黑洞社区

What would a more diverse construction industry mean to Lisa Philips, a 29-year-old QS working for a major contractor? Perhaps she wouldn鈥檛 have to battle to get the information she needs from the site, then be told that she should have been more 鈥榓ssertive鈥� in the first place. Or she wouldn鈥檛 have to watch the senior director on a new project offer her little more welcome than a handshake, then go out of his way to make the new male graduate trainee feel at home.

Perhaps Caroline Carter, a site manager made redundant a year ago, would find that the agencies finding work for her former colleagues would return her calls. Ex-site manager Chrissi McCarthy might not have left the industry in frustration at not being given opportunities to progress. Or Ayo Allu, a black south Londoner, wouldn鈥檛 feel he has to prove his 鈥榚dge鈥� before he can relax into a normal relationship with the team.

In 2009, the construction industry routinely trains, employs and promotes the women and non-white staff who might have found their career paths blocked a decade ago. But female and ethnic minority staff still have far lower representation in construction than they do in the UK workforce at large: an estimated 3.3% of the industry is non-white compared with 7.9% of the working population overall, while women make up just 13.5% of the construction workforce compared with 46% of the UK total.

While this remains the case, Philips, Carter, Allu and McCarthy will not only be part of a statistical minority, but often be made to feel like one. Along with the other participants in CM鈥檚 discussion panel 鈥� see overleaf 鈥� they discuss how their higher visibility in companies also makes their routine mistakes more visible, how pro-diversity appointments aren鈥檛 followed up with the mentoring support white men take for granted, and the feeling that construction is a club in which they haven鈥檛 been offered full membership.

McCarthy, who now runs a consultancy that helps construction companies to recruit and retain female staff, feels that progressive corporate policies can sometimes have a perverse effect on individuals. 鈥業t used to be that discrimination was out in the open, so at least you could discuss it. But now people know it鈥檚 not acceptable, so it鈥檚 under the surface,鈥� warns McCarthy. 鈥楾hat makes it more difficult, because you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e fighting against, or even if you鈥檙e fighting against it in the first pace. So individuals think, am I the problem? And then they leave.鈥�

And therein lies the challenge. The industry might have opened its doors to minority staff, and employers might have adopted equality and diversity policies. But if the underlying culture is still based on traditional white male behaviour and management style, then the industry can still be an uncomfortable place for anyone who doesn鈥檛 fit that mould. Whether those individuals leave to work elsewhere, or stay but fail to become ambassadors for construction, the diversity statistics will remain stubbornly low.

This summer, two reports highlighted the extent of the industry鈥檚 recruitment and retention problems, as well as the risks for the future if the situation doesn鈥檛 change. The Equality and Human Rights Commission鈥檚 (EHRC) inquiry into race discrimination in construction looked at the continuing barriers that restrict opportunities for black and Asian staff, while the Construction Industry Council analysed membership data from all the industry鈥檚 professional institutions, including the CIOB.

As the EHRC points out, demographic changes over the coming decades will mean a decline in the white male population that is the industry鈥檚 traditional recruiting ground. Next year, only 20% of the UK workforce will consist of white, non-disabled men under 45. If the sector can鈥檛 make itself more attractive to the rising generations of women and non-white staff now, the industry鈥檚 current skills shortage could become chronic.

The CIC uses other industries as a mirror to reflect construction鈥檚 poor performance. According to its report, 鈥榗onstruction has a long way to go to achieve diversity, and some professional institutions are not committed. There is a need to 鈥渃atch up鈥� with the legal and medical professions that have achieved increased diversity鈥� and have a strong system of monitoring and implementation of diversity strategies.鈥�

The problem begins with recruitment, and the effects of informal, 鈥榳ord-of-mouth鈥� referrals. 鈥楶eople tend to recruit based on contacts and who they know,鈥� says Canute Simpson, a black ex-site manager. 鈥業鈥檝e benefited from that in getting jobs, and most people have, but everyone has to be mindful of what it means in reality. You have to change your recruitment polices to include people who are not in the network, otherwise the make-up of the workforce will be self-perpetuating.鈥�

Kevin Bowsher, equality and diversity manager at Olympic delivery partner CLM, agrees: 鈥楾he traditional thing in construction is 鈥渕y nephew, my son鈥�. There鈥檚 a need to overcome that or we won鈥檛 get a bigger skills base. A diverse workforce opens your business to new customers, new markets, and new ideas, and you鈥檒l have less staff turnover. But unfortunately, there鈥檚 still a large group of people who don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 an issue.鈥�

The EHRC report looks at the problems that arise from the fragmented nature of the industry: the project-based nature of the industry both encourages word-of-mouth recruitment and means there is less time to break down barriers; good practice built up on one site won鈥檛 necessarily transfer to the next; there鈥檚 no collective voice calling for change or making sure it鈥檚 implemented; and a large proportion of the industry is made up of small companies that are hard to reach.

Simpson points to another damaging effect of the industry鈥檚 structure 鈥� the fact that many black and Asian staff who are working on site are effectively invisible. 鈥楾here is a population in the low-skilled non-craft roles, such as site security and delivery drivers,鈥� he points out.

鈥業f you include those people, the overall employment statistics might look better. But it also means that the industry just isn鈥檛 training and promoting these people 鈥� why aren鈥檛 they being given the opportunities to do more?鈥�

And for companies that continue to recruit a white male workforce through the word-of-mouth 鈥榥etwork鈥�, there鈥檚 a warning from the EHRC. 鈥楶otentially, companies that do this are breaking the law,鈥� says Rhodri McDonald, a senior lawyer who worked on the inquiry. 鈥業ndirect discrimination occurs when an organisation has a practice or policy that means some people are less likely to get a job. When well over 90% of the industry is white, word of mouth will adversely affect more black and minority ethnic people than white.鈥� The EHRC now plans to monitor construction firms for compliance with the law.

So what else can construction companies do to create an inclusive culture that would allow everyone to plan a future in the industry?

The CM panel discussion threw up several suggestions, including modifying the industry鈥檚 鈥榤artyr鈥� culture of long hours and long distances, closing the culture gap between site office and head office, the sensitive use of quotas, and diversity training so that staff can recognise the day-to-day issues that can lead to individuals feeling marginalised.

鈥楩or me, it鈥檚 about training your workforce to understand what equality and diversity means, the issues and barriers people have, and to think about how you communicate with your staff,鈥� says McCarthy.

Diversity awareness training is already taking place at the Olympic Park, where Kevin Bowsher is trying to effect a culture change among Tier I contractors. He runs monthly diversity workshops for managers, with speakers from organisations such as Stonewall and the The Royal National Institute for Deaf People. He links positive policies on diversity to better outcomes in health and safety and project efficiency. 鈥楶eople who are respected will work more safely 鈥� there鈥檚 less horseplay and bullying 鈥� and will have higher levels of morale and performance,鈥� says Bowsher.

ConstructionSkills, which currently does not offer companies levy funding for diversity training, is also addressing the problem. 鈥榃e鈥檙e reconsidering our offer to the sector, for instance offering a suite of training programmes, to help them improve diversity and procurement issues,鈥� says Kate Lloyd, in charge of equality and diversity in the recruitment and careers team. 鈥榃e鈥檙e also working with the UK Contractors Group 鈥� it helps to get the big organisations to cascade a culture change down through the supply chains.鈥�

However, the 鈥榳ho you know鈥� network 鈥� with its tendency to exclude difference and diversity 鈥� also exists at supply chain level. That鈥檚 the experience of Faruq Kidiwala of Huddersfield-based Trinity Property Maintenance, which has a network of self-employed black and Asian sub-contractors. 鈥楶eople have preconceived ideas, they prefer people they know, there are too many partnering arrangements 鈥� there鈥檚 many hurdles before we can ever be on an approved list.鈥�

Trinity鈥檚 target client group is housing associations and it recently won a place on a five-year framework deal with Connect Housing. But in other recent tenders, Kidiwala has found that a local company representing the local workforce can still lose out to a national contractor. 鈥楾he tender documents will stipulate targets on employing local labour, or black and minority ethnic labour. But a national firm can come in and say all the right things, but then it鈥檚 never monitored,鈥� he says.

Supply chain diversity policies are only as effective as the monitoring that follows. Nevertheless, the buying power of the public sector is accepted to be a long-term driver of change. Public bodies already have a statutory duty to ensure their contractors comply with anti-discrimination legislation. The forthcoming Equality Act brings existing diversity legislation together, as well as introducing a duty to 鈥榚nhance equality of opportunity鈥� in public bodies themselves and along the supply chain.

Canute Simpson is optimistic that the industry can change its collective mindset further. 鈥楶eople鈥檚 behaviour patterns can change 鈥� we鈥檝e seen it with ethical spending and Fairtrade. This is a similar issue. I hope people will download the [EHRC] report and read it, so that they鈥檙e conscious, as a business leader or as a professional, of what鈥檚 happening. Because if you鈥檙e aware of the problem, you鈥檒l be more sensitive to the problem.鈥�

That鈥檚 what many women and black and minority ethnic staff will hope for. Take QS Lisa Philips, experiencing social and professional slights that might not be openly discriminatory, but sadly have a similar effect on the individual. In an email to CM, she wrote: 鈥業t wouldn鈥檛 surprise me that some companies employ 鈥渕inorities鈥� and implement the policies and procedures to meet regulations but then don鈥檛 realistically act on them, or even attempt to consider what really occurs on projects. I鈥檓 not sure how some people expect to get a project completed with a team ethos that is always there in writing, but never actually exists.鈥� cm

A diverse discussion

Our panel talk over four hot issues

1. Working in the all-white club

Samantha Jones: The industry is dominated by white men and they can come across as quite intimidating. Anyone from outside, from another race, would probably think twice about a career in construction. I don鈥檛 find people very honest about diversity, they try to push it under the carpet.

But it鈥檚 evident that construction isn鈥檛 diverse.

Chrissi McCarthy: I worked on a project in Burnley, about getting black and minority ethnic people into construction. It wasn鈥檛 so much that the individuals weren鈥檛 interested, it was the fact that 90% of companies in the industry are made up of less than 10 people 鈥� and we鈥檙e always recruiting from family and friends.

SJ: In the school I went to in Essex, I was one of only two black girls in the year, so I鈥檓 used to that environment. And when I was in HR, I was the only black out of 103! But I know some of my peers would think no, construction鈥檚 not for me. On site, when they have health and safety inductions, does it also cover diversity?

CMcC: It depends. Some firms have diversity training on site, but most don鈥檛, and some are disgraceful. I鈥檝e had rows on site with BNP members who were sticking up posters, while site managers allowed it to happen.

SJ: That鈥檚 outrageous. Companies have a duty of care to their staff.

CMcC: Most of the black people I had on my sites were security guards. It鈥檚 not right for anyone to go into a canteen and see that, when they didn鈥檛 have any power to take it down.

Ayo Allu: In the UK, people give you a chance, it鈥檚 much more liberal in many ways [compared to working in France]. But people will still put you in a category. It鈥檚 not so much to do with people鈥檚 work lives, as growing up around a certain demographic. People stick to what they know, it鈥檚 how they鈥檙e brought up.

Erin Karsten: And labels are a problem. Are you comfortable with being called black? Because white people are fearful of using the wrong terminology, of offending somebody when that鈥檚 not the intention. And just having that fear makes people act differently.

AA: That鈥檚 the kind of thing you鈥檇 include in diversity training.

2. Women on site

CMcC: Some site managers I worked with were very abrupt and would tell sub-contractors: 鈥楯ust do it now 鈥� or else鈥�. I found it was better to be straightforward, to build the relationship. Then I was told how lucky I was everything was running well: people didn鈥檛 see me shouting, so they imagined it was happening all by itself.

EK: Yes, I鈥檝e heard that one as well! People would tell me 鈥榶ou鈥檝e got to be tough with sub-contractors鈥�. Early in my career, because I was surrounded by guys of the old school, shouting, yelling and cursing type, I would default to that as well. Then, as I got further on and knew the guys better, I could play the softer card.

Caroline Carter: Yes, women work in a different way. Whenever I got a [male] assistant, I鈥檇 have to explain to him, you can鈥檛 do what I do, because I say to the trade contractors: 鈥業f you can do that for me, you鈥檙e an absolute star.鈥�

EK: Yes, flattery always works! I鈥檇 say: 鈥榊ou know, I have the utmost confidence that you鈥檙e going to be able to finish this on time!鈥�

CMcC: I鈥檝e seen men flatter other men, and take that role, and it鈥檚 worked. I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 a gender thing, I think it鈥檚 being manipulative, but in a nice way.

SJ: Initially, as a project leader, I felt intimidated going into a boardroom. They鈥檙e not expecting you, you can see that from their reaction. For me, it鈥檚 about gaining their respect, and I find I have to work harder to achieve that. So that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 doing an HNC in construction at university.

CC: It鈥檚 about confidence. When we walk into a room full of men, that front has to go up. But they鈥檙e already in their group, so they draw confidence from that.

3. How will change happen?

CMcC: I don鈥檛 think change will happen easily, because women don鈥檛 feel they can talk about these issues. I鈥檓 not a fan of prosecutions, but maybe that鈥檚 the way to move the issue forward. And ConstructionSkills is discussing a kitemarking system, so you can see which firms are good at diversity, and not just which firms are good at paying lip service to it.

EK: I think one of the routes is through clients and corporates, then it filters down. At the Bank of America 32% of its commercial construction contracts have to go to minority or women-owned companies. It鈥檚 lip service for some 鈥� it might be the construction guy鈥檚 daughter who鈥檚 the CEO! But it鈥檚 going in the right direction.

CC: I think we need to make the contracting business and sites themselves more professional.

EK: Chrissi handed us her business card, and I have mine, but I鈥檝e observed that a lot of people here don鈥檛 have business cards. But it鈥檚 part of treating everyone you meet professionally.

AA: There鈥檚 a feeling that head office is where you act professionally, and the site is where you maybe work harder, but also muck about more. On site, people can tell sexist or racist jokes they wouldn鈥檛 dream of in head office.

EK: At a job interview in New York, one guy asked: 鈥榃hy should I hire you?鈥� I replied: 鈥極ne of the reasons is that I鈥檓 a woman. I鈥檝e noticed more and more we鈥檙e dealing with woman clients, woman architects and woman engineers, and I think it would be a benefit to you to have another woman on your team and represent that diversity and open-mindedness.鈥� He said: 鈥楪ood point鈥�. And that鈥檚 how I got my first project management job!

CMcC: It鈥檚 important to mirror your client base, especially since so much work is being fought over in the public sector, and there鈥檚 a lot of women in charge of schools and health projects. So if you鈥檙e showing your organisation can mirror that, they鈥檙e going to feel that you can deliver.

4. Quotas

AA: Willmott Dixon has a strong UK base, and its employee profile is fairly white and middle class. But they have good diversity policies. I鈥檝e realised that though I may be doing quite well there, I鈥檓 also filling a quota. I see it because there鈥檚 one black man in my discipline, another in the next department and the next!

CC: But you can work on that, can鈥檛 you? It starts the ball rolling.

AA: Exactly. A previous company got me to do a video clip to show clients what we鈥檇 been doing.

I felt I was being pimped, ever so slightly! Then I thought, if that鈥檚 what it takes for them to understand I鈥檓 making a valid contribution to their company, I鈥檒l do it. If it takes me to fill a quota for them to realise that I鈥檝e got a different background and different skills, but I鈥檓 just as good, then that鈥檚 okay.

CMcC: I think, for the greater good, quotas are a good thing.

But sometimes they鈥檙e oppressive on the individual. I鈥檝e worked in one place where it was blatantly obvious I was filling a quota. And in that role I wasn鈥檛 allowed to show my worth, I was put in a role where I couldn鈥檛 do anything.

AA: Some people think 鈥榶ou鈥檙e just filling a quota, I鈥檒l put you to one side鈥�. You have to have that edge about you that gains respect first, before you get their attention.

CC: I think quotas would help 鈥� it would help the likes of me trying to get in the door at the moment!