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Fulfilling our people and teams
Prioritizing employee inclusion and well-being

Our goal: Create and maintain a workplace where all employees thrive through a culture of inclusion, belonging, and comprehensive well-being.

Principal employee Micah Greene, an Air National Guard member.

We believe that a culture of inclusion is foundational to who we are, the change we have driven, and the future we are creating. That’s why we are building a workplace inclusive of all perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

Our global inclusion strategy is underpinned by three pillars:

In our workplace: We’re committed to nurturing an inclusive culture based on the highest ethical standards, and a dedication to fairness, respect, integrity, and trust.

In our business practices: Our focus on inclusion is central to how we operate as a global company with the purpose of helping more people build a bright future. We strive to implement business practices that serve a wide-ranging customer base, broaden accessibility to inclusive products and services, and incorporate an inclusive approach to supply chain management.

In our communities: Principal, together with Principal® Foundation is giving back to and strengthening the communities in which we operate.

Principal has a long-standing commitment to inclusion. We added our first person of color to our Board of Directors almost 45 years ago, and one year later, we added the first woman to our Board.

A visual timeline of Principal's commitment to global inclusion from the 1950s through present.
Graph showing our employee engagement index from 2021 to 2025, in 2025 it is 86%.
Engagement and satisfaction

We know that continued innovation and the success of our organization are rooted in our employees’ fulfillment and satisfaction at work. We’re striving to sustain a collaborative workplace with open communication and feedback, tailored approaches to flexibility, and a dynamic environment where employees can do their best work.

Graph showing global people inclusion index from 2021 to 2025, in 2025 it is 86%.
GPII results

The GPII is a proprietary index that measures sentiments of our global employees related to culture and empowerment.

Global inclusion initiatives

At Principal, we prioritize inclusion and shared values-seeking to create a thriving environment of authenticity, action, and accountability within our company and our communities. We are united in our stance against discrimination, hate, and violence understanding immediate and lasting effects created by these destructive behaviors on our employees, our customers, and our communities.

Our focus on inclusion is central to how we operate as a global company with a purpose of helping more people achieve financial security throughout their lives.

Inclusion Summit:

We host an annual Inclusion Summit, providing opportunities for all employees around the world to learn, connect, and grow through conversation and education on our internal inclusion programs.

Employee resource groups (ERGs):

Our fifteen ERGs and networks help create an inclusive and welcoming environment for employees across our global organization. They facilitate social/cultural learning and personal and professional development, and connect to our employees and business through programming, events, and initiatives. Each ERG is open to all employees, sponsored by a member of senior management, and establishes annual goals aligned with the global inclusion and business strategies.

Global mentorship:

Our Global Mentorships Program offers a development opportunity to all Principal employees by cultivating formal mentoring relationships. Each fall we enroll participants from across the organization, find strong matches, and support mentoring pairs as they connect with each other over an eight-month structured experience around specific goals. We also have mentoring opportunities within specific business units and locations such as the Retirement and Income Solutions Own What’s Next mentoring program and our Women in Latin America mentoring program.

Learning and development:

We’ve implemented NeuroLeadership Institute’s INCLUDE and DECIDE training, equipping employees and leaders to identify and mitigate bias, and lead more inclusively.

Equitable practices:

Pay equity is central to our compensation practices and policies. We conduct an annual pay audit with a credible third party to identify unexplained differences in pay between employees doing similar work in commensurate positions. On a global level, our pay audit includes a gender pay gap assessment, and in the U.S., our pay audit includes both a gender and a racial pay gap assessment.

Promoting employee development

Our goal: Empower employees with the skills, knowledge, and capabilities needed for future success through strategic learning and development investments.

Woman using whiteboard.
Leadership and development

We encourage employees to expand their knowledge, build new skills, and continuously develop by providing a variety of opportunities that best suit their needs. This includes formal development opportunities, experiential and on-the-go education, and professional relationship building.

Learn more about our leadership and development programs here.

Two women sitting at a table discussing talent attraction and retention strategies.
Talent attraction and retention

Our employees are our most valued asset. We take a comprehensive approach to attracting top talent and prioritize the health and wellness of our employees.

Learn more about what we offer here.

2025 highlights

13% Growth in total ERG membership from 2024 to 2025 

60,000+ Hours of learning related to data and artificial intelligence literacy 

86% Score on our Engagement Index and Global People Inclusion Index 

2025 Sustainability report

Read more about our commitment to sustainability.

Download full report (PDF)

Our work supports the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:

Goal 5: Gender equality Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth Goal 10: Reduced inequalities