Together we rise

As Women in Construction Week gets underway, we asked Karyn Beattie, one of our Site Safe New Zealand Board Directors and a formidable woman in construction, to share her thoughts on what a sense of community between women in the industry through mentoring and networking can mean for collective success and her tips for getting involved.

Over the years I’ve worked in a wide variety of construction and construction adjacent businesses - civil and infrastructure, building product manufacturing, client side, plant and equipment and now commercial vertical construction as a head contractor. Even though women only make up 15.8 percent of the workforce, it’s certainly more than when I started and continues to grow.

This industry is as interesting as it is challenging and full of my kind of people: problem solvers, innovators, entrepreneurs and creators. Success in this industry, particularly in New Zealand where we have one degree of separation from each other, is very much based on relationships, so building them, networking and getting involved is essential if you are a woman with any level of ambition.

Experience has taught me that a range of people with different skills and perspectives, all working together, achieves much more than a group of carbon copies, all agreeing with the top dog, all the time. It makes the industry better and the workplace more fun to be in if people from different backgrounds and experiences work together. Two of the best ways to gain diversity throughout the industry are through mentoring and networking.

Women in construction benefit from strong support networks, leadership opportunities, and – compared to many industries – nearly equal pay. Those of us who’ve been around a while know to increase the numbers of the next generation of women in construction mentoring and exposure will be key; but with our busy lives and competing priorities, what can we do about it?

I think there are three things each of us can do to improve the flow of mentoring opportunities for women across the industry:

1) If someone asks you to share what you know, say yes. It doesn’t have to be a huge formal program; it can be as simple as a coffee or an onsite demonstration.

2) If you see someone who can teach you something, ask them for their time to teach/coach/mentor you; and

3) Whether you’re a mentor or a mentee, celebrate asking questions and learning a new thing.

The worst someone can say when you ask for their time is no, so be brave! I’ve been fortunate to have excellent mentors, and the experience was positive on both sides (so I’m told!). The same techniques for learning and sharing knowledge apply to both men and women, with one small caveat: since we are only 15.8 percent of the industry, perhaps the more experienced men in the industry could share the load and be on the look-out for opportunities to coach and mentor women in the industry. I’m sure both sides and the industry will benefit.

Networking is also a necessary part of working together and raising the bar across the industry. However, it can be quite daunting for some of us.

If networking is a scary concept, practice is the only way to get better, and you never know how those conversations could lead to your next career opportunity. Ask questions and listen to the answers and you might learn something interesting or useful.

Networking opportunities can come in a variety of forms, from formal events like product launches, professional development courses, industry working groups and awards events to more informal occasions like chats with colleagues in the break room at lunch or LinkedIn conversations on a special interest or industry page.

My last hire was based purely on the questions that person asked me at a networking event, and it showed they were thinking strategically and very bright. That person is now a junior member of my team and studying on the job, straight out of high school from the Ara Education Charitable Trust (AECT) Programme. AECT’s high school student construction initiative hosts events to network and listen to guest speakers, organises site visits and work experience, and provides employment support.

Women bring diversity of thought, approaches to work methodology, creative problem-solving, and innovation to the construction industry. This diversity makes the industry better and the workplace more enjoyable. Mentoring and networking are essential for increasing diversity from the tools to the boardroom and supporting the next generation of women in construction so that together we rise!