Recruit and Retain Women for Construction Jobs with These 4 Tips
While half of the U.S. work force consists of women, the construction industry is made up of mostly men. But with so many construction job openings today, firms should begin prioritizing hiring women to fulfill these roles.
Whether you need to hire a project manager or a jobsite working to place concrete forms, having women in your firm offers many benefits. In fact, having a gender diverse staff is proven to be linked to higher profits and success for your business.
With that, here are 4 tips for recruiting and retaining women for construction jobs which include handling concrete form rentals.
1. Be Mindful of the Hiring Process
The entire process of hiring somebody can be stressful for both everyone involved. From posting a job description all the way to the final interview, there are some things to be aware of.
Thanks to technology, it’s now easier than ever to post jobs and recruit potential employees. You should create a friendly listing and job description for women to find your company.
When creating the listing, be mindful of your tone, pronoun usage, and industry jargon. You may easily discourage a woman from applying if you don’t use gender-neutral pronouns.
Once you’ve screened female candidates, it’s important to make a good first impression in the interview, perhaps by scheduling their first interview with a female hiring manager. This will ease the candidate’s concerns and reflect your company’s values.
Being upfront with any benefits that a woman would care about, such as childcare or maternity leave, is important in the hiring process. These benefits could be the tipping point for a woman to accept the job.
2. Look Past Technical Capabilities
Because not all construction jobs are physically demanding or require technical expertise, it’s important to look for women with strong emotional intelligence and professional leadership skills, as well.
If you come across young women with these unique skill sets, do not miss the opportunity to realize their potential. These women can be excellent in administration, communication, and implementation, which are all important skills for any construction job.
Oftentimes, these women with more “generic” skills may start with a smaller role with the company, but they can quickly learn the industry to the point where they become project managers.
3. Provide Opportunities for Growth
As critical as the hiring process is, so is your strategy for keeping your employees happy. The reality is that your company will fail to diversify its labor force if it doesn’t also focus on retaining its female employees.
Giving your current employees opportunities to network can go a long way in retaining them. It shows that your company cares and values the development of its employees.
There are other ways to support current female employees besides networking. Providing continual chances to grow in the company and in their skillset will improve retention. This may include promotions, more leadership opportunities, or training programs.
4. Create Good Culture and Avoid Stereotypes
Does your company facilitate an environment that is hostile and unwelcoming? Stereotyping is still rampant in today’s culture and could be hurting your company’s ability to hire or retain women.
With construction jobs mostly filled by men, and with the stereotype of these jobs requiring long, hard hours of work, you may find this is to be the biggest mental barrier in inviting women to your company.
However, the construction industry requires so much more than just physical labor. Accounting, administration, management, design, marketing, and technology are all skills desired and needed to run a successful construction business. Making new college graduates aware of these needs will attract plenty of female candidates, helping you and helping them.
Forming America is Here to Help
Forming America is proud to weigh in on the gender-diversity conversation and provide you with ways to improve your company. If you’re in need of concrete forms or shoring equipment, contact us today.