Tackling Gender Bias in Construction

We know the construction industry is in the throes of a workforce crisis: many tradespeople are nearing retirement age, the number of people entering the industry is in decline, and the need for housing and construction in general is greater than ever. In 2024, Associated Builders & Contractors claimed the construction industry needed to attract over half a million new workers to meet the workforce demand. We need strategies for expanding the workforce, and one key strategy is broadening the pool of potential recruits to include more women, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and people of color in construction.

However, we know that our industry has not always been welcoming to these individuals. Construction job sites and companies have not always been safe for women, trans, and non-binary workers, and the amount of turnover can be very high when these underrepresented individuals are not welcomed and supported by their team. We also recognize that many kinds of discrimination happen in the workplace—race, class, ethnicity, and ability—but this article specifically focuses on combating gender discrimination in the construction industry.

In our work with construction companies across the country, we continue to be asked, “How can we attract a more diverse workforce?” and, to be honest, the answer is not straightforward. We recommend a variety of strategies:

• Building a strong and inclusive company culture
• Revamping your hiring process
• Developing a strong onboarding plan for new hires
• Creating support systems to aid retention

Our goal is to offer an array of suggestions and solutions to help small business owners and managers combat gender stereotypes and create companies that are inclusive of all genders and sexual orientations. If you’re motivated to create change in your business, here are some tips for where to start.

Gender Diversity in the Trades

​The construction trades have long been one of the industries with the lowest percentage of women in the workforce – as of 2020, 10% of workers in the Construction trades were women (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics). According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, while the number of women working in the trades is the highest it has ever been, tradeswomen still make up less than 4% of those who work with tools on job sites. Data on the percentage of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) workers in the trades is not available.

​Many women, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ workers face bullying and discrimination as a result of sexism, homophobia, and transphobia in the workplace. According to a May 2023 Report published by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC), “some of the most egregious incidents of harassment and discrimination investigated by the EEOC have arisen in the construction industry.” In order to attract and retain a more diverse workforce, we need a cultural transformation to ensure a more positive experience for everyone we hire.

Changing Company Culture

We know that all employees benefit from working environments that are inclusive, safe, and flexible. Currently, people who are not part of the dominant identity are often subjected to discrimination, asked to do unpaid or unacknowledged emotional and administrative work, or prevented from moving up in the company. Research has shown that groups with a broader mix of perspectives are typically better at problem-solving than groups that are more homogenous. Embracing differences can build strength and resilience while creating workplaces that are safe and welcoming—we like to think about new hires as a “culture add” (they bring a new perspective) rather than a “culture fit” (they look and act the same as everyone else).

Culture change is never easy. It can happen both from the top down (the leadership sets the tone and example) or from the bottom up (the team works together to establish norms and expectations). As a construction business leader, here's how you can start: 

Define your values and put them into practice. To set a strong foundation, identify your company’s values as a team and then discuss how to put them into action on a day-to-day basis. Make sure your written company’s values reflect your goal of being a welcoming workplace. Don’t assume that everyone on your team already “belongs.” Your employees need to hear from company leadership that it’s their responsibility to make sure everyone experiences a feeling of belonging.

Provide clarity and support to your team in their existing roles and for their future growth. No one wants to do a bad job, but we can set people up to fail by not laying out clear roles and responsibilities. 

Listen to and incorporate feedback. Understand what motivates people in their work and create opportunities for direct feedback. Show your employees that their voice matters by being responsive and making changes to patterns, structures, and systems.

Invest in providing anti-bias and inclusive culture training and education to your team. This can happen in regular all-team meetings or dedicated team-building trainings. Research has shown that a more diverse group—that works well together—makes better decisions and reduces workplace accidents.

Policy Sets the Baseline 

Including an anti-harassment policy in your employee handbook won’t change culture or behavior on its own. However, having a policy in place is a critical tool when an incident occurs or an employee’s behavior needs to be addressed. A few things the EEOC recommends you include when crafting your company policies:

Specifics about who the policy applies to. Be sure to include conduct by and towards employees, temp hires, apprentices, trade partners, vendors - basically anyone who might come onto a jobsite. 

Clear descriptions of what constitutes harassment. Use construction-specific examples, such as demeaning comments towards tradeswomen or vandalizing the equipment of certain individuals. 

An unequivocal statement that harassment is prohibited. In addition to sexual and gender-based harassment, your policy should include harassment based on race, language, citizenship status, and other federally protected classes.

A process for reporting a complaint. This should also include a commitment from the employer that you will provide a prompt, impartial, and thorough investigation, and keep the identity of individuals who report harassment, alleged targets, witnesses, and alleged harassers confidential to the extent possible and permitted by law.

Revamping Your Hiring Process

As a business, you need to do what’s right for your clients, employees, and the bottom line. You can use fairness, inclusion, and respect as tools to help stand out from your competitors. The images and language used in advertisements in male-dominated industries send a strong signal about whether or not a company wants to attract women, trans, or non-binary people to work with them. As you prepare for your next hire:

Use gender inclusive language in job postings and job descriptions. Avoid using gender-specific pronouns and job titles (i.e., use Site Supervisor vs. Foreman).

Guarantee pay equity within your company. That means there is no differential in the pay for men and women performing the same role and duties.

Connect with tradeswoman organizations and post your jobs there. Different regions have organizations for training and supporting women, trans, and non-binary people in the trades, and are often looking to connect with employers for internships, job shadowing, and job placement.

Sponsor and offer an apprenticeship program. New employees appreciate the structure and clear benchmarks that an apprenticeship program creates. It gives them a pathway for advancement, both in terms of skill level, raises, and additional responsibility.

Promote into leadership. In addition to hiring at the entry level, promoting women, non-binary and trans workers into positions of management and leadership shows your commitment to gender equity at all levels.

Onboarding with Intention

Hiring diverse candidates does not automatically make your company more inclusive. In fact, without investing in education and preparation, it can result in someone experiencing your company as an unsafe or hostile workplace. Having a clearly defined onboarding process helps to set ALL employees up for success, increases the probability that a new hire will stick around, and increases their productivity by ensuring expectations are clear. As you prepare to welcome a new hire:

Assign a mentor to new hires. Offer a buddy system that starts from the job offer stage and assists women, trans, and non-binary people to form relationships, build networks, and transition successfully into the company. That buddy should check in with the new employee regularly, and not wait until something is difficult or challenging to extend a hand. 

Don’t forget introductions. Individual introductions on the job site are a good beginning. Follow up in a company meeting with a short circle of introductions to reinforce your desire for inclusion. For example: “Please introduce yourself, and tell us about work you did recently that you are proud of.” You’ll learn new things about *all* the employees, not just the new ones. 

Define the job description and path for promotion. When roles are not clearly defined, new hires can often get relegated to doing the grunt work, and it’s not clear what skills they need to learn in order to advance.

End isolation on worksites by assigning women, trans, and non-binary hires to projects in pairs or more, especially those new to the trades.

Make sure new hires have the tools and information they need to succeed. Ensure that all crew members have properly fitting PPE. In a 2021 survey of 2,635 tradeswomen and non-binary and transgender tradespeople by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, nearly three in ten (28.2 percent) report that they are never or rarely provided with gloves or safety equipment in their sizes. An improperly sized harness or respirator can be a safety hazard.

On the Jobsite

Building a culture of respect on the jobsite is everyone’s responsibility. It can also be a challenge when you have a rotating cast of crew members, trade partners, and clients in the mix. Company leadership and those in a site supervision role can play a key role in setting the tone. Here are a few things to keep in mind on the jobsite:

Use gender inclusive language. ​Our everyday language can often unintentionally affect the people around us. By making small but intentional choices to use inclusive language, you can make the workplace more welcoming to women, trans, and non-binary people. When greeting others, avoid “ladies” “gentlemen” “ma’am” “sir” “girls” “guys”, etc. For example, say “Hey, team!” instead of “Hey, guys!”.

Respect everyone’s self-identification (names and pronouns). Call everyone by the name/s and pronoun/s they use. If you don’t know what pronouns someone uses, just ask them. And if you get it wrong, apologize and make an effort to get it right the next time.

Enforce a zero-tolerance sexual harassment policy. That means confronting offensive remarks and taking action when an incident occurs. Supervisors and managers need to understand what the policy is and their role in enforcing it. A zero-tolerance policy means not ignoring childish, immature, or unprofessional workplace behavior, and using appropriate progressive discipline when such behavior occurs. Only a small fraction of jobsite incidents are formally reported to management, so it’s up to leaders and managers to be proactive in stopping inappropriate behavior.

Provide adequate gender-neutral restroom facilities on every job site. That means portapotties or other facilities are safe, clean, and accessible.

Encourage feedback. At company meetings, encourage all employees to share their feedback and create space for constructive criticism that can help EVERYONE do their job better. In group conversations, pay attention to different communication styles and create space for quieter voices to be heard.

Every Step Counts

Even with the best of intentions, the kind of cultural change we’re talking about takes time, but it is possible. We’re up against decades of entrenched stereotypes about who works in the building trades. But what we’ve seen in our work with builders across the country is that even little things make a difference. I spoke with one of my client’s new hires who said, “I never would have applied if I hadn’t seen the sentence in the job post encouraging women and trans folks to apply.” I’ve seen how showing a team photo with a visible gender mix on your website will change who applies for jobs there, because they see someone who looks like them. I’ve heard from both men and women how much they appreciated that their boss took immediate action when there was an incident of harassment on a jobsite. I’ve seen how apprenticeship programs can provide a structured entry point for women, trans, and non-binary folks looking for their first carpentry job.

As a business owner or leader, you can be part of the solution to our workforce crisis by making an explicit effort to make your company welcoming to all genders.