Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in the Construction Industry

Promoting diversity and inclusion should be the default in the construction industry, not racism. The sector is quite well known for overcoming lots of formidable challenges. But still the industry faces persistent issues related to discrimination and inequality. Melvin Gravely, the CEO of TriVersity Construction in Cincinnati and the author of “Dear White Friend – The Realities of Race, the Power of Relationships, and Our Path to Equity,” pointed out these concerns and said that there should be a more inclusive approach.

Acknowledging the Challenge

Pervasive Racism

Discrimination remains even now a bit of an issue in the construction industry, as evidenced by a recent report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Positive Steps

It should be pointed out that many major players in the industry are increasingly addressing the problem. There’s a lot of people raising awareness of the challenges faced by Black workers and other people of color now too.

Progress and Room for Improvement

Incidents of racial symbols and offensive language on job sites are being dealt with more decisively by contractors than in the past.

Despite these efforts, the industry kind of still needs to reflect on its progress in promoting diversity, as it lags behind other areas such as safety.

Making Diversity the Norm

The industry should establish a requirement for inclusion in every project, seeking long-term partnerships with diverse subcontractors.

Setting a minimum percentage of minority subcontractors as part of business practices, rather than waiting for clients to request diversity is a great way to do that.

Diverse Leadership Team

Organizational priorities and culture are shaped by leadership. To foster diversity, the leadership team needs to be diverse. This would help in reflecting varied perspectives and experiences as well.

Leadership teams should embark on learning journeys, studying topics like unconscious bias, empathy in leadership, and the impact of racial history on today’s issues.

Measuring Progress

Track diversity and inclusion through objectives, metrics, or other suitable means. What gets measured is what gets valued. You can also measure inclusivity in subcontracting, workforce diversity, and the diversity of management and executive leadership.