Improving gender equality in engineering & construction

In construction and engineering we are becoming more aware of not only the challenges that we face from a lack of gender equality in the industry but also all of the value that equality in the workforce brings.

Gender balanced workforces are more creative, innovative and perform better from drawing upon the knowledge, expertise and skills of individuals who come from a variety of backgrounds and bring with them their different perspectives and ideas. To address the skills gap, we need to tap into the wider pool of talent and skills to evolve, innovate and become more sustainable. 

Sadly, the industries have been slow to react, slow to change and have a long way to go before it can truly reap the benefits that a gender equal, diverse workforce can deliver. 

Changing perceptions and breaking down barriers to gender specific roles 

There is often the stereotypical misconception of muddy boots and hard hats when people immediately think of construction and engineering. Communicating the opportunities available and changing perceptions has historically never been one of the industry’s strengths. 

Whilst we’ve already made some steps in the right direction to attract more women in the industry and it has been encouraging to see the numbers increasing, the progress we’ve seen simply hasn’t been enough. Recent statistics echo this. The number of women working in engineering occupations increased by 26% between 2016 and 2020, however, still only make up 14.5% of the workforce. The figures for construction tells a similar story with women only representing 12.5% of the workforce. 

To attract more women into the industry, we need to make more of an effort to change those perceptions and show women all of the different opportunities that we have to offer. Engagement programmes aimed at inspiring women into the industry such as open days, school, college and university visits, apprenticeships and graduate schemes will be key to achieving this and creating gender balance in the workforce. 

Through our Engineering Young Talent Programme open days, school visits, graduate scheme and apprenticeships at Exyte Hargreaves we have been able to successfully engage, inspire and attract more women into the industry. We still have a way to go before we reach gender balance within the workforce but we’re proud of the progress we’ve made in diversifying our pool of talent throughout various teams and reaching milestones with the number of women we have on our projects. 

Supporting and retaining women 

A gender balanced workforce is one where women can succeed, are championed and celebrated. We need to increase the visibility of achievements of women in the industry and create safe, supportive environments where they can thrive. Change workplace culture and overcome unconscious bias to unlock their full potential to achieve the incredible. 

Attracting women into the industry alone isn’t enough to achieve gender equality, connecting them to networks and role models will empower them to succeed and be fundamental to supporting them in long-term careers. Inclusion groups, networks and mentorship schemes provide a supportive environment where women can share their experiences, knowledge and skills with one another, encouraging growth and development to advance in their careers. 

Historically, as there have been few women in the industry, their needs have often been overlooked leading to poor long-term retention. As we look to adapting the industry to be more accommodating to encourage women to stay in it, we should look to embracing enhanced maternity packages and flexible working patterns as we have at Exyte Hargreaves. The misconception that women with child caring responsibilities don’t perform as well or don’t contribute as much is outdated. One of the things that the pandemic has taught us that we are resilient and don’t need to be glued to an office desk from 9-5 to deliver efficiently. 

Women face biological challenges throughout their lives, the main one being menopause. To truly embrace women in the industry we need to eradicate the taboo subjects and make them normal. Menopause takes up on average 1/3 of a woman’s life, a big portion of this is experienced in the workplace. Having a culture where women can talk openly about their struggles, “chill out zones” where they can cool down and a support network of women going through similar situations is necessary to retain women in our industry. 

Female leadership 

It is no secret that there is a lack of representation of women in senior positions in the industries, perhaps as a result of there being fewer women in the workforce. Now, this isn’t to say that there aren’t any women in senior roles, the industries do have has some truly incredible, inspirational female leaders and role models. But how can we inspire women into an industry where the representation of female role models, leaders and high achievers is low? The perception that is created from this is that it can be difficult to be successful as a woman which can be particularly demotivating, especially to young talent when weighing up their career options. It is clear that unless we do more to support and empower women in advancing in their careers to senior positions, the lack of female leadership representation will continue to create a barrier to both attracting and retaining women into engineering and construction. 

This is an area businesses must focus on if we are to change as an industry. One, where we need to ask if unconscious bias is acting as a barrier to women progressing in their careers? Do women have the support at work to advance into senior roles and have access to groups, networks and mentorship schemes if they need them? Are we visibly empowering, celebrating and communicating the successes and achievements of women within the workforce to encourage others that the industry is one where they can be successful? 

Each and every business that make up the industries must ask themselves these questions if we really are to improve gender equality and demonstrate to women that it really is a great one where they can thrive. 

What can I do for a gender equal workplace?  
 
Invite her to that meeting - her input will be valuable to informative decision making.

Treat women in the same way as you would your male colleagues - women are more than capable of handling the same project challenges as well as workplace banters.

Be transparent - you don’t need to talk to somebody else to ease off your conversation with her, normalise inclusivity in the workplace and start the conversation with her. 

Don’t make any assumptions and ask if you’re in doubt - some of the biggest historical engineering problems are born due to major assumptions within technical world. Imagine if we continue to assume the facts about our female colleagues, sustainability and social intelligence would be affected drastically. 

 
Be a fair manager - it’s more important to be a fair manager than being authoritative, bureaucratic or contractual. Everybody starts their careers with different conditions. Make sure her start line is at the same point to contribute to a healthy competition with her co-workers on assigned tasks. 

By nature women are raised to recognise the necessities of the next generations, they know by heart what’s needed and what’s next - trust the workflow. Women can, and will deliver the construction outcomes in the industry as well as bringing her salary home to look after her family. 

Doga Tasli

BIM Manager