Nourishing Diversity in the Roofing Industry
Nourishing Diversity in the Roofing Industry https://pbroofingco.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Joon-1.png 1080 1080 PB Roofing https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ee28a6949ea6af745b0ddec55b8b9ce1?s=96&d=mm&r=gPrioritizing Inclusion
A diverse workforce conveys that an organization recognizes and values differences amongst groups. Diversity can relate to age, race, gender, faith, disability, and orientation as well as skill, personality, education, and experience. The prioritization of continuous diversity & inclusion efforts is essential to the long-term sustainability of any workforce, and the construction industry is no exception.
Currently, a majority of the construction industry’s workforce is still behind in its diversity efforts, with 88.6% of workers identifying as white, and over 90% as male. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics) While this may have played little effect in years past, it has critically impacted today’s crisis-level labor shortage.
Leading by Example through Women
Diversity and inclusion initiatives can only begin to take shape through forward-thinking leadership teams’ visions, trickling down to influence their teams. The ability to include underrepresented groups offers fresh outlooks, innovation, and growth. Overcoming long-standing societal perceptions of bias is vital in creating a genuinely inclusive future.
Forming a diverse team will make employees appreciative and feel truly accepted, increasing engagement and performance. A recent article in the Washington Post, pointed out that the 14% of construction workers that are women is at an all time high. The surge began in 2016, as recruiters and labor unions worked to remove barriers to get women hired and keep them retained in the industry. Experts advise that employers should continue to support this trend through focusing on inclusion and safety. Women may not know that a career in construction is an option for them, so inclusive language on job postings and recruiting materials is critical.
With half of its executive leadership team comprising of women, PB Roofing emphasizes the need of a diverse team through its organizational structure. These women are part of peer support groups such as National Women in Roofing (NWiR) and Professional Women in Construction (PWC) that provide a community of support, mentorship, and vast networking opportunities.
Taking Aim with Veterans
Another important and underrepresented group is the military veteran community. Although there are currently more than 500,000 veterans employed in the construction industry, this number represents only 5.9% of the industry in its entirety. (Construction Employers Association)
Veterans bring their previously developed leadership, management, and technical skills with them into their civilian life, and regardless of their rank, they inspire confidence and solidarity within their peer groups. Their military experience has empowered them to become true experts in adaptability. Each veteran is conditioned and comfortable with the need to think outside the box, as they were often forced to utilize their complex problem-solving skills in a pressured environment.
“To retain military talent, companies should provide career progression training throughout a veteran’s employment, and particularly, at milestones, like new-hire training and annual performance reviews.” (Construction Dive)
PB Roofing values its employees by prioritizing safety, education, and career development. Our training includes industry standards and protocols, safety guidelines, leadership development, and more. Our online learning platform, PB University provides professional development and personal growth as we strive to lead the next generation of roofers and entrepreneurs.
Reaping the Rewards
A positive culture is supported through celebrating diversity. The industry must embrace these gifts and immediately implement processes to support them.
Our roofing technicians often need to make quick decisions and construct creative solutions. Utilizing a diverse group of individuals such as women, veterans, and minorities produces unique viewpoints that often lead to quicker resolutions. “Research demonstrates that firms with more diverse talent benefit from greater innovation, better problem-solving and stronger creativity and insight than homogenous crews. The answer to a host of challenges our industry faces lie in developing the cultural literacy to successfully recruit, train and retain non-traditional workers.” (Amy James Neel quoted within National Association of Home Builders)
Fighting Labor Shortage
When an organization actively demonstrates they are hiring underrepresented groups, it establishes a modern, optimistic view of the company with potential candidates. The boost in reputation appeals to new talent comprised of like-minded individuals who also seek to end the prevalence of traditional stereotypes.
Supporting underrepresented parties may just give companies a competitive edge they need to grow effectively. “If you just expand your horizons and make yourself more appealing to under-represented groups you have a whole new demographic to appeal to.” (Roofing & Exteriors).
Recruitment & Retention
Openness in underrepresented groups allows PB Roofing to find the right talent, regardless of any prejudice. Whether we build our team with 2nd or 3rd generation roofers or those new to the industry, we widen our possible candidates by completely removing bias.
We believe it’s critical to facilitate an inclusive workplace, where our people are empowered to use their voices to help influence change. Through our four core values: resourcefulness, coachability, growth-mindedness, and compassion, PB Roofing’s goal is to set a new standard for thought leaders in the industry and welcome an ever-evolving workplace.
PB Roofing has an awareness of the next generation workforce’s needs by supporting flexibility and honesty. Visit our careers page if you have what it takes to challenge yourself and be part of our growing team! We also offer a Partner Contractor Program, presenting small businesses the opportunity and support of an industry leader. Together, we share our collective knowledge and experience on top-tier projects to get the job done right.