Our business is built around connecting people and communities. Every day, our work naturally intersects with societal challenges like maintaining public safety and bridging the digital divide. That’s why we have a greater opportunity to make an impact. Whether it’s through our daily work, our employees or our suppliers—we’re constantly looking for ways to make a difference. We foster a diverse and inclusive culture and are committed to supplier diversity. We’ll continue our mission for years to come—not only because it’s what we believe in, but also because it’s key to our success.
Our goal.
Reach 16% in diverse supplier spend by 2026, representing the top quartile in US diversity spend among 100+ large companies.1,2
1 Source: The Hackett Group, 2021 Supplier Diversity Study.
2 Diverse supplier spend is calculated as spend with diverse suppliers, defined as businesses that are greater than 50% owned and operated by an individual who is part of the traditionally underrepresented or underserved group, as certified by a nationally recognized certifying organization, divided by our total addressable spend.
Our progress.
of our addressable spend was with diverse suppliers in 20213
invested in communications infrastructure in low-income areas4
of employees participated in the 2022 employee engagement survey5
principles launched company-wide in 2021
3 As of December 31, 2021.
4 Based on total capital invested in Crown Castle assets that are located within, or provide service coverage (entirely or partially) to, US Census blocks with 2021 median household income at or below $50,000, which is the threshold to qualify for federal student aid.
5 As of May 2022.
Empowering communities.
Every day, we work with municipalities to create solutions that help bridge the digital divide, propel businesses forward and position them for the future. Whether it’s establishing foundational infrastructure in underserved communities, promoting public safety, creating desirable job opportunities, outfitting venues for large-scale events or helping businesses grow—our goal is to provide solutions that empower communities and build sustainable change. We also volunteer in the communities where we live and work through our program, Connected by Good—improving public spaces, promoting public safety and advancing access to education and technology.
Prioritizing supplier diversity.
Suppliers are an important part of our business. We depend on them to deploy and manage our assets through tasks like site preparation, construction, engineering and maintenance. In 2021, we made a commitment to increase diverse supplier spend—not only because we believe it’s the right thing to do, but also because we know it will make our business and supply chain stronger.
We’ve established a General Procurement Policy and Supplier Diversity Program, aiming to make opportunities known and accessible to a wide range of suppliers. The policy classifies diverse suppliers to be greater than 50% owned and operated by individuals that are either minorities, women, veterans, disabled or LGBTQ+ and are certified by a nationally recognized organization. Our Supplier Diversity Program also includes a dedicated team that serves as a resource throughout the qualification process—advocating for diverse suppliers, identifying sourcing opportunities and facilitating introductions to internal decision-makers.
Diverse supplier spend6
6 Diverse supplier spend is calculated as spend with diverse suppliers, defined as businesses that are greater than 50% owned and operated by an individual who is part of a traditionally underrepresented or underserved group, as certified by a nationally recognized certifying organization, divided by our total addressable spend.
Learn more about how we worked with these diverse suppliers as part of our team:
Dive deeper.
Connected by Good
We continuously seek ways to give back and empower our employees to join us.
Business Immersion Program (BIP)
We support early career talent as they learn about our business, gain valuable experience and grow as professionals.
Community engagement
We are proud of the value our infrastructure creates by keeping local communities throughout the country connected and safe.
Company values
We live our values—striving to operate efficiently, safely and ethically throughout every part of our organization.
Building a diverse workforce.
We deliver our best work with team members who bring a variety of backgrounds, experiences and points of view. That’s why we’re committed to building an inclusive community. To create long-term benefits for all who interact with Crown Castle, we use diverse hiring panels and competency-based interviews during our recruitment process. While we recognize there’s still room for growth, our progress demonstrates our commitment towards a more diverse future.
Diversity among new hires7
7 Percentages do not include employees that chose not to specify their ethnicity/race.
Employee ethnic diversity8
| Job Categories | White | Hispanic/ Latinx | Asian | Black | Two + Races | Not Specified | Native American9 | Total People of Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Leaders10 | 75% | 6% | 9% | 6% | 0% | 4% | 0% | 20% |
| Managers & Professionals | 77% | 8% | 9% | 4% | 2% | 2% | 0.4% | 22% |
| Non-Management | 72% | 12% | 5% | 6% | 3% | 2% | 0.7% | 27% |
| Total | 73% | 11% | 6% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 0.6% | 25% |
8 Data as of December 31, 2021. Amounts may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
9 Native American includes American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.
10 Senior leaders include Executive Management Team (EMT), Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents.
Employee gender diversity8,11
- Women
- Men
8 Data as of December 31, 2021.
10 Senior leaders include Executive Management Team (EMT), Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents.
11 This data is derived from our 2021 EEO-1 Report.
Gender diversity among promotions8
- Men
- Women
8 Data as of December 31, 2021.
Listening to our employees.
Employee engagement is a key part of nurturing our talent, growing our business and maintaining our inclusive culture. Our annual survey helps us get an accurate pulse on employee sentiment and needs. After listening to our employees, we returned to the office in 2022 using a hybrid approach to achieve both increased flexibility and in-person collaboration. Our survey results exceeded Mercer’s US company norms with a 92% participation rate.5 Each year we continue to reevaluate how we work together and how we foster our engaged workforce.
Employee engagement survey highlights5
I am proud to work for Crown Castle.
Overall, I think Crown Castle is a safe place to work right now.
Where I work, we are treated with respect.
My manager openly supports Inclusion and Diversity.
My organization gives clear guidance on acceptable and unacceptable behavior in the workplace.
I work in an environment that is free from harassment and discrimination.
5 As of May 2022.
Promoting professional growth.
We invest in our employees by providing resources that support their professional growth and empower them to build new skills. Employees have access to a wide range of training tools—including our Learning Management System, LinkedIn Learning, Harvard ManageMentor and Harvard Spark. We offer a two-year development program for recent college graduates so that they can immerse themselves in our business, have a variety of experiences and develop diverse skill sets. We also prioritize programs that equip leaders and teammates on topics that drive economic growth of the business such as our flagship Finance and Value Creation development program. In an industry that’s constantly evolving, helping our employees continue to learn and grow is essential in creating competitive advantage.
2021 learning highlights.
learners
training hours per learner
courses available across 75 topics
articles, videos, podcasts available through our learning platforms
training hours
course completions
leaders completed "Leading at Crown Castle" development program
Offering quality benefits.
We have a robust, market-leading benefits package that ranks second among Willis Towers Watson’s high tech BenVal survey. Because we recognize the importance of holistic wellbeing, we provide quality healthcare, financial planning, time off and education benefits.
For physical health, we offer comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans—plus on-site gyms and telehealth. We partner with a leading healthcare navigation company, Included Health, which is committed to raising the standard of healthcare. This benefit program connects our teammates and families to top providers, expert opinions, treatment decision support and more—at no cost to them. For mental health, we offer each teammate and their family members up to 16 sessions of therapy or mental health coaching through Lyra Health annually, also at no cost.
For financial security, we have a competitive 401(k) plan—ranking first in Willis Towers Watson’s high tech BenVal survey. We also have tuition reimbursement and funded healthcare savings accounts. We provide flexible paid time off for vacations, holidays and personal reasons. We offer parental leave, adoption benefits and more. Also, we match charitable contributions and encourage our employees to help communities by volunteering through our Connected by Good program.