Paul Brothwood | Promoting More Women in Construction

By Paul Brothwood 

I believe the construction industry will be stronger when it attracts and retains more women in technical, operational and leadership roles. Throughout my career, I have seen how diverse teams improve collaboration, decision-making and problem-solving, helping organisations build a stronger pipeline of future talent.

Diversity brings fresh ideas and different approaches to a sector built around solving practical problems. During my time working in construction, we changed our recruitment processes to encourage greater gender diversity and inclusion.

Reviewing our recruitment practices

One of our first steps was redesigning the recruitment process to make it more accessible and appealing to women. Construction job descriptions have often used language that discourages people without experience in a traditionally male environment.

We revised our job advertisements to use gender-neutral language. We placed greater emphasis on skills, attitude and potential rather than previous construction experience.

We also removed the requirement for applicants to submit a traditional CV. People entering construction from other sectors often possess valuable transferable skills that standard recruitment methods overlook.

Competency-based assessments gave applicants an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities instead of relying entirely on previous job titles. This produced a more diverse group of applicants and introduced different approaches to operational problems.

Developing a supportive and inclusive workplace

Recruiting more women into construction is only part of the work. Employers also need workplaces where women feel respected, supported and able to develop their careers.

We worked to build an inclusive culture across our offices and work sites. This included helping employees understand the value of diversity and setting clear expectations for professional behaviour.

Our aim was to create an environment where women felt confident contributing ideas, taking responsibility and progressing into technical, operational and leadership positions.

We introduced flexible working arrangements where operational requirements allowed. This recognised the pressures faced by employees with family and caring responsibilities.

We also provided suitable health and safety training for every employee. Safe equipment, properly fitted personal protective equipment, suitable welfare facilities and fair treatment are basic requirements for any inclusive construction workplace.

Looking forward

Creating opportunities for women in construction is not simply about representation. It strengthens teams, widens the available talent pool and supports an industry facing serious skills shortages.

The aim was not only to fill vacancies. We wanted to encourage more women to consider careers in scaffolding, roofing and other construction trades. We also wanted to show that technical and operational leadership positions were open to people from different backgrounds.

The progress was encouraging, but more work remains across the industry. Construction businesses should review their recruitment language, selection methods, workplace facilities, equipment and career development arrangements.

Attracting more women is only the starting point. Retaining talented people requires fair opportunities, practical support and a workplace culture built on respect.

Further Reading

Paul Brothwood | Chartered Environmentalist

Paul Brothwood | Being a Project Manager at Three Years Old

Paul Brothwood | Business Re-engineering with Health and Safety

About Paul Brothwood

Paul Brothwood is an Operations Manager at National Grid Electricity Distribution and a Chartered Environmentalist. He writes about leadership, operational excellence, sustainability, project management and continuous improvement, drawing on experience across the utilities, construction and financial services sectors.