As part of Argonne’s efforts to increase the diversity of its workforce and foster an inclusive environment, lab leadership has committed to keeping employees aware of where we are on the journey. In the spirit of that commitment, I’m pleased to report that the latest employee demographics are now available online.
The data describing the current makeup of the lab population by gender and ethnicity are categorized slightly differently this year, versus our first report in June 2015. The new job category classifications are the result of guidance from the U.S. Department of Energy, which wants all labs across the complex to use consistent methods to report their demographics. For example, this year’s data include more job categories, making distinctions in levels of management as well as accounting for graduate and undergraduate students.
Although the reporting categories differ between this report and the previous one, the overall demographic makeup of the lab workforce is essentially unchanged. However, it’s important to remember that numbers don’t tell the whole story. While the lab considers it vital to increase the diversity of our workforce, it is just as important to foster an inclusive, collaborative, safe and empowering workplace. I am proud of the steps we have taken in that direction, including offering new professional development programs and workshops on the nature of inclusivity, as well as the creation of directorate level Diversity & Inclusion working groups. We also have shared the results of the What’s Next Diversity & Inclusion Climate Survey with the lab community, to give us a benchmark for our efforts.
In 2017 we will keep up the pace. We will continue to strive to create heterogeneous teams representing a wide spectrum of backgrounds, interpersonal and leadership styles, and approaches to scientific inquiry. At the same time, we will keep building the kind of inclusive environment needed to help these teams flourish by ensuring every member is valued by the people with whom they work, as well as invested in the work they do. I thank you for your support, and I welcome your feedback — please send your questions and suggestions to inclusion@anl.gov.