D&M spotlight: Steelcase

“The work experience is shaped by policies, tools, and all of these things, but it’s also shaped by culture and space,” says Kim Dabbs, global vice president for ESG and social innovation. “We always have our eye towards innovation on the people side, as well.”

Steelcase works with Ashoka, a social entrepreneurship network, to create an inclusive workspace, including an effort to bring migrant talent on board. Forty-five percent of workers at the company’s factories are underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities. The company has also sponsored leadership training for boys and girls in Romania—a program that eventually grew into an internship pipeline for the company. 

“When it comes to skills, we’re partnering with the community to identify skills gaps and find opportunities for training,” Dabbs says. “We really look at not just upskilling and reskilling little by little but also reimagining what nontraditional pathways and pipelines could look like.”