Construction recruiters understand that you need to hire skilled workers, but you can’t hire anyone. You must hire the best but also keep diversity in mind for construction. Until now, that’s been easier said than done.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are critical considerations for hiring, primarily because of government agency requirements. Even your clients may ask about your DEI score. However, it would be best to consider DEI hiring practices because it’s the right thing to do for your company.
Creating a diverse team in your company can seem like a challenging task. You’re constantly pushing a weight uphill, only to near the top and let it fall back again when it’s time to hire. The repeated struggle will wear you out. To succeed at hiring for diversity, you must do two things:
- realign your hiring practices, and
- reimagine your salary and benefits packages.
Only then will you attract workers from diverse ages, backgrounds, disabilities, genders, orientations, races, and religions.
Construction recruiter insights from the field
When asked about their hiring practices, many construction company leaders respond with, “Of course we’re diverse! We hire people of all races.”
However, research indicates that the statement might not be as accurate as you think.
Construction Dive notes that “Compared to the overall workforce, the construction industry is overwhelmingly white and male. Even though Hispanic or Latino people, a measure of ethnicity and not a race, make up 30% of construction workers, they’re often in lower-level positions without opportunity for advancement. However, things don’t have to stay this way.”
With your recruiter’s help, you can significantly impact your organization when attracting and retaining the best employees. Try to:
- Allow all employees to voice concerns and make suggestions.
- Establish maternity and paternity-friendly policies.
- Create advancement opportunities from within your organization.
- Require that senior leaders mentor newer employees.
- Make DEI a top-down priority.
These five initiatives are just the beginning when creating a DEI team.
How you can improve diversity in construction
Rather than add one more thing to your already burgeoning to-do list, let your construction recruiter help you with DEI hiring.
Some of the practices your recruiter may suggest are to:
- Increase job objectivity and remove little words from job descriptions.
- Use performance-based job descriptions.
- Conduct blind screenings for resumes.
- Assemble an interview team based on DEI.
- Ask all candidates the same interview questions.
Hiring for diversity will make your organization better.
McKinsey reports that you’re likely to experience tremendous benefits if you hire for DEI than companies that limit their hires. You may find that your financial goals multiply because your employees are more productive in generating revenue and adapting to changes.
Doesn’t that sound like the kind of work environment you need?
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