Leviatan: overcoming prejudice and the performance of women in the construction business
Leviatan Design has celebrated Women’s Month by promoting the career paths of the ladies in the team, encouraging gender diversity and equal opportunity.
While women entering the construction industry encounter various hurdles, their inclusion in the team not only contributes to achieving the goal of gender diversity, but is also a proven asset in boosting corporate profitability and a key factor in addressing the labour shortage in the construction industry.
Even though men prevail in this industry, our lady colleagues have found the right environment and support at Leviatan Design enabling them to develop their professional career every step of the way, while enjoying equal access to information and technology.
Women in construction – state of the industry in 2022
Of all people working in the construction business, according to several global surveys, only 10.9%. are women in the US, whereas there is only one woman holding a management role for every 100 employees in this industry; whereas in UK, only 13% of all employees in the construction industry are women, and most of them hold clerical positions.
There are several factors that explain this huge gender gap, including the involuntary gender bias about women working in the construction industry, lack of proper training and the marginalisation that women experience when working inside male-dominated groups.
In spite of these barriers, women continue to build on their careers in the construction industry, as evidenced by the fact that out of 100 employees, 42 are women. We want to set an example that will inspire the new generation of specialists who want to work in this challenging business.
Their testimonials show that confidence in their own strengths, hard work, adaptation to technology and context, the resources provided by the company, the team, the overall favourable working environment, make a career in construction possible.
A survey deployed in our company revealed the reasons why our colleagues chose to work in the construction industry. The vast majority explained that this it is a diversified business that provides unlimited possibilities for professional development, and the ultimate satisfaction lies in the very outcome of one’s work, when the 3D design comes to life and the project becomes reality.
Gender diversity boosts performance
Although gender diversity in the construction industry is not a reality per se nowadays, a McKinsey & Co3 report explains that companies employing women are 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability than companies using a less diversifies staffing structure.
Recruiting women at Leviatan Design
At Leviatan Design we are permanently working to improve our recruitment process, and have learned from experience that if a company wants to improve the retention rate of its female employees, then it must recognize and eliminate gender stereotypes and bias in their corporate culture, and encourage women to become role models to other women.
Turning the labour shortage into an advantage
Leviatan Design has turned the current workforce shortage facing the construction industry right now into an advantage because, coupled with the digitization and technological advances that we are using fully in our line of work, we have the opportunity to hire even more women specialized in design and architecture, even in key construction site positions.
We treat industry specialists as aequalis inter pares, and our recruitment process values each individual’s professional qualifications without making gender-based distinctions, so that they can see this industry as an environment in which they can build their viable career path.
Our colleagues deserve to be admired and celebrated every day, because they have proved to be rigorous and reliable in everything they do; their contributions to the company, their desire for on-going personal development and growth, their empathy and sensitivity will always bring harmony and balance into our team and company upon the whole.
References
1. U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Report | Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey | 2021
2. Statista.com Report | Number of people employed in the UK construction industry from first quarter 2016 to second quarter 2020, by gender | 2020
3. McKinsey & Co Report | Diversity wins: How inclusion matters | 2020
