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lviassociates1 · 2 years ago

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Strategies on how to attract and retain female talent in engineering

Covering the state of diversity in the transportation market, LVI Associates Principal Consultant Sarah Davis discusses the challenges hiring managers and job seekers face within engineering, as well as how firms can attract female talent in a competitive market, and the importance of retention.

60% of women say they have never negotiated their salary according to CNBC, and women make .83 cents to every $1 a man makes. Those stats make for somber reading, so companies need to ask themselves if they have women as part of their executive leadership team? When you look at some industries numbers in terms of diversity, it can make levelling the playing field feel like an uphill battle.

However, there is hope. Female enrollment in the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee has increased by 60% since 2008, so the future seems to be looking brighter.

In the meantime, engineering firms need to discover ways to attract and retain female talent, especially in an industry with such a tight talent pool.

Addressing the challenges

This is why one of the first steps in creating strategies to attract and retain female talent in engineering should be to address and acknowledge the challenges faced.

There are a number of challenges for female engineers, including:

Lack of flexible work

At LVI Associates we have feedback from working mothers that find the consulting environment challenging, with long hours and high pressure on meeting difficult deadlines.

Sarah Davis says:

“Billability is steep and must be, so companies are profitable. We have heard first hand from female professionals that it’s very hard to get married, start a family, and then find balance. Some women feel like theythey’re letting their team down when kids have doctors appts or are sick.”

Offering flexibility by being able to work once kids are in bed is one example of how companies can help employees balance their hours outside of the traditional 9-5.

Struggles with recognition

Sarah alludes to this issue of not giving recognition for women and male leadership taking responsibility:

“I’ve heard so many stories where a woman writes proposals, meets deadlines, works at night after picking kids up, yet the senior engineer gets credit, while she’s the PM on the project.”

Imposter Syndrome

Women historically only apply to a job if they are 100% qualified, while men apply if they are 60% qualified. If women are missing recognition, as mentioned above, that will exacerbate the feeling of not being capable, when in fact they are.

Bias

There has been a large reduction in conscious bias, but unconscious bias is still affecting the industry.

“In the last 15 years or so, there has been more bias around opportunity,” Sarah explains.

“Men in leadership roles are sometimes completely unaware they have a bias. Unconscious bias takes the form of assuming men are in charge of meetings, presentations, and proposals. It can be outside of work, so for example if a group of men from a business play sport together, they may discuss work together while playing and give the project to one of them as opposed to a female member of the team.

“Barriers to women can also be around motherhood. If they have to pick their children up from school or nursery, and their work schedule doesn’t allow, it limits their growth. I’ve even seen motherhood positioned as a penalty and fatherhood as a bonus for parents in their careers. Women are sometimes considered as being less engaged or committed, while for men there is a perception that they are hungrier to drive their career and move up because he has a family to provide for now.

“Motherhood penalty/fatherhood bonus- bias that they won’t be strong performers as mothers, not engaged/committed. Men become father: people think he’s hungrier to drive their career & move up bc he has a family now. Some even get bonuses at this point in their life/career.”

Minority

In a leadership meeting primarily dominated by men, it is natural that being in the minority would affect the ability to confidently get ones voice heard and give ideas. There is also a lack of women in leadership roles for other female engineers to look up to. There is also even less diverse women in engineering and leadership roles for other minority women to look up to.

Challenges for companies

When organizations are looking to hire more diverse talent, they may struggle. That is because engineering is a male dominated field, you’ve seen the stats that fewer women choose engineering as a career. It’s somewhat still a numbers game – we need more women. A bigger talent pool of women getting into STEM and engineering, and getting young women excited about engineering is so important.

Then there is the issue of talent leaving the industry. A SWE fact sheet says, “30% of women who have left the engineering profession cite organizational climate as the reason.”

This shows how attracting and retaining female talent aren’t the same and efforts should be in place to ensure that women are being retained in their company.

A lack of women as role models in senior positions can also be detrimental to a company. According to Zweig Group 100% of women principals have once considered leaving the AEC industry. This number compares to 49% of men.

The benefits package that engineering offers isn’t competitive either when compared to other industries. Many firms in the US do not offer maternity leave, PTO, and remote/flexible working, as well as 401k incentive. Not offering these basic benefits make it even harder to secure talent in the first place, never mind harder to find diverse talent.

It has been shown that when engineering firms have diverse talent and leadership, they are 50% more profitable than those that don’t. Therefore it isn’t even about being diverse to say you are diverse, it is genuinely commercially imperative, because gender diverse businesses are more successful. According to EFCG research, firms that fail to prioritize ED&I will be left behind, and those with limited diversity are up to 30% more likely to underperform on profitability.

Three strategies on how to attract and retain female talent

Here are three ways Sarah has seen businesses improve their diversity strategy in the US and make the workplace a better place for females, as well as some personal recommendations from her.

Career development

Companies should consider launching a ‘reboot program’, which Sarah explains:

“This helps women get back in work and gives them training to become fulltime again. It supports them with assistance on new software, project management and new DOT standards. Once the program is complete, they offer them a role within the firm, and if every organization did this with two people, this could massively increase diversity, and the overall talent pool.”

Firms can also provide scholarships at diverse schools/within diverse student organizations to support students studying in the fields of engineering. There are opportunities to collaborate with NSBE and other similar organizations in pre-college STEM initiatives to engage and encourage young talent earlier in the game.

Creating internship programs specifically for women and diverse talent could be really impactful as well. Visibility is key to doing this, so think even further ahead, and when going through college recruitment, have female engineers and diverse candidates promote internships & STEM to inspire upcoming engineers.

Once someone is within a firm, now it is just as important on developing them and keeping them. Promote them based on performance above all else, and allow more women to be involved in high-level decisions, and have diverse talent represented in all areas.

Culture

From the very start, culture needs to be front and center of your selection process. If you don’t change the beginning of your talent process, culture stays the same. Firms need to meet with a diverse slate of candidates, and be open to a candidate that does not tick all of the boxes, but has a lot of potential and is a great hire.

Sarah explains how culture can be misinterpreted:

“Hiring around a ‘cultural fit’ for some clients I work with can be around ‘can this person be fun at happy hour?’, versus, ‘do they have the same values and principals as us?’.

“You should hire someone based on how successful they can be in the role, not on if you’re interested in being their friend or what would it be like to grab a drink or play golf with them.

“If candidates can’t see it, sometimes they think they can’t be it. At LVI Associates we had a great female engineering professional decline having their resume sent over for a job because they couldn’t see any female talent on any of the firms social media platforms.”

One way to tackle this is to have a diverse interview panel.

Ensure social events are also not unconsciously bias. Having a positive, welcoming, and supportive culture helps people thrive. Do this through strong benefits, flexibility, and painting a clear picture of a pathway to the top. Welcome everyone, let people be themselves. Talk to your employees and create a safe place so you’re hearing and learning from them.

Benefits

Have a competitive salary and benefits package and know what your competitors are offering.

“Health insurance, PTO, primary and secondary caregiver leave should be considered. I’ve had male candidates say no to companies because of a lack of paternity benefits”, Sarah says.

Mentorship programs for less experienced women in engineering can be very helpful, so demonstrating the mentorship programs upfront is attractive to others who know they can go to a mentor for advice.

Getting work done is important, we know that. But so to is being a parent, so allowing for flexibility is really important. Working from home is still crucial, and not just for women. most people say working in the private sector is demanding. Working holidays and nights, most feel that there’s not a lot of empathy for home life. Showing your employees you care goes a long way, acting on that empathy goes even further. Sarah has a couple of examples:

“I’ve seen onsite nursing rooms and another client offers benefits through care.com for workers to find elderly caregivers and babysitters.”

Key takeaways for engineering firms

Ultimately you need to offer flexibility to attract and keep diverse talent. You must foster an inclusive environment and prioritize diverse leadership through programs and initiatives. It is all well and good addressing the challenges, but now is the time for action.

Key takeaways for diverse talent

Don’t be afraid to negotiate, and work with a top talent partner like LVI Associates who can help you with this. Be confident in your skills and sell yourself in interviews – it is the time to show off.

Remember that you are deserving of promotions and moving up in the transportation industry. Network with other women in engineering, put yourself out there and connect and join industry bodies – you belong here.

Whether you’re an engineering firm looking for female talent in a competitive market, or a professional considering their next career move, Sarah Davis and LVI Associates can help.

#engineering careers #engineering jobs #infrastructure jobs #construction jobs

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lviassociates1 · 2 years ago

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The Benefits of Using a Specialist Recruiter to Find Talent

Sourcing the right talent at the right time can prove arduous for any company. But the process becomes even more challenging when you work within a niche industry or sector. In these situations, a specialist recruiter can help find the perfect candidate for a hard-to-fill role.

There are several benefits a specialist recruiter can offer when looking to find niche talent:

Deep Sector Expertise

A specialist recruiter will hold valuable expertise in your sector. This deep market knowledge will include knowing ‘who is who’, and where the best talent is located. Specialist recruiters can also pull on their niche expertise to provide guidance on market trends such as salary expectations, desirable skill sets, new technologies and employee expectations within your sector.

Help with specific and hard-to-fill roles

Across the engineering and infrastructure sectors, teams have roles to fill with very specific requirements and have a small talent pool in which to recruit. Roles with ‘essential to have’ skills which are rare in the market are best placed with a specialist recruiter. They can source talent with these unique skills from the databases and relationships built to headhunt exceptional professionals. Specialist recruiters can also quickly sift through and reject unsuitable job applications which do not fit these essential requirements, saving you time.

Cut recruiting cost

One of the most important benefits to hiring a specialist recruitment agency is lowering the costs involved in the recruitment process. Savings come from cutting out time in the recruitment cycle and using in-house recruitment who may still lack the relationships needed to make specialist hires.

Resources within your company can be better spent elsewhere while specialist recruitment agencies can help source talent who will bring further value to your company.

Avoid bad hires

Hiring the wrong candidate for a role can be expensive, and specialist recruiters will spend extra time and effort on ensuring a hire who is not only suitable for the role but a cultural fit who is passionate about developing a long-term career at your company.

Bad hires are avoided by specialist recruiters via methods such as consulting on your job brief, benchmarking your salary offer to establish it is competitive and screening candidates throughout the process.

The cost of a bad hire can be even worse than employers first think, with demotivation and poor work performance often proving contagious; and high staff turnover lowering productivity and morale as a whole.

#building services jobs #mechanical engineering jobs #infrastructure jobs #engineering careers

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lviassociates1 · 2 years ago

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The Case for Sustainable Business Practice

Engineering a sustainable future.

The world relies on engineering and infrastructure, but both disciplines can have an impact on the climate, with estimates pointing to 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions that stem from infrastructure. 

How can engineering and infrastructure be a catalyst for meaningful change and scale down the atmospheric temperature rise? The answer could lie in getting the right people in place to collectively tackle the climate crisis.  

Our latest guide, The Case for Sustainable Business Practice, explores our key insights and topics covering:��

Global Initiatives: The Next Phase of Sustainable Transformation

A New Dawn for Engineering

Auditing the Carbon Footprint

Companies Leading the Charge

A Concrete Case for Digitalization

Green Jobs: New Ways to Conduct Business

#engineering careers #engineering jobs #infrastructure jobs #construction jobs

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lviassociates1 · 2 years ago

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Why Counter-Offers are a Waste of Time and Money

The global engineering and infrastructure sector has a busy market where skilled candidates, particularly with those who have experience in new and emerging technologies, are high in demand. If you face a note of resignation in your inbox, it is tempting as an employer to send back a counter-offer to retain your most valuable employees on the payroll.

The sad reality is that those who wish to leave your company most likely don’t have salary as their only or primary motivating factor. Often there are underlying issues behind the reason why they have handed in their resignation, and these won’t be solved with the money of a counter-offer. In fact, most employees who accept a counter-offer leave a company anyway within six to twenty-four months of accepting that offer.

This article covers the reasons why you should rethink your choice to make a counter-offer to a leaving employee, and why counter-offers are ultimately a waste of time and money for your company.

#engineering careers #infrastructure jobs #engineering jobs #mechanical engineering jobs

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lviassociates1 · 2 years ago

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How to Make a Great First Impression in Your New Job

Starting a new role in the global infrastructure and engineering sector is a time of optimism and potential, so it makes no sense to waste it on making a bad first impression on your first day of work. It is important to view your first day as an extension of your interview, and arriving on time and looking your best will only make a positive impression.

However, there is more to a first day in a new role than good grooming and time-keeping. It is a vital first opportunity to learn about your company culture, introduce yourself to your new team members and start the foundations on which to build your important new working relationships.

#engineering careers #engineering jobs #infrastructure jobs

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lviassociates1 · 3 years ago

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Transportation Jobs | LVI Associates

A leading talent acquisition agency, LVI Associates USA has worked extensively with many small, medium, and large-scale enterprises to find suitable candidates for transportation careers. Their hiring and recruitment solutions have helped many businesses in the transportation industry to find candidates with the right skills. please visit: https://www.lviassociates.com/disciplines/transportation

#transportation careers #transportation jobs

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lviassociates1 · 3 years ago

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Renewable Energy Jobs | LVI Associates

Apply for renewable energy jobs. Find renewable energy vacancies with LVI Associates, the leading renewable energy recruiters. please visit: https://www.lviassociates.com/jobs/renewable-energy

#renewable energy careers #renewable energy jobs

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lviassociates1 · 3 years ago

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Construction Engineering Recruitment Agency | LVI Associates

LVI Associates are the leading Construction Engineering Recruitment Agency in the USA. Apply for Construction Engineering jobs and find your dream career today! For more information, please visit: https://www.lviassociates.com/

#construction jobs #construction careers

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lviassociates1 · 3 years ago

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Waste & Environmental Careers | LVI Associates

Apply for waste & environmental jobs. Find waste & environmental vacancies with LVI Associates, the leading waste & environmental recruiters. Please visit: https://www.lviassociates.com/jobs/water-and-environmental

#waste & environmental careers #waste & environmental jobs

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lviassociates1 · 3 years ago

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Renewable Energy Careers | LVI Associates

Apply for renewable energy jobs. Find renewable energy vacancies with LVI Associates, the leading renewable energy recruiters. please visit: https://www.lviassociates.com/jobs/renewable-energy

#renewable energy careers #renewable energy jobs

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lviassociates1 · 3 years ago

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Infrastructure Jobs | LVI Associates

LVI Associates is the leading specialist recruitment agency for the infrastructure sector. We were founded to give candidates and clients peace of mind that the recruitment process is in expert hands. Today, we provide permanent, contract, and multi-hire recruitment from our global hubs all over the world. For more information, please visit: https://www.lviassociates.com/

#infrastructure jobs #engineering jobs #engineering careers

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lviassociates1 · 3 years ago

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LVI Associates Industry Insights - Deep Dive into Roofing & Waterproofing

Jennifer Keegan, Director of Building & Science in Roofing & Waterproofing for GAF joined LVI’s Sarah Lazar to discuss how to break the glass ceiling in this male dominated industry as part of International Women’s Day celebrations.

Progression and opportunities to learn

Wherever there is an opportunity to learn and problem-solve on the job, Jennifer accepted and took on, continuing to step our of her comfort zone and recommends to ask lots of questions throughout your career.

When asked how Jennifer progressed in her career, one point to note is that she attended and shadowed in meetings, which eventually lead to her first leadership role at ASTM.

Jennifer managers a team of experienced enclosure consultants, architects and engineers. She translates all of their experience to support the design community. The science behind how building enclosures perform well is crucial as it helps to understand the problems, and influences building design to ensure it prevails.

Life-long relationships

Jennifer has made a number of life-long relationships throughout her career. ASTM was her first industry association engagement, and she was surrounded by more senior, male figures, and they created opportunities for Jennifer to grow. She says she was given these opportunities because she fostered good relationships with people in the industry. And actually Jennifer was recruited into her current role at GAF through her engagement with ASTM.

Jennifer was one of the few technical women ASTM, then National Women in Roofing recruited her to join their board. From there, she worked her way from Education Chair to then the Executive Board of Directors.

This presented Jennifer with the chance to network with people she wouldn’t have met otherwise due to industry sector and job location, and has vitally enhanced her knowledge.

The National Women in Roofing is also an excellent organisation that fosters a sense of solidarity and combats lack of opportunities for women within the industry.

Career advice for women

Jennifer recommends embracing being part of a minority, and being seen as an underdog. Demonstrate to people that you can back up your capabilities, whether that is debating a technical issue or climbing the scaffolding, because this is where loyalty and respect will grow from, and relationships too. Overall, it really is a people business, and people work with the people they get on with. Therefore, get involved, reach out and ask questions.

#waste & environmental careers #power careers #construction engineering recruitment

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