health. For a lot of people, the pursuit of a healthy work-life balance can seem like an impossible goal. An example of one of our tips is “In our rush to ‘get it all done’ at the office and at home, it’s easy to forget that as our stress levels spike, our productivity plummets. Stress can zap our concentration, making us irritable or depressed, and harm our personal and professional relationships. Over time, stress also weakens our immune systems and makes us susceptible to a variety of ailments from colds to backaches to heart disease. Take care of yourself and ask for help if you need it. ”
MICHIGAN ADVENTURE Elzinga & Volkers puts so much emphasis on employees and their families. One of the family events we do annually is our trip to Michigan’s Adventures. We all enjoy lunch together with our families and then head off with the kids to the waterpark, water slides, roller coasters and other fun attractions that they have to offer. So much fun for so many ages and a great way to get to know our teammates and their families better!
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES HIGHLIGHTS • Blood drives at the office • Giving our employees opportunities to help the community beyond their checkbooks • Getting our hands dirty and participating in volunteer opportunities • Supporting our employees’ passions for improving the communities in which they live and work • Community Safety Fund - an employee paid initiative to support safe practices within the community • Building comradery between employees through community service • Employees participate in the selection of non-profit and community beneficiaries • Participating in local parades for various holidays (in 2019 our employees walked or drove floats in 5 local parades!) • We, as a company, are proud partners of many local organizations corporately, but our employees also use their time to serve on boards and committees for several local non-profits like the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, Clays for Kids, Ottawa Country Skills Center Construction Program, 4H, Cadets, Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, Young Professionals organizations, many educational and religious organizations and more.
HELPING THOSE IN NEED We love chances for random acts of kindness, whether it’s building an accessible ramp for someone who is disabled or helping walk a senior citizen across the street, our team jumps at the chance to lend a hand to someone in need.
TJAPKES FALL CLEAN UP We enlisted the hearts and hands of several employee volunteers to help around the home for a family that tragically lost their husband and father. Our team banded together to take down tees, build new shed doors, tidy a storage shed and clean up a trellis for the family of 3.
CLAYS FOR KIDS Our company has members who sit on the board for Associated Builders and Contractors Western Michigan Chapter and chair a fundraising event, Clays for Kids. We are also a major sponsor of the event and send several team members to participate in the festivities. Each year, the board selects a charity to receive the funds. In past years, the Baxter Community Center and Autism Support of West Michigan have been awarded the gift of a donation. This year’s recipient, School Supply Santa, was given nearly $35,000 for their organization!
2019 DONATION RECIPIENTS BLOOD DRIVES AT THE OFFICE Elzinga & Volkers hosted three blood drives in 2019, totaling in 68 pints of blood donated, with a potential to save 204 lives in the community! We not only encourage our employees to participate, but also members of the community to come down and donate at our office.
While we can’t donate time to every organization we want to, we donate a significant amount of funds to support local foundations and charities, including:
GRAND RAPIDS CHILDREN’S MUSEUM - DAY OF PLAY We participated in and sponsored our second “Day of Play” celebration at Rosa Parks Circle and offered a wide variety of play experiences for children who attended.
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SUPERBOWL SQUARES We provided football squares to select American Subcontractor Association of Michigan (ASAM) members for a fun way to win donations towards their safety programs, this year we donated a total of $2,500 to four lucky winners.
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POLAR PLUNGE A team of employees participated in the Polar Plunge and raised $3,768 for the Special Olympics of Michigan by jumping into the icy waters of Lake Michigan. UNITED WAY DAY OF CARING A group of employees spent the afternoon clearing a local cemetery of brush and trees that had overgrown causing a safety hazard for traffic surrounding the property. KIDS FOOD BASKET This year we donated 13 pounds of decorated bags to our local Kids Food Basket charity, that’s 500 bags! It’s a great charity that provides meals to children living at or near the poverty level. Our employees and their families took time to decorate each bag to provide an extra touch of love to the children who receive them.
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Ottawa County 4-H Park to Park Habitat for Humanity Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan Holland Museum St. Mary’s Parish Holland Hospital Development Fund Boys & Girls Club of West MI Allegan-Ottawa Shrine Club Catholic Central High School The Boys & Girls Club Lakeshore Advantage LUAP St. Mary’s Catholic Church West Michigan Works UMRC Foundation Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Pine Rest Foundation Feyen Zylstra Foundation Holland/ Zeeland Community Foundations Sunset Legacy Foundation Clark Foundation Living Threads The Right Place Foundation Greater Ottawa County United Way BCS Foundation YMCA Camp Pendalouan Voice for Horses Mitten Foundation Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids Holland Christian Schools First United Methodist Church LifeChange Community Church CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
In 2019, EV donated over 15% of net income to non-profit organizations and foundations!
STRATEGIC PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
• Friday Celebration - everybody in the office stops what they’re doing for a half hour to celebrate good news. People share personal and professional wins from the week. • Painted Picture Retreat - A planning event for team members to collaborate and share their thoughts on how we can improve and grow together as a company. The retreat is centered around a list of questions in each of the company’s divisions. These questions are tailored to get our minds thinking of what we could change and creative ways to implement those changes. • Newsletters Sent Home to Families - The introduction section of the newsletter is written by a member of the executive committee and highlights something notable going on in the company. • Scorecards - Functional groups and departments have meetings that occur at a regular cadence and each of these teams has a ‘scorecard.’ Each item on the scorecard has a goal value assigned and the team is expected to report on these items during their team meetings.
BUSINESS PLAN DISPLAY Our annual business plans used to be many pages of words and figures. We wanted an easier way to communicate the themes and direction of the company and decided to use pictures instead. The business plan is now a series of one page maps, each covering a separate section of the plan. In the past, these maps were displayed in a couple areas within the office, but this year we decided it was vital for our employees to see these maps on a more consistent basis. Display cases were purchased and each map is now hung close to that area of the office (for example, the financial section of the business plan resides in the accounting area). This allows employees to be more connected to the business plan and ask questions about graphics they may not fully understand. It also keeps it in the forefront of their minds as they pass by. Additionally, visitors can see the goals and plans for the year. The cases allow us to update and switch out the maps for each new year. By making these maps more visible, employees can understand and feel more connected to the strategic plans of the company.
COFFEE WITH THE OLT When the Office Leadership Team (OLT) was formed, company leadership had a vision that a group beyond the Executive Committee would be involved in vetting and implementing corporate initiatives. The concept was to create a group that was near enough to daily operations to identify problems, then empower them to develop and carry out creative solutions for each. The hope was that this group would be seen as a resource for our employees, and that our team members would be comfortable approaching any member with ideas, concerns, etc. In an effort to create an easy platform for these conversations, OLT members (typically 1-2) have been staying in the cafe after our Friday Celebration meetings to connect, discuss or simply hang out over a cup of coffee. While this is not a major initiative or a change to the way we operate, it has helped to create connections and build trust within the organization.
SMART365 REBOOT Smart 365 is a collection of best practices developed by the people of EV, for EV. The purpose of this program is to develop a culture of productivity and proficiency and for our team to help one another solve problems. This approach blends the practical left-brain systems thinking with right-brained communication. Last September EV revived the Smart 365 program to help the company pursue operational excellence. For a whole month, employees were encouraged to submit videos of work related improvements. This is a chance for everyone in the company to get involved and help each other resolve practices that may have been hindering work performance. There was also an incentive for all who submitted a video to receive a gift card to the employee store. All recorded videos are archived on our YouTube page, as well as Dropbox, so all employees are able to go back and view videos at any time. Whether employees are sifting through the archives or intentionally looking, there’s a good chance they will find something that will benefit their work life. Blueprint for Success was created for all new employees to go through an onboarding process that would teach them different tasks specific to their position. Smart365 is a section to show new employees that we are always striving for different ways to be more productive. As a company, accepting new ideas to replace the old way of doing things can be very inviting to new-comers looking to influence the future of the company.
BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS IMPROVEMENTS BFS is our onboarding system we use to train new hires on different topics. It is a booklet with different sections on important concepts that we believe are essential to know immediately when hired in. It helps shape a new hire to understand the EV culture and system, and provides guidance to work at the EV level. We have now added a new a module in the Blueprint for Success dedicated to showing and explaining all new hires each department’s business plan for the current year. The new team members will be walked around the office, giving them a chance to see where the business plans are located and, if they have any questions, they have the opportunity to reach out to the department’s leader for a deeper explanation. This allows them to understand what each department is trying to achieve every year and put together the overall picture of what our company is trying to accomplish. This will encourage buy-in and understanding from day one to all new team members.
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