Addressing Barriers to Inclusion in Construction

As the construction industry has grown drastically in the past few decades, the industry is no longer starved for work, however, construction companies are now struggling to find and retain employees. Vital to the success of the construction industry, construction companies, large or small, must increase their inclusiveness and diversity to remain competitive and continue to thrive in one of the leading world markets. In this essay I will talk about the real and perceived barriers to inclusion within the construction industry, and ways in which companies and organizations can help to mitigate these issues. The construction industry is full of opportunities and wonderful people. It is our responsibility as leaders to do a better job at blending the perception with the reality of this industry.

The engineering, construction and infrastructure industry has experienced several changes within the past few decades, from the transformation to BIM and the digital asset model, to stricter regulations and higher expectations. As a result of these drastic changes and improvements to the construction industry, skilled labor and professionals are at a higher demand now than ever. This high increase in demand poses as a great opportunity for anyone with an interest in engineering and construction. However, companies within the industry must improve their recruiting techniques and inclusion factors in order to effectively exploit all individuals interested in this predominately white-male industry. The construction industry faces many inclusion barriers, starting with diversity in regard to gender. Many times, this industry has been referred to as a boys-club, and it is no surprise. According to the Census Bureau, 89.5% of the construction workforce consists of males (see Fig. 1), why any female would want to work in such an environment is beyond me and many others. The chart found below illustrates the gender difference amongst the industry.

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Fig. 1 Gender composition in the construction industry in the US. Graph from Data USA (data provided by the Census Bureau)

According to a study done on women in construction rolled out by the National Women’s Law Center, harassment, intimidation and sabotage are a major reason why women avoid or do not remain working in this industry. In past years, women have been vastly discouraged from joining the construction industry, and there is a dire need for their presence in our workforce. Women in Construction Still Breaking Ground (June, 2014) reports that a jaw dropping eighty-eight percent of women working in the construction industry have experienced some form of harassment. In recent years, the female population has increased amongst the construction industry, but the concern of being exposed to harassment still largely exists. Another possible explanation to the lack of women within the construction force is the culture. Much of the perceived culture found amongst our industry is based on old stereotypes suggesting that construction is a male-only occupation. Considering the direction that our industry is headed, and the improvements and realizations that have taken place, perception does not match up with the reality. However, it is not surprising that this is the perception and reputation that the construction industry employs. When you walk on a job site, finding a female laborer is like finding a needle in a haystack. When you walk into job trailers or construction office buildings, the same can be said with the exception of the human resources departments. I can only imagine how discouraging this must be for women considering a career path in construction. The final point I have regarding why women may be discouraged from joining our opportunity filled industry is the pay gap between males and females working in construction. According to the Census Bureau, males in this industry make 1.14 times more than their female counterparts (see Fig. 2). The chart found below illustrates the gender-based wage discrepancy amongst the five most popular occupations in the construction industry.

Fig. 2 Wage by gender in common construction occupations in the US. Graph from Data USA (data provided by the Census Bureau)

President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act more than fifty years ago, yet as seen above, women are still paid less than their male counterparts for performing similar tasks. The construction industry has made large strides in closing this pay gap, but history may be the driving factor in this perceived view.

The lack of representation of women in construction and the perceived culture are not the only inclusion barriers that this industry is faced with. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer or questioning community (LGBTQ) is also faced with discriminatory issues, ultimately curving their interest in the construction industry. The job site environment can be confrontational for anyone that does not fit in with others working amongst them. According to an LGBTQ survey done by Construction News covering 2017, a bulk of this community feels discomforted or obstructed while working in construction due to their sexual orientation. 27.8% of respondents to the survey mentioned above claimed that they have experienced harassment or banter regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity, (see Fig. 3). The chart below illustrates percentages of the LGBTQ community that have experienced insulting comments in 2016 and 2017.

Fig. 3 LGBTQ community experiencing insulting comments in the construction industry. Graph from Construction News (data provided by Construction News LGBTQ survey)

Homophobia appears to still be an issue amongst the construction industry worldwide. This issue of homophobia can relate back to the topic of the construction workforce culture. The term “gay” is an insulting word often used by employees our industry. It is very obvious why the LGBTQ community does not feel comfortable or welcomed on our job sites, job trailers, or office spaces. The “locker room” talk that takes place amongst many of the male employees in the construction industry is creating a toxic culture that could detrimentally affect the industry as a whole.

In my own personal perspective solely based on my experience within the construction industry, the leadership does a great job at mitigating inclusion issues amongst the companies which they are working for. On my nine-month internship with Sundt Construction, Inc. I never once experienced an inclusion barrier or witnessed any form of harassment and or discrimination. Granted I am an able-bodied white male; however, I do not feel that if I were a minority my experiences would have been any different. While on my internship I attended several minority outreach events, soliciting minority owned sub-contractors and vendors. There was an immense amount of emphasis and importance placed on soliciting these minority owned companies, ensuring that they felt included and welcomed to work with Sundt Construction. In addition to this focus on inclusion, our project had minority requirements that we were required to meet to even place a bid on that project. The project was also a joint venture with Davila Construction, a minority owned general contractor located in San Antonio, Texas. Aside from minority and diversity inclusion, we also had several women that worked in site and in our offices. These women held important positions within the company, granting them a vast amount of authority. They were apart of our project teams, and it was very obvious that they felt included and respected. In fact, in many occurrences, they gained the attention and respect from management and craft employees easier than some of the males that I worked alongside. I would be naïve to say or think that my experience is an industry wide representation of inclusion and culture, but based on what I have observed, I do not have any negative experiences with these issues of inclusion and diversity that the construction industry is slandered with.

The world around us is everchanging and the construction industry must keep up with these changes to continue its level of prosperity. The industry is increasing their candidate pipeline to include younger, more diverse employees of all genders. Recruiters are attending career fairs held by universities with greater minority and African American populations. Companies within the industry are partnering with universities to provide scholarships to women, minorities, and economically disadvantaged students studying within a construction related program. Additionally, there are more programs in place today than ever before that focus on making women and diverse groups of people feel welcomed and desired by the construction industry. Many companies have structured departments to assist in diminishing this issue of inclusion and lack of diversity, and it is heavily advertised. The policies and procedures that majority of construction companies have implemented into their structure do not tolerate any harassment, lack of inclusion or discrimination. Leadership within the industry has acknowledged this issue and has proactively worked diligently to transform the culture into a more inclusive and welcoming environment to all ethnicities, genders, and diverse communities. Implementing programs and organizations are great ways to tackle this issue head on. Recruiting from minority populated universities and employing female leadership are also very positive and effective solutions to decreasing diversity and inclusion barriers. As far as the perceived image that the public has of the construction industry goes, improvements to this perception will take time to change. If companies focus on aspects that are within their control and make a strong effort to make necessary changes within, the rest will take care of itself.

While construction companies in the industry have made great strides in improving their diversity and inclusiveness, organizations such as AGC must do more. Hosting seminars and publishing articles regarding diversity and inclusion within the construction industry is a minimal effort on their part. I have yet to see AGC representatives educate the younger generations in universities and high schools on the importance of mitigating this issue. Actions speak louder than words, and organizations such as AGC need to revisit with themselves and collaborate on doing more than just preaching. These organizations play a major role in our industry and carry an equal amount, if not more responsibility for the diversity and inclusion affairs that construction companies are being slandered for. AGC is the forefront of the construction industry, it is their job to lead by example, going above and beyond in every way possible.

With the construction industry growing at the rapid rate that it is, the obstacle of fulfilling job openings will continue to linger. With the older baby boomer generation approaching retirement, women and other diverse groups are a shoulder that we can lean on. Finding and retaining not only hardworking employees, but the right employees within the construction industry is a difficult obstacle to hurdle, but with the correct approach, is very attainable. Leadership within construction companies must continue working diligently to become more inclusive and promote welcoming environments to all genders and ethnicities. Zero tolerance policies must continue to be implemented by industry leaders and companies within. These policies must be followed and employees need to be held accountable for outlandish comments or behavior. This industry is not for the faint hearted, and the reality of the workforce in regard to the difficulty of tasks that construction employees endure will remain what it is today. If the construction industry can continue taking the necessary steps toward encouraging diversity and inclusion to all, the industry as a whole will benefit immensely.

Works Cited

1. · Flood, Matthew. “How Construction Industry Can Address LGBT Discrimination.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 Dec. 2014, www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/dec/12/how-construction-industry-can-address-lgbt-discrimination.
2. · USA, Data. “Construction.” Data USA, 2017, datausa.io/profile/naics/construction-group.
3. · Peiffer, Emily. “3 Key Takeaways from ABC's Summit on Diversity in Construction.” Construction Dive, 27 June 2016,
4. · Jaime Partners. “Diversity and Inclusion: Key to the Construction Industry.” Jaimepartners.com, 2017, jaimepartners.com/diversity-and-inclusion-key-to-the-construction-industry/.
5. · Alderson, Lucy. “LGBT+ Survey: Construction's Slow Progress Laid Bare.” Construction News, 28 Mar. 2019, www.constructionnews.co.uk/data/data-news/lgbt-survey-constructions-slow-progress-laid-bare-25-01-2018/.
6. · Chatlani, Shalina. “Filling the Void: How Construction Executives Can Embrace Diversity in an Evolving Workforce.” Construction Dive, 2 Aug. 2016, www.constructiondive.com/news/construction-industry-diversity-in-workforce/423550/.