F E AT U R E Women in Construction – Overcoming the Obstacles of Entry by Stephane McShane, Maxim Consulting Group
Marketing
When women are exploring possible career paths, it is still uncommon for them to consider a career in the construction industry. As a point of discussion, my own career path took me from modest beginnings in the field as an electrician, through estimating, project management, branch management, executive management, and a current role as a business consultant and professional speaker in the industry. There were many obstacles along the path, the largest of which was the decision to enter it at all. According to NAWIC, as of the end of 2018, approximately 1,106,919 women were employed in various occupation sectors of the construction industry, making up 9.9 percent of the construction workforce in the US. As of the end of 2019, women held the majority of American jobs at 50.04%, excluding farm workers and the selfemployed. That is an increase from 49.7% in 2018. Those statistics are certainly disparate from those of the construction sector.
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C O N T R A C T O R ’ S
The benefits of women in the industry are, however, both tangible and measurable. A study by McKinsey & Company suggests that executive teams in the top quartile for gender diversity were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation. It is well understood and documented that diversity at all levels of the organization bring positive benefits. However, how is it achieved? Unless a woman happens to have a family member or trusted advisor in the industry who can fill the educational gap about available careers, our industry goes largely overlooked. With the significant workforce shortage, the need for strategy that creates engagement and interest for women to enter the construction business is at an all time high. Until recently, this was a demographic largely untapped, bringing with it a tremendous opportunity to increase our workforce. With all of that said, and significant upside to gain, there are still significant barriers to entry that exist that must be addressed.
C O M P A S S
The marketing materials that are produced on social media are still largely composed of photos, videos, and statements of men in our industry. The tide is beginning to turn on this, as we begin to see more women being featured. The perception must continue to shift to be even more inclusive of women. Targeted marketing campaigns aimed at the female demographic should be strongly considered. Outreach to the junior high and high school students must be done in a way to ensure that all can see the opportunities that exist, not just the male population. As contractors, it is a wise investment of time to participate and sponsor construction technology programs and career days. Even more immersive is the chance to participate in the ACE Mentoring program, which works with high school students to learn to design, estimate, and pitch construction projects. Part of that marketing collateral should surround our industry’s willingness to pay our employees to be trained, in contrast to other markets where the potential employee may spend tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars for the chance of gaining employment. This has been a key talking point that is unique to construction, and a welcome relief and path forward for many whose economic status may prohibit such an investment.
Points of Entry With the industry continuing to shift from a construction focus to a manufacturing focus, this has forced the need for contractors of many trades, including general contractors, to have varied staffing needs. The opportunities span across accounting, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, project
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