This year’s International Women’s Day (8 March) will see the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) urging property firms in the North East to make their female role models more visible, and break down any barriers that prevent them from progressing in to leadership positions.
Women are expected to make up more than a quarter of the construction workforce by 2020, up from its current level of about 14%*, but last year it was revealed there were fewer than 21 women on the boards of the top 20 UK contractors.** To add to this, latest figures from RICS reveal that just 14% of chartered surveyors in the UK are female, which is an improvement on previous years, but still demonstrates that the surveying profession has a long way to go in attracting senior female role models.
Balancing family and work commitments, as well as what often is perceived as a ‘job for men only’, are the most common barriers to progression, encountered by women in the land, property and construction sectors.
To help address these issues RICS has developed an initiative known as the Inclusive Employer Quality Mark (IEQM) designed to help firms – of all sizes in the land, property and construction sectors – gain a more diverse and inclusive workforce. It asks firms to pledge their commitment to adopting and continually improving across a number of key areas including recruitment and staff development. Signatories of the pledge are assessed on an ongoing basis, with RICS providing support on any areas identified as needing improvement.
Barry Cullen, RICS Diversity & Inclusion Director adds: “Over 160 organisations have become signatories of our Quality Mark, and it’s been fantastic to see many of these firms put in place, or make improvements to their mentoring schemes, with some even launching their own corporate female support networks, and many offering flexible working patterns and improved return to work programmes.”
He adds: “As a profession, we are making strides in creating a more diverse and inclusive industry; 27% of our newly qualified members are female and enrolments are up by 3% on last year to 26%. This demonstrates that the land, property and construction sectors are increasingly becoming more attractive to women as a career. To ensure the industry continues to attract young female talent, firms must ensure they provide equal opportunities for all.”
Hannah Furness, Senior Property Surveyor at Capita Real Estate and Infrastructure in North Tyneside – won the RICS Mentor of the Year accolade at the 2015 RICS Matrics Young Surveyor of the Year Awards – she commented: “Firms with more of an equal gender balance have a competitive advantage, and I think a lot of companies are starting to realise that. But there is still work that the industry needs to do, to move further away from the stereotype that working in property or construction is all about working on building sites.
“Property-technology – including drones and virtual reality – is revolutionising the land, property and construction sectors and how we work within the built environment, so it’s actually a very exciting time to be joining the industry. Yet unfortunately, we’re still not attracting enough people into the enormous range of exciting career opportunities available to all. Schools, further and higher education providers, as well as private and public employers and industry organisations must work together better to address this.”
For further information about the RICS Inclusive Employer Quality Mark visit www.rics.org/diversity or for details of the 2018 RICS Matrics Young Surveyor of the Year Awards and how to enter visit: www.rics.org/ysoya