Traditional approaches to talent management and recognition pose significant barriers to retaining women in the built environment, new research finds.
A research report from mentoring, development, and networking organisation, The Circle Partnership, uncovered the issues affecting female talent retention at the mid-level.
The research, in collaboration with leadership consultancy Cellence Plus and Laing O’Rourke, found that traditional approaches to talent management feeds the trend of poor talent retention and exacerbating the skills crisis.
The research conducted using the Hogan psychometric, looked at the unique values, strengths and derailers of a group of mid-level women in a variety of roles from across the Built Environment.
Across several “unexpectedly marked similarities” in how the diverse group behave in the workplace, the study revealed:
- Women are discouraged by overtly competitive or ambitious behaviour, preferring to earn recognition through consistency, reliability, and quiet competence.
- They are more cautious and risk averse when it comes to career and finance, which could be a key contributor to the ongoing gender pay gap.
- Women are extremely strong in relationship building, emotional intelligence, empathy, influencing and team building.
- Women are more driven to contribute to team success and prioritise collaboration over personal advancement.
- Women tend to avoid the discomfort that is often attributed to high performance, move away from people and businesses when under pressure, and have a tendency to bottle up frustrations.
The Circle Partnership claimed businesses should reconsider the ways women are managed, developed and rewarded in order to attract and retain female talent.
Ceri Moyers, director of The Circle Partnership, said: “It’s not news to say that the Built Environment has a problem when it comes to gender balance – particularly at senior leadership levels. What we have struggled to truly understand is, why.
“A focus to date on the policies and procedures that impact on diversity has ignored a critical piece of the puzzle: that of culture and behaviour.
“The insight gained from this study suggest that the industry still doesn’t seem to fully understand how to make the most of women’s talents and potential.
“And it also raises bigger questions about our macro workplace culture; is it time to begin truly re-examining the environment that favours traditionally masculine traits of extroversion, competition and leading from the front rather than expecting others to adapt to fit?”
Lucy Kendall, head of resourcing and DEI, Laing O’Rourke added: “The behaviours that this study revealed complement traditional definitions of ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ traits highlighted in gender-based research, but what is startling is the consistency of the findings, particularly when considering the size, age, experience and role spread of the women assessed.
“For any organisation looking to retain its female talent, these findings demand attention when it comes to talent management strategies.”
In August, The Home Builders Federation (HBF) launched the fifth cohort of its Women into Home Building programme to attract more women into site management careers, following the announcement that industry non-profit Women into Construction (WiC) is ceasing trading after 16 years.
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