The construction industry is beginning to embrace the principles of diversity and inclusion. This shift is propelled by the fact that the construction industry is experiencing changes in the workforce in which more people are leaving the construction workforce than entering. This puts pressure on companies and contractors to find ways to attract construction talent and make their organizations more competitive and productive. Research and reports show that embracing diversity in construction helps firms experience higher performance and increased profitability. Below are some of the advantages that your company benefit from by adopting a diversity and inclusion initiative.
More Talent
Coming out of the recession has found the construction industry in great need of talented tradespeople. These times have forced many professionals to leave the field and never come back. A great way to get a competitive edge in the industry is by turning to a diverse pool of talent. Millennials, minorities, and women are invaluable construction resources for skills.
More Creativity
When you use the same resources for every project, you receive similar points of view, thoughts, and suggestions for problems that need unique solutions. A great benefit of embracing diversity and inclusion in the construction industry is the ability to collect different perspectives and outlooks that increase creativity and improve problem-solving. Hiring tradespeople with both strong construction skills and diverse backgrounds gives your firm a different mindset and multifaceted approach to your projects’ needs.
More Productivity
Every construction job needs tradespeople with specific construction skills and qualifications, who work for the same objective; delivering the best results. Embracing diversity and inclusion in construction brings together professionals with unique abilities who can work as a team and take advantage of each other’s strengths for the success of the project. In addition, a diverse workforce gives upper management the ability to identify and adopt practices, solutions, and processes that boost productivity and facilitate operations.
More Market
Every construction firm’s priority is to grow its market share and increase its profits. One of the challenges they have to overcome is reaching out to customers with a various set of needs and expectations. To do so, they need to find ways to relate to such diverse requirements. The more firms embrace diversity, the more diverse candidates and companies will embrace them.
More Popularity
Simply offering a construction job is not enough to get the tradespeople you need. Attracting and retaining talent is becoming more and more difficult. A good compensation package is a great perk but is not enough. The new generation of professionals entering the construction industry is also looking for firms that stand out from the competition in different ways. When your firm builds a reputation for an organization that adopts and implements diverse initiatives in the industry, it gains popularity and differentiates itself from competition, thus attracting more candidates.
At CB, we have applied a diversity and inclusion initiative from the start and have enjoyed the many benefits it entails. To learn more about the success of implementing an initiative, contact us.