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Women twice as likely to take charge of building projects

When it comes to making vital decisions regarding building work, women are twice as likely to have the final say on the style and scope of the project, according to research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

The FMB also asked female home owners if they have ever carried out a range of basic DIY tasks around the home and the results were as follows:

  • Almost 80 percent have painted a room
  • 65 percent have put together flat-pack furniture
  • 58 percent have unblocked a sink
  • Over 50 percent have changed a fuse
  • 44 percent have unblocked a toilet
  • Over a quarter have cleared the guttering

Jenny Carter, mum of one from North West London, said “I’m happy to hire a builder for the big jobs but it would cost me a fortune if I had to pay a tradesperson every time I needed to change a fuse. If I’m a bit unsure, I tend to search online for “how-to” videos to help guide me through the process – these videos give people like me a bit more confidence to tackle the smaller jobs. Every family is different but in our house, when it comes to these sorts of tasks, I’m easily as handy as my other half.”

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, added “This research shows that any lingering gender stereotypes regarding domestic life are totally outdated. Not only do women lead on decisions regarding the style and scope of building projects, they also get stuck in themselves when hiring a builder isn’t necessary. In 21st century Britain, you’re just as likely to find a woman up a ladder clearing out the guttering or battling with flat-pack furniture, as you might be likely to find her performing some of the more traditional domestic chores.”

“On a more serious note, the construction industry is facing a massive skills shortage and we’re crying out for more female builders. At present, only 2% of construction workers onsite are female and until we start to appeal to 50% of the population, we won’t be able to plug the skills gap. It is my hope that these hands-on women, many of whom will be mums, are inspiring their daughters to think differently about what is an acceptable career path for girls. There is no reason why young women can’t become the next generation of brickies and sparks and it’s our job to remind them of that.”

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Gender pay gap in construction falls to 12%

  • Gender pay gap in the construction industry has fallen from 16% to 12% in the past decade – a 4% decrease
  • National fall in gender pay gap over same period is 4%, from 21% to 17%
  • Gender pay gap across all industries dominated by small businesses has fallen from 22% to 13% in past ten years

The gender pay gap in the construction sector has fallen by 4% in the last decade, according to a report published by Informi, the website offering free practical advice and support for small businesses.

The report shows that women who earned 84p for every £1 a man earned in construction back in 2008 now earn 88p, meaning that the remaining gender pay gap in the industry stands at 12%.

Since 2008, female hourly pay in construction has increased by 22%, while male hourly pay over the same period has increased by 17% – meaning that the overall gender pay gap has narrowed by 23%.

Across all small business-dominated industries, which includes construction, the gender pay gap is falling at twice the rate as that of all companies across the UK.

The research found that while the national gender pay gap was at 21% ten years ago (and at 22% in SME-dominated industries), current wage inequalities in those sectors with a greater number of SME employees has fallen to 13%, compared to a national average of 17%.

With a 9% overall fall in the gender pay gap across these SME-dominated industries over the last ten years, the sectors are set to eradicate the remaining 13% average wage inequalities by 2034, should it continue to fall at current rates.

Darren Nicholls, product manager for Informi, said “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the UK economy, and this report demonstrates that they are blazing a pathway towards wage equality and helping to eradicate the gender pay gap.

“Small businesses are not shackled by tradition, legacy or bureaucracy in the same manner as many large companies can be. That said, clearly a double digit gap is still far too high. There’s a great deal more to be done, with some industries lagging behind others in implementing the necessary changes to ensure that females get just as many opportunities to thrive in their profession of choice.

“The fact that mandatory reporting has been brought in by the Government for larger companies should act as an encouragement for small businesses to consider female progression within their own firms, auditing their own internal data and acting upon their results.”

Chloe Chambraud, gender equality director for Business in the Community, added “Closing the gender pay gap is not just about equal pay, but about a much bigger organisational culture shift.

Employers should understand any factors driving their pay gap, and address the root causes of inequality. This means reducing bias and increasing transparency in the recruitment, appraisal and promotion processes, normalise agile working, and offer financially viable parental leave packages for all.”

Sophia Morrell, chair of Labour in the City, concluded “It is really encouraging to see SMEs leading the charge in the UK on closing the gender pay gap. Legislation can be helpful in pushing us towards equality, but the most forward-thinking companies have already been embedding these principles into their workplaces rather than waiting for regulation to force their hand.”

The full report, ‘Closing the Gender Pay Gap: Are small businesses bucking the national trend?’ is available from the Informi website.
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Sexism in construction

Nearly half of construction workers think the sector’s pay gap between men and women will be lower than the national average within a year.

  • 46% of construction workers think the gender pay gap will be less than 15% by April 2018.
  • More needs to be done to achieve equality and tackle sexism in the sector; 35% of workers believe men are better suited for the skill set needed in construction.
  • Nearly a third (30%) of women cite fears of sexism as holding them back from pursuing senior roles in construction.
  • Workers want organisations to do more, with nearly 39% believing companies are not doing enough to attract females into the sector.

OnePoll survey findings

A OnePoll survey commissioned by the RICS found that despite an optimistic outlook about the gender pay gap figures across the construction sector, with nearly half (46%) of construction workers predicting the gap will be less than 15% by April 2018, businesses need to do more to tackle gender inequality and sexism in the industry.

The future for women in the construction industry

With the national average pay gap recorded at 18.1% in 2016, today’s findings suggest the construction sector could lead the way in closing the gap, if the employees’ predictions are correct. Indeed, more than one in ten respondents (12%) think that there will be no gender pay gap at all by April 2018, which marks the end of the UK Government’s mandatory gender pay reporting period. However, this positive sentiment is markedly absent in the nation’s capital, with Londoners in the construction sector predicting an average pay gap of 21%.

A man’s world?

Despite a positive outlook towards the pay gap, today’s findings reveal the construction sector has significant steps to take if it is to achieve parity. Nearly a third (30%) of women surveyed think sexism holds them back from pursuing senior roles in construction, while 38% of men believe their skills are better suited to the sector than women.

Nearly half (42%) of those surveyed believe companies need to invest more in training their existing female employees. Equally, those in the sector want to see businesses investing in the future pipeline of talent to build a diverse workforce, with 40% recognising that companies need to invest more in encouraging young girls to pursue a career in construction, so that more women enter the profession.

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International Women’s Day: A third of home owners would prefer a female tradesperson

A third of UK home owners would rather hire a female builder, as opposed to a male builder, according to new research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Key results from the FMB’s research into opinions on female builders and tradespeople include:

  • Almost one third (30%) of home owners would feel more positive about hiring a female builder or tradesperson to complete a task in their home, as opposed to a male builder or tradesperson
  • Women feel particularly positive about hiring female builders with 35% saying they would feel more positive about hiring a female builder or tradesperson to complete a task in their home

Of those who felt more positive about hiring a female builder, the reasons were as follows:

  • 51% think female tradespeople might be more respectful of their home
  • 46% would like to support more women working in non-traditional job roles
  • 42% might feel more at ease with a female tradesperson
  • 37% think female tradespeople might be more trustworthy
  • 35% think female tradespeople might be friendlier
  • 30% think women often have better attention to detail than men
  • 20% prefer the company of women
  • 18% relate better to other women
  • 16% would be a novelty and a welcome change to hire a female builder

Despite feeling more positive about hiring a female tradesperson, 30% fewer people would encourage their daughter to pursue a career in construction than their sons.

Nearly two-thirds of the general public are ‘gender blind’ when choosing their builder or tradesperson and wouldn’t care whether they were a man or a woman.

Commenting on the research, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “There’s a clear appetite among consumers for more women to enter the building industry with one third of home owners saying they would rather hire a female builder. There are numerous reasons for this and chief among them is that these home owners feel that female tradespeople might be more respectful of their home. Consumers are also keen to support more women working in non-traditional job roles which is a breath of fresh air. However, there’s a serious gap in the market here as currently only two percent of tradespeople are women.”

“The construction industry is in the midst of a skills shortage and until we appeal to women – who obviously make up fifty per cent of the population – we’re unlikely to dig ourselves out of this skills hole. Despite feeling more positive about hiring a female tradesperson, 30% fewer people would encourage their daughter to pursue a career in construction than their sons. In 2018, this attitude is outdated and denies thousands of women a potentially rewarding career. Today is International Women’s Day and we’re calling on all parents, teachers and careers advisers to talk to young women about a career in construction. The construction sector can appeal to anyone who takes pleasure in the built environment and wants to avoid being trapped behind a desk all day. This can and should apply to both men and women equally.”

Debi Sporn, from Sporn Construction Ltd, who has worked in construction for more than 16 years, said “The public perception of the construction industry is changing but not quickly enough. As a woman working in construction, I’m able to bring a different perspective to our firm and how it operates. Not only that, clients to seem respond well to the fact that our company employs both men and women. Construction is an exciting sector to work in and I would absolutely recommend pursuing a career in our industry.”

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Campaign launched to encourage more women into construction

Considerate Constructors Scheme’s industry survey reveals more needs to be done to change perceptions and encourage more women into construction

Whilst 79% of respondents said the construction industry has improved its approach in encouraging women into construction, 52% have witnessed or experienced sexism within the industry.

The survey also reveals the main reasons women do not choose to work in construction cited as being:

  • working conditions – 22%
  • lack of female role models – 22%
  • negative image of the industry – 20%

The UK and Ireland campaign ‘Spotlight on…women in construction’ has been launched by the Considerate Constructors Scheme to boost the much-needed industry effort to attract more women into the construction industry.

The Scheme, which makes around 15,000 monitoring visits to construction sites, companies and suppliers every year, surveyed over 1000 people to find out why women still only represent a meagre 11% of the construction industry workforce. The Campaign provides a variety of practical steps that can be taken to address this issue in the short, medium and long term.

The survey findings also revealed that:

  • 94% of respondents agreed that the industry would benefit from employing more women.
  • 76% said there are no construction jobs which only men can do.
  • 74% said there should not be quotas for hiring women into construction.

It is clear from the survey, that although some results appear encouraging, there is still a huge amount to be done, particularly in addressing sexism and changing misguided perceptions of what a career in construction offers to women.

‘Spotlight on…women in construction’ pulls together the latest and greatest examples of best practice, case studies from women working across the construction industry, legal requirements and links to useful organisations encouraging women to work in construction.

The Campaign extends the Scheme’s influence in this important area; by complementing the Scheme’s monitoring Checklist which asks several questions about equality and diversity to raise standards across the thousands of Scheme-registered sites, companies and suppliers; and the role of the industry mascot, Honor Goodsite in visiting hundreds of schools across the UK and Ireland every year.

The importance of having role models is absolutely critical. As such, ‘Spotlight on…women in construction’ has interviewed a number of women within the industry to examine what opportunities and challenges they have faced and why construction offers a great career for women of all ages, backgrounds and skills.

Case study contributions include: Roma Agrawal, (Structural Engineer at AECOM and a Director of the CCS); Stephanie Bennett, (trainee Quantity Surveyor, Morgan Sindall); Victoria Betts, (Senior Site Manager, Higgins Construction), Sally Cave, (first qualified female Gas Membrane Installer in the UK); Margaret Conway, (Project Manager for McAleer & Rushe and winner of CIOB Construction Manager of the Year 2017 Award); Michèle Dix (Managing Director, Crossrail 2); Katie Kelleher (Crane Operator, Laing O’Rourke); Eillish Kwai (Employment and Skills Manager, Ardmore); Kath Moore, (Carpenter and Chief Executive, Women into Construction); and Megan Robinson (Technical Coordinator at Barratt Developments plc).

Managing Director for Crossrail 2, Michèle Dix said “Women are still underrepresented at present but I think we are starting to move in the right direction. We need to recognise the need for more flexible working arrangements, especially if we are to encourage women back after taking time off for children.

“I think there are lots of opportunities out there and one message I would give to my fellow women colleagues is “go for them!”. Be confident in your own abilities. The industry has so much to offer.”

Site Manager for Higgins Construction, Victoria Betts said “In the time I have been working in the industry there has definitely been an increase in the amount of females working in it. The Considerate Constructors Scheme has been a big driving force in this as it insists on facilities for females that previously would not have been in place.”

Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive, Edward Hardy said “Thank you to everyone who has contributed to ‘Spotlight on…women in construction’. The Campaign provides a must-read set of resources for organisations and individuals who would like to improve their standards of considerate construction – with the aim of driving greater equality, diversity and inclusion throughout our industry.

“Not only is it imperative that standards must be raised in this area, in order to help encourage more women into the industry, but a more equal and diverse workforce also brings greater collaboration, creative thinking and more inclusive workplaces. This can only be a positive step in helping to improve the image of the UK and Irish construction industries.”

Click here to read ‘Spotlight on…women in construction’.

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Without focusing on recruitment building firms risk going out of business

A lack of focus on bolstering the workforce could push construction firms out of business, according to industry experts One Way.

An analysis by the specialist rail and construction recruitment consultancy found that firms are recruiting on a short term basis and are therefore forced to pay day rates that are well above the standard rate. Insolvency specialists, Begbies Traynor, recently published its latest ‘Red Flag’ report which found that over 40,000 construction companies were operating in a state of ‘significant’ financial distress at the end of June. A year ago the number stood at 33,222.

Paul Payne, managing director of One Way, said “Far too many construction firms don’t have a plan in place for finding skills when they need them on a short term basis and are forced into a situation where they have to pay excessively high day rates just to get the staff they need. You can see why they do it, but by planning ahead, firms can source the best skills in the market, at a fairer price and avoid any unnecessary headaches. This doesn’t just make their lives easier when it comes to staffing projects, but also removes some of the excessive costs. When construction firms look to become more efficient they often analyse their raw materials suppliers, however those savings are relatively small in comparison to those that could potentially be saved by developing robust talent pipelines into the industry. These statistics highlight that firms are being pushed to the brink and planning effectively and concentrating on recruitment could help to significantly lower costs.”

“The main issue preventing them from building these routes into the field is that there simply aren’t enough people in the industry and very few firms are doing anything about it. That means there’s a limited supply of skills in the market and the individuals in demand can essentially name their price as they’re so highly sought after. By building talent pipelines and communities you can avoid these additional costs as you’ll have a pool of available talent to fall back on if required. The skills shortages are only going to get worse once we leave the European Union, so it’s crucial that firms start planning before it’s too late. We’ve launched two campaigns to boost the number of women and youngsters entering the construction industry respectively. However initiatives like this are few and far between and we need to see more proactive work taking place, otherwise staffing costs will continue to rise and firms could ultimately be forced out of business.”

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Three ways to tackle construction skills shortages

Increasing levels of gender diversity, widening talent pipelines and improving the wider public image of the sector will help to tackle the ongoing skills shortages plaguing the construction industry, according to One Way.

An analysis by the leading construction and rail consultancy has revealed that the skills shortages can only be tackled by employers being proactive and going above and beyond the call of duty. This comes at a time when estimates suggest that 27,000 projects will suffer from a lack of suitably skilled and qualified workers over the next five years.

Paul Payne, managing director of One Way, comments on the required approaches:

Improve gender diversity

“It’s downright negligent to almost rule out half of the workforce from working in the industry, but that’s essentially what is happening. We don’t need to go over-the-top, but considering how we could make the sector that bit more inclusive would make a huge difference. No other mainstream industry suffers from such a colossal lack of diversity and it’s certainly a major factor contributing to the skills shortages. We have launched our #GirlsAllowed programme and we’d urge more firms to consider similar approaches.”

Promote a better image of the industry to the public

“How many people outside of the field realistically know the potential that a construction career holds? In reality, it’s very few. The main stereotype is that a job in the sector means being cold and muddy and standing outside digging a ditch somewhere. That needs to change. The skills of quantity surveyors, for example, are similar to those of an accountant, and rather than being handcuffed to a desk for the rest of your career, they have the chance to work on major infrastructure or construction projects. Unfortunately, nowhere near enough people outside of the sector know about this.”

Widen talent pipelines into construction

“This can only be achieved by improving the wider image of the industry as, currently, few youngsters actively seek out a career in construction. To solve this, firms need to be proactive, get into schools and colleges and actually speak to children about the potential a career in the field holds. The alternative is to rest on our laurels and continue to do very little, which will only lead to the construction industry in this country falling apart.”

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Salaries of property professionals rise, but gender pay gap worsens

Salaries for property professionals remained robust in 2017, according to the latest survey by RICS & Macdonald & Company, but the gender pay gap has increased from last year.

  • Male property professionals earn, on average, £11,000 more than female counterparts (£7,000 in 2016)
  • Sector salary pay rises up 7.2% overall, above UK wage inflation
  • Average salaries down, but due to changing demographics of the survey

An evident gap

Male property professionals earn, on average, £11,113 more than their female colleagues (£54,931 versus £43,818). The gap is evident across the majority of age groups and is greatest for those aged 46–55, where the difference in average salary is 25.7%.

Encouragingly, the gender pay gap is now less evident in those starting out in property with females earning slightly more than males, a turnaround from last year where the pay gap was most evident in 18–22 year olds.

The survey indicates the attraction of property as a career choice. Of those who received a pay rise in 2017 in the industry, the average increase was 7.7% (up from 7.1% in 2016); this is far above UK-wage inflation, which sits at 2.7%. Considering the sample as a whole, the industry experienced an increase of +7.2% (6.5% in 2016), with 32% also believing that their pay and benefits will be positively affected by market conditions over the next 12 months.

The benefits of being qualified

Once again, the survey also shows the benefits of being professionally qualified. RICS professionals earn 40.6% more than those who are “not professionally qualified” — this has increased by 29.5% since 2016. Those with an FRICS designation earn 83.3% more than those who are not professionally qualified.

The survey recorded the average salary in 2017 as £52,362. While this is a 4.5% decrease compared to 2016, this may be largely explained by changes in the demographics of the survey this time around. Respondents with 10 years’ experience or fewer rose by 9% (from 31% to 40%), while those with 16 years’ experience or more fell 10% (from 56% to 46%).

Respondents working in Greater London continue to earn the highest average salary (£61,141) and command a premium of 15.5% over the South East, and 41.0% over Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland. The majority of regions have seen a decrease, but East Anglia (+3.4%), South West/Wales (+2.6%) and Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland (+1.4%) buck this trend with growth in average wages.

More positively, over half of respondents (53%) believe their organisation will increase headcount in 2017. 47% of respondents expect their organisation to modestly increase headcount, while 6% expect a significant increase in headcount in 2017.

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Lack of women in construction could be worse than predicted

The number of females in professional construction roles is less than many analysts predicted, according to a survey carried out by specialist construction recruitment firm, One Way.

In a survey of professionals from across the industry, the firm found that 65% of respondents work in a company where less than 5% of the workforce is made up of women in an actual construction role.

When asked about the challenges for women in construction, over half (58%) stated that businesses themselves are to blame due to a range of issues such as stereotyping in the recruitment process and a lack of commitment from employers. Just over a third (35%) felt that it simply isn’t a popular career choice for women.

The survey – carried out as part of the firm’s #GirlsAllowed campaign which aims to bring together those in construction and education outlets to encourage more girls into the sector – also revealed that the majority (83%) believe that a lack of construction career education in schools is creating a concerning gap in female talent.

Reassuringly, over 80% of those surveyed agreed that they would personally get involved in an initiative to help address the lack of women in construction.

Paul Payne, Managing Director of One Way, commented on the findings “What is clear from these results is that employers need to do more to both attract more women into the industry and embrace them once on board. The results of the survey clearly demonstrate that the sector has a bad reputation when it comes to hiring females and given the severity of existing skills shortages, this simply cannot continue. While we were expecting to find low levels of employment, some of the figures were certainly below our initial perceptions, which makes the need for greater collaboration through initiatives such as the #GirlsAllowed campaign more vital now than they have ever been.

“While it’s great to see so many respondents commit to taking more action, there were some concerning views that came to light that I feel need to be altered immediately. Aside from some of the gender stereotyping comments, other remarks suggested that some in the industry itself don’t think construction is a sector that women should be in. This is quite simply untrue and is an attitude myself and the team at One Way certainly want to turn around.”

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Gender pay gap at 16.3% for construction sector

The Minister for Women and Equalities, Justine Greening has welcomed figures showing the gender pay gap for the construction industry is now the lowest on record.

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, published by the Office for National Statistics, provides the most accurate data on the median average difference between men and women’s earnings. These statistics show that the construction sector has a gender pay gap of 16.3% – that’s 1.8% below the national average.

From next April the government will be taking action to tackle the gender pay gap by requiring all employers with more than 250 employees to publish their gender pay and gender bonus gaps. This will help shine a light on the barriers preventing women from reaching the top.

The benefits of helping women to unlock their talents are huge – tackling the UK gender gap could add £150bn to our annual GDP in 2025. That’s an opportunity that neither government nor businesses can afford to ignore.

Ms Greening commented: “It is fantastic to see we now have the lowest gender pay gap on record. No woman should be held back just because of her gender.

“The changes we’ve made so that men and women can share their parental leave, the support we’re giving to get more women into the top jobs at our biggest companies and our drive to get more girls taking STEM subjects at school are all helping to reduce this gap.

“We’ve achieved amazing things but there’s more to do – that’s why we are pushing ahead with plans to require businesses to publish their gender pay and gender bonus gap for the first time ever from April next year.”

To help drive further progress and help eliminate the gender pay gap in a generation, the government is:

  • Introducing requirements for all employers with more than 250 members of staff to publish their gender pay and gender bonus pay gaps for the first time ever from April next year
  • Working with business to have 33% of women on boards by 2020 and eliminate all-male boards in the FTSE 350
  • Doubling the amount of free childcare available to working parents of three and four year olds, helping to remove the barriers that can prevent women from returning to the workplace.

This builds on the changes the government has already introduced to support women in the workplace, including:

  • Extending the right to request flexible working to all employees
  • Introducing a new system of flexible parental leave
  • Supporting women’s enterprise by helping female entrepreneurs start up and grow their own business
  • Increasing the National Living Wage, of which two-thirds of recipients are women.
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