American Water is proud to be the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded water and wastewater utility company in the United States. We employ approximately 6,500 people and provide services to more than 14 million people in 24 states. Here in the Hoosier state, Indiana American Water serves more than 1.3 million people, approximately one in five residents of the state.
Our success at American Water is directly attributed to our great employees and valued customers throughout the country including the Hoosier state. As a company, we’ve taken important steps to help ensure our workforce is as diverse as the people we serve. We’re all different and having that diversity across our organization is what makes us a great company. We’re stronger because we have different ideas, viewpoints, experiences and backgrounds. Most importantly, we embrace and expect one another to respect and value those differences.
We’ve been recognized for our progress and look forward to expanding on it even more. Keep reading to learn more about the steps American Water and Indiana American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, are taking to ensure a company culture that is committed to inclusion, diversity, and equity (ID&E).
American Water has Strong ID&E Leadership
Our work to build high-trust relationships and foster a greater sense of belonging within American Water is led by our ID&E Advisory Council and supported by our Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs).
The American Water Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council is a recommending body and liaison to all business functions toward ID&E. The council supports, advises, empowers and advocates for efforts to strengthen American Water’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Members of the council are volunteers who share expert knowledge and passion for diversity initiatives and opportunities for inclusion throughout our workforce.
EBRGs are important to creating a work environment where everyone feels included, heard and can bring their whole self to work. EBRGs are INCLUSIVE and WELCOME all employees. Employees do not have to have a personal affiliation to join a group. EBRGs offer opportunities for employees to share ideas, best practices and create measurable and long-lasting impacts on the company’s culture. We currently have four EBRGs dedicated to raising awareness for underrepresented groups.
American Water’s Diversity by the Numbers
American Water has a strong commitment to employee inclusion and diversity so that we reflect the communities we serve. The data below, as of December 31, 2022, represents how we keep inclusion and diversity a top priority in our recruitment and retention strategies.
- 24.1% are females
- 20% are racially/ethnically diverse
- 6.7% are veterans or have a military status
- 3% have disabilities
- 1.5% identify as LGBTQ+
- 0.3% are military spouses
American Water’s overall diversity is nearly 44%. We partner with several outside organizations to create opportunities for underrepresented groups and assist us with our commitment to increasing our diverse talent pools. In 2022, 58% of our promotions or transfers self-identified as diverse, 83.1% of our job requisitions included a diverse candidate pool and 31.9% of our requisitions were filled with internal candidates which is essential to an inclusive culture.
Furthermore, 66.7% of the executives in the company are female and 63.6% of our board members are female.
American Water Is a Top Scorer on Disability Equality Index
In July 2022, American Water announced that it has been recognized as a top-scoring company, for the fourth consecutive year, on the Disability Equality Index (DEI)®, the most comprehensive disability inclusion assessment tool designed and embraced by both business leaders and disability advocates.
During 2022, 415 businesses participated in the DEI, and American Water’s top score of 100 percent earned the recognition of “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.” The 2022 DEI measured culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices, community engagement, and supplier diversity.
American Water Is Committed to Fair Pay
We believe it is crucial to help ensure equal pay for equal work and, just as importantly, to help ensure all employees have equal opportunities to develop. In accordance with best practices, American Water audits both pay gaps and pay equity on an annual basis. We use the information from these audits to address inequalities identified and update processes to allow for equal pay, development, and advancement opportunities for all employees. The findings of these audits are reviewed annually by our Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team, along with a plan of action to close identified gaps.
American Water Is Committed to Supplier Diversity
Supplier diversity is an imperative American Water business initiative. We aim to provide companies owned and operated by ethnic minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community the opportunity to compete for our sourcing needs. The value, innovation, flexibility, and customer-focused approach of diverse businesses serve as a true value proposition to American Water.
Our Diverse Supplier spend at American Water topped $476 million in 2022. In Indiana, our diverse spend increased by 6.5% in 2022 to a total of more than $52 million, or about 26.1% of our total spend.
Indiana American Water Is Committed to ID&E
Inclusion, diversity, and equity are key focus areas in American Water’s journey to be an industry leader across environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. American Water’s 2022 Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Report contains information and data on our ID&E efforts.
At Indiana American Water, we’re proud to work for a company that puts such a strong emphasis on inclusion, diversity and equity. To learn more about our company’s efforts, including our comprehensive IDE strategy, click here.
