Recently, the construction industry celebrated women in construction as part of
"Women in Construction Week (WIC): March 1–7, 2020." As
a woman who has been in the industry for over 20 years, it is so exciting to
see all the social media posts of how women are contributing to our industry.
Twenty years ago, I often felt like I was the only woman in our industry. I
actually referred to myself as "an Only." My work took me on several
trips and provided me opportunities to attend industry events where I was
typically one of the only women in the room. As I look back on navigating my
career and the unique challenges that women face in the industry, I realized
that I often found myself having nowhere to turn for advice.
As I began to find my confidence, I also found my voice and became an
industry expert on various construction safety and risk management topics. Over
the years, I noticed more women in the audience. After each presentation, women
would often stick around to ask me questions. Yet, the questions were never
related to insurance or construction. They were asking me the following.
- How did you figure out child care and the demands of work?
- What steps did you have to take to become regarded and respected as an
expert in your field?
- How did you convince your husband your job was as important as his
own?
- How did you get promoted while raising kids?
- How did you deal with a boss who talked over you or asked you out?
I realized that I was not only an expert in construction risk and safety. As
the years passed, I had unintentionally become an expert on how to navigate a
career and raise a family in a very untraditional industry for women. And so
began my journey to write my latest book, The B Words: 13 Words Women Must
Explore To Achieve Success.1
As amazing as the social media posts seemed to be during WIC week, the
messages are a bit deceiving. Construction is still a pretty lonely place for
women. Currently, women make up only 9.3 percent of the entire industry
workforce; 86.7 percent of those work in the office. The field is an even
lonelier place, with women making up only 13.3 percent of the workforce.
Women face many obstacles, including the following.
- 43 percent of organizations do not monitor gender pay gaps that can lead
to pay issues.
- 73 percent of women in construction feel passed over for roles because of
gender.
- Women are at a much higher risk of injury due to poorly fitting personal
protective equipment.
- 60 percent report experiencing gender discrimination.
- The majority of caregiving for children and aging parents today fall on
women.
Source: The Future of Women at Work, Transitions in
the Age of Automation, McKinsey Global Institute, June 2019.
Helping the Talent Shortage
One of the major risks facing the future of construction is the talent
shortage. The lack of talent has created the risk of higher prices, missed
business opportunities, exposure to subcontractor default, and safety issues.
Attracting and promoting women to the construction industry could be the answer
to the labor shortage. Yet the number of women in construction are still few
and far between.
Women today now have more education than ever before, but women continue to
gravitate to lower-paying roles such as teaching, administration, and health
care. These roles were the only roles available to women in the 1950s. In 2020,
there is perceived access to higher-paying roles like construction and
engineering. Women are either self-selecting out of these fields, or the
barrier to entry and sustainability is still alive and well. The only way this
will ever change is by intentionally creating opportunities, access points, and
acceptance of women. Women can't do this alone. Men and women need to build
a bridge of lasting change.
Women: Self-Check
For those women in the industry who do a self-check, can you honestly say
that you champion other women in the workplace? How do you know for sure? Where
are you on the advocacy continuum, and what else could you do to create a more
inclusive and diverse workplace? To really check where you are at in support of
other women, take the time to participate in the Gender Advocacy Profile quiz
created by Jeffrey Tobias Halter. These 20 questions will help you determine
how committed you are to embracing gender equality in workplace dynamics.
Recruit Male Advocates
Most women know "ready now" men who have expressed interest in
women's equity topics. Perhaps, they are the father of a daughter, had a
working mother, or have a working spouse. They are interested in being
supportive but just need some direction or ideas on how to parlay their
interest into being an ally or help on how to act as an advocate.
Women must take the initiative. Invite male colleagues to coffee, set up a
call or a meeting, and candidly share your experiences as a woman in the
industry or in the organization. Then invite them to attend a women's
leadership meeting or program. If your organization does not have one, discuss
the option of leading such a group.
Point prospective male advocates in the direction of online tools such as
the following.
- The Male Advocacy Profile, a quiz to assess where a man is
on the advocacy spectrum and provide tips for championing the cause
- The Father of a Daughter Initiative, a roadmap to
help men make the connection between women at work and their daughters and
to take action to bring about change for the women in their lives. Some
actions include encouraging qualified women to apply for positions when
they become available, mentoring or sponsoring a female coworker, having a
candid conversation with a female coworker about her experiences working in
the company, and becoming aware of and correcting microbias in the
workplace.
Men should start with the Male Advocacy Profile to recognize any unconscious
barriers they may have to truly supporting women in the workplace. Today's
reality is that some men see the #MeToo movement as male-bashing and view women
as radical and disruptive. Recognizing barriers and tendencies toward
disengagement is key to change.
The next step is to get educated about what women face every day. According
to a 2018 study on sexual harassment and assault, 2 in 5 women will be exposed
to sexual harassment in the workplace,2 and Pew
Researchers found that 6 in 10 women say they have been sexually
harassed.3 This dynamic must stop.
Executive Leadership
Organizational leaders must recognize that change starts at the top. CEOs
set, demonstrate, communicate, and enforce the core values of the company. If
an organization's core value is to empower women through diversity,
inclusion, and culture, the CEO will provide visible and vocal commitment and a
zero-tolerance policy for harassment or discrimination. This isn't just a
memo or a page in a corporate handbook; this is leader-led training with
visible management commitment.
A Few Good Men
I have been the only woman in the room, an Only, for far too many years to
count. I have also worked extremely hard to get the coveted Only seat at the
table. And yet, the reality is that my hard work and education would not have
mattered if it were not for the good men who cracked open the door and gave me
a chance. They all had similar qualities. They respected me, treated me as an
equal, defended me, and supported me when it was obvious that I was not being
supported because of my gender; they gave me a chance to grow and learn within
their organizations.
When I was 21 years old, I had two degrees from college, and my work
experience consisted of a sandwich maker, typist, receptionist, and waitress. I
applied for a job as a claims adjuster. I wore my grandmother's suit to the
interview because I didn't own one. My first boss was the director of an
employers' insurance office in Texas. In the 1980s, it was okay for
interviewers to say things like, "You are too young. Why should I hire
you?" I responded, "I just need someone to give me a chance. I should
not be penalized because I have two degrees at 21 years old. It should show you
my work ethic."
My interviewer replied, "Anyone with that attitude deserves a chance to
become a claims adjuster," and he offered me my first job. I made $17,500
a year, and I was given a company car. I had hit the jackpot. I had made it. To
this day, I rely on this boss's example of leadership in leading my own
teams. He set high expectations, was always available for questions and
support, and passed on his knowledge. He never micromanaged or concerned
himself with time clocks and hours. He had a philosophy to never mess with
people's time or money. His team was expected to manage their own time. Pay
raises were never promised; they were earned. When someone on the team was not
meeting his expectations, he dealt with it head-on. His team was high
performing and happy.
Conclusion
There are many men who have helped me advance my career throughout my
journey, and I am sure there will be more in the future. My goal now is to
encourage both men and women to pave the way for the new generation by building
bridges. The idea of scarcity—of the zero-sum game and of there not being
enough room for everyone—is obsolete and broken. Both men and women need to
champion the future and abolish the outdated notion of nontraditional roles in
the workplace. People should work where they are best suited and have the
skills, work ethic, empathy, and talent to perform. One day, gender will have
nothing to do with success.