Gender bias is hurting real estate and construction industries

By John Rainone

At a time when managers in the real estate development and construction industries are lamenting a perceived shortage of capable, experienced professionals, it sometimes seems that half of the population is being ignored. Indeed, even in the 21st Century, real estate development and construction are male-dominated industries, with relatively few women in mid or upper-level management positions.

Although it's illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender when hiring, and things have improved for women over the years, there is still a bias against women-though it may be subtle-in real estate and construction. This attitude is counterproductive, especially over the long run.

Firms that discriminate against women reduce their pool of potential employees. Consider how many women could fill the positions that are badly in need of filling; and, how much money firms lose while key positions remain unfilled. There are plenty of women who have had success in these industries, so women entering them can travel already-blazed trails.

"If given the opportunity, women can be some of your best employees," says Tamie Taylor, president of Tatitlek Contractors, a general contracting company based in Anchorage, AK, and current president of National Association of Women in Construction. "Women are very detailed-oriented, conscientious, and are loyal. If you give them the opportunity, they will stay loyal."

Taylor is a good example of a woman who was given a chance, eagerly learned about the profession, and worked her way up the ladder. She got her feet wet by helping out her then boyfriend, who later became her husband, and his father on home construction projects-setting tile, installing countertops, and performing other trade tasks. After earning a bachelor's degree in biology, she went to work for a GC as a secretary.

With plans coming across her desk regularly, she began taking them home and asking her husband to explain them. After building her knowledge, one day she added amendments to a proposal and showed them to her boss. Impressed with her initiative, the boss gave her the opportunity to learn more. She later became an assistant construction manager, working on purchasing and scheduling. Furthering her education, she subsequently earned a master's degree in construction management.

Today, she runs a GC company and spreads the word to other women about opportunities in the industry by visiting high school and college campuses. She has also hired and groomed several women in her own firm. "I'm just like a proud mother," she says.

One of the reasons for gender bias has been the traditional role of women as primary child caregivers, a role that can conflict with work responsibilities. That perception may be changing, however, Taylor says.

"Years ago, there was a very big difference between women's responsibilities and men's responsibilities," she says. "Today, more men are taking more responsibility for child rearing. I have single men with children working for me. They have the full burden of making sure kids get to school, and when they are sick, they have to take a day off."

All workers have family responsibilities, she points out. "Employers need to understand that," Taylor says. "It's a top-down management issue."

As a manager, she knows that this is a difficult issue for construction companies to come to grips with. "If an employee misses a day at a job site, it can create schedule bottlenecks," she says. So, employees have to do their part, and not abuse any leave opportunities for family obligations, she adds.

Employers should seriously consider providing more flexible schedules, whenever possible. Employees will increasingly demand it. Technology-email, high-speed Internet, and advanced cell phone service-makes it easier for some workers to telecommute, allowing more non-traditional work arrangements.

A little creativity and willingness to consider new scheduling options can go a long way towards attracting a wider pool of candidates. Grooming ambitious up-and-comers of either gender, or any race, pays off in the long run. After all, a new class of highly qualified professionals is not going to magically appear at your door. Firms that make an extra effort to identify and recruit potential women candidates are likely to find key contributors.

For her part, Taylor believes having made it in the industry, she's obligated to talk it up as a career option to other women. She points out that requirements that a certain percentage of government contracts go to women-owned or minority-owned enterprises can help women managers gain experience.

Is your company ignoring half of the population? If so, you are just making staffing more difficult for your business; and it's time to rethink your return on investment of gender bias.

John Rainone is Project Operations Manager for MorganSullivan. He can be reached at jrainone@morgansullivan.com.

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