By Holly Welles

There’s no denying that America continues to struggle with gender representation in the workplace. That’s evident in how the construction industry employs only 1.5% of women in the U.S. — and regrettably, many other fields skew that way, too.

The value women bring to their jobs is unique and necessary. As a result, business leaders need to reconfigure their company culture to be more inclusive. Consider these ideas.

What Isolates Women From Trade Jobs?

There are numerous reasons women don’t commonly work in the trades. The primary one stems from men’s head start over women in employment. Women’s history in America’s workforce isn’t that extensive. Indeed, many women didn’t make forays into jobs outside their homes until the early 1900s.

Despite the war effort in the 1940s, women haven’t made much headway in the trades. Plenty of societal stereotypes make women second-guess themselves before pursuing a role in an industry like construction. That’s unfortunate, because women provide a niche perspective.

Businesses must crush those judgments if they want to earn a reputation as industry leaders. A team with diverse across-the-board leadership contributes to more successful innovation. Therefore, creating an accepting workplace culture should be a top priority.

1. Alter Recruiting Efforts and Processes

It’s best to start by changing your approach to recruiting. Accomplished, experienced people should feel comfortable applying to jobs you’ve posted. Seek the most qualified candidate for every position, regardless of factors like their gender identity, age, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Here are a few ways to reform hiring tactics and attract top talent.

  • Be transparent with job advertisements: They need to highlight all required skills, duties and expectations associated with the role.
  • Hide applicants’ identifiable information: A blind hiring method allows companies to avoid possible biases.
  • Craft representative interview panels: Businesses need to demonstrate diversity across job titles. The recruits who make it far enough to visit workplaces should be able to see themselves in specific roles.

If companies don’t take steps to make recruitment universally accessible, it’ll be impossible for them to attract diverse talent. An inclusive culture will develop naturally as long as businesses mind these processes.

2. Value Training and Networking Measures

Once an employee comes aboard, it’s time to heighten their experience at work. It’s essential to provide extra training and networking opportunities for everyone, but minority employees will appreciate these measures tenfold. If a company recognizes an industry-level problem and tries to fix it, that’s exceptionally worthwhile to employees.

Technology opens up more doors for women than ever before, combating the idea that there are physical barriers holding them back from success in construction. Modern workforces need good laborers, adaptive thinkers and employees interested in learning about evolving technologies in the industry. Providing training on new developments in equipment and worksite technology can help open doors for non-traditional construction workers.

As businesses scrutinize their workforce, they should also seek ways to improve. Is there a woman-centric construction conference they can attend? What resources are available to help everyone learn about women’s shared experiences as construction workers? Education goes a long way to improve company culture.

3. Listen to Current and Future Employees

If a woman employee comes to a higher-up with specific concerns, the supervisor should listen without judgment. Sometimes, men and even other women have subconscious, ingrained sexism. In the male-dominated technology industry, men are more likely to interrupt their female colleagues during meetings and conversations.

Therefore, businesses must reevaluate how they listen to current and future employees. There may be inherent biases you can adjust in departments like human resources. A streamlined system with options for anonymous reports could be a way to unlearn those behaviors as a company.

A woman on the jobsite deserves as much say in situations as the men in her role have.

These Efforts Will Build a Foundation for Women to Succeed in Construction

The entire construction industry won’t flip overnight, let alone the next 5 years. It’ll take time and effort to ensure women feel comfortable, safe and worthy enough to pursue their chosen roles. In the meantime, it’s up to construction businesses to take steps to redefine their company’s inner culture.

about the author

Holly Welles is a construction writer with experience covering business growth, labor, and technology.