At Denbury, we strive for diversity and inclusiveness to be a part of our culture. Our Board of Directors and management are responsible for promoting diversity at Denbury and have included “Promoting Diversity” among the Core Values included in our Code of Conduct and Ethics. We recognize the benefits we all share as a result of a diverse culture and are continually looking for ways to foster a diverse and inclusive work environment.
Commitment to Equal Employment and Nondiscrimination
Our Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy status, sexual orientation or gender identity), national origin, disability, age, veterans' status, marital status, genetic information (including family medical history) or any other category protected by applicable law. Denbury makes employment related decisions, including with respect to hiring, job assignment, promotion, remuneration, training and benefits, without regard to any legally-protected status.
Denbury's objective is to provide a work environment that fosters mutual respect and working relationships free from unlawful discrimination, harassment or retaliation. Our management is charged with creating an atmosphere free from such conduct, and employees are responsible for respecting the rights of their co-workers.
In accordance with our Company policies, discrimination, harassment and retaliation are strictly prohibited at Denbury. Such conduct violates our Code of Conduct and Ethics, our Core Values, our Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment and Anti-Retaliation Policy, and local, state and federal law and will not be tolerated at Denbury.
Recruiting Diverse Talent
In 2018, women and minorities accounted for approximately 20% and 13% of our workforce, respectively, while women and minority new hires accounted for approximately 26% and 24% of our workforce, respectively. In 2019, women and minorities accounted for approximately 21% and 13% of our workforce, respectively, while women and minority new hires accounted for approximately 35% and 19% of our workforce, respectively.
Denbury aims to ensure equal opportunity in recruitment. We broaden our pool of diverse candidates by utilizing a digital recruiting program which posts available employment opportunities to websites worldwide, several of which are specifically targeted at diverse candidates such as Diversity.com, iHispano.com, and VeteranJobListings.com.
Additionally, the Company’s primary STEM recruitment efforts are based with the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, Colorado School of Mines, Oklahoma State University and the University of North Dakota. We utilize a combination of on-campus recruiting at career fairs as well as participation in activities put on by diversity organizations to build out our staffing needs. In 2019, our recruiting team participated in an interview training session from the Society of Women Engineers and a panel discussion at a STEM science camp for Aggie STEM.
Diversity Training
To foster a diverse and collaborative workplace, Denbury requires all employees to complete annual training modules to raise awareness about and encourage diversity and inclusion. Each year, our employee training program includes courses related to diversity, anti-discrimination, or anti-harassment to help employees understand diversity, cultural differences, recognize unconscious bias, and increase collaboration.
Diverse Network
Denbury looks for ways to expand our support for female and minority employees. This includes sponsoring organizations such as the Women’s Energy Network and establishing a women’s network at Denbury called GROW—Growth in Relationships and Opportunities for Women, to raise awareness about opportunities at Denbury. These associations provide networking and development opportunities for our employees.
For example, many female employees at Denbury are members of, and partake in events hosted by, the Women’s Energy Network – Dallas and Fort Worth Chapters. At the October 2018 Women’s Energy Network Fort Worth luncheon, Denbury’s own Kelly Richmond, Asset Integrity Manager, was a featured speaker delivering a speech on “Taking Risks and Capitalizing from Them.”
Further, employee participation and interest in our GROW events has led to the establishment of monthly small group discussions where Denbury women can share their experiences with each other and discuss topics, books or current events that are of interest to them.
In 2019, female employees formed a women's network called GROW -- Growth in Relationships and Opportunities for Women. The goal of the group is to give women at Denbury the tools and resources needed to support them in the workplace and enhance their overall presence in the Company.