As diversity and inclusion is increasing in importance, a lot of industries are being challenged to ensure they are carrying out their D&I practices. A lot of sectors have struggled to attract and retain diverse talent, including the construction sector which is notorious for employing more men than women. Large construction firms including the likes Wilmott Dixon are championing Diversity and Inclusion, and many smaller firms will follow suit.

Gender Diversity

We all know that gender diversity is one of the biggest challenges for the construction industry. According to the Office for National Statistics, only 13% of construction workers in the UK are female. This is said to be the lowest across Europe, including just a 20% female workforce for transportation and 21% in the energy and mining industries. At this rate, research estimates it will take around 200 years before we will achieve gender equality within the construction industry alone.

Ethnic Diversity

Research carried out by Business in the Community found that only 3.4% of construction managers in the UK are from ethnic minorities. This is an eye-opening statistic, that needs to be changed to achieve overall diversity in the construction sector.

Wilmott Dixon Case Study

Willmott Dixon, a Sunday Times Best Company, are champions in Diversity in Construction. They understand how a diverse workforce contributes to business and productivity success and have pledged to have 50/50 parity of gender across all management levels by 2030.

As part of the EquallyPlaced.com initiative to challenge hiring and selection, we understand that more can be done for the construction industry. We’re working with companies across the UK to challenge unconscious and conscious bias by providing a blind hiring platform. Although this provides a solution to some levels of diversity and inclusion, there is still more to be done in terms of the ‘male-dominated’ culture within the industry, and challenging stereotypes.