We seek to create a workplace where employees can shape fulfilling careers in a respectful environment and as part of an employee team that can deliver exceptional customer experiences and build a durable brand.
A place where our employees can create a career on which they can build a life
We believe that we would not be able to deliver the exceptional customer experience we do without a dedicated team with a wide range of skills and expertise, working in an environment that is designed to provide them with significant professional growth opportunities.
That’s why we are proud that we attract and retain a diverse workforce of talented individuals, some of whom choose to spend the majority of their careers with us. We also foster our employees’ growth and development through both formal and informal mentoring programs and regular performance and career development reviews, which have contributed to the internal promotions of over 300 of our employees into management-level or above positions over the past two years. In fact, both our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer began their KB Home careers within one of our local homebuilding divisions, and many of the members of our division leadership teams have been with us for a decade or more.
Of course, part of that loyalty comes from the business that we are in. We build the places that our customers will call home and help families from all backgrounds and walks of life achieve the dream of homeownership. It’s important, purpose-filled work on which our team members can build their own lives.
Training and talent development
Training and development for employees has been a distinguishing feature of the KB Home culture throughout our history, and especially since 1999, when we launched our online employee training platform, KB University (KBU). More than two decades later, KBU continues to provide training programs, compliance certifications and performance tools. Visited by our team members over a half million times in 2022, KBU provides all employees with access to training, development and resources that elevate their performance and their careers.
Training through KBU not only supports employee job performance and development but also sustains and enhances our inclusive culture and strengthens our brand. These programs, which include environmental sustainability programs, ethics training and more, define the high standards that KB Home has set and helps our team work better together.
Talent acquisition and workforce development
In addition to our strong talent and career development programs that drive a high rate of internal promotions within KB Home, we are constantly working to attract the best possible candidates to add to our employee team. Through our efforts to engage top talent, we have proactively increased the diversity of our workforce while adding specialized skills and experiences to our team.
In addition to recruiting experienced homebuilding industry candidates, we have invested in several programs with the objectives of deepening our bench of talent at the company to bring new ways of thinking into the mix and expanding the ethnic and gender diversity of our team. As outlined below, in recent years, we have invested in both our college/university and military veteran recruiting programs. We are also a founding supporter of the Building Talent Foundation, which was established by the Leading Builders of America to address the severe and persistent labor shortage across skilled trades by creating a sustainable workforce in residential construction.
Commitment to safety
We acknowledge that construction is a potentially dangerous job, which is why it’s important to us that our homebuilding jobsites maintain extensive workplace safety standards. These safety standards apply to both our employees and independent construction service providers who work on our sites. We strive to lead our industry in safety practices.
To get a sense of our employees’ and independent contractors’ compliance with their safety obligations, we track nearly 50 checkpoints across key aspects of jobsite safety, including safety documentation, personal protective equipment, scaffolding and ladders, fall protection, trenching and excavation, hazard assessment protocol, first aid and emergency plan, electrical safety and material safety.