Kieran Valentine
Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Hoare Lea
The mythical meritocracy, & meaningful change.
PEOPLE
Fresh perspectives
New voices of the built environment
In a world marked by rapid technological advancements and complex geopolitical, environmental and economic challenges, the UK’s built environment sector stands at the forefront of the potential for a more human-centric, planet-conscious future. Yet, to truly unlock this potential, we must be active in pursuit of a fundamental transformation embracing diversity, equity and inclusion.
DEI will never be reached without intervention, nor via the mythical forces of ‘meritocracy’, and certainly not without the critical infrastructure of new ideas.
Over the last decade, the conversation about sectoral inequalities has been gaining traction. A sustained labour shortage alongside the demands of an increasingly diverse, technologically savvy, socially and environmentally conscious workforce is breaking down longstanding resistance to change. The policies, practices and behaviours that have kept diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at arm’s length are being called into question.
It should be clear to all that DEI will never be reached without intervention, nor via the mythical forces of ‘meritocracy’, and certainly not without the critical infrastructure of new ideas, policies, ways of working, and leadership behaviours. Meaningful, sustainable change to representation within the industry is both urgent and possible but only if, as leaders, we demonstrate the humility to embrace new perspectives, the curiosity to reflect on what we’re doing and why, and the courage to enact change. Equity is not inevitable. We have to change things for things to change.
While a great deal of positive work is being done to reshape the industry into one that is more inclusive, the roots of inequality run deep. The recent proliferation of DEI strategies, social media activity, employee networks and flexible working is something to celebrate, albeit with caution. Recent research findings offer a stark reminder of how far we have to go:
Women are 40% more likely than men to drop off the roster of professional engineers before the age of 45 (RAE)
73% of female engineers have experienced discrimination, victimisation or harassment at work (Hays Construction and Property)
35% of LGBTQ staff hide their sexuality at work (Stonewall)
81% of global majority engineers have experienced racism at work (ICE)
As well as playing a role in how likely we are to face injustice or feel welcome and included at work, identity can be a significant factor in individual and group performance. Teams with greater gender and ethnic diversity outperform less diverse teams in terms of profitability, decision making, innovation and collaboration. More diverse, inclusive organisations also attract and retain a broader, more capable pool of candidates during recruitment.
Women in the early stages of their careers are, on balance, more likely to relate to and be inspired by women in leadership than men in leadership. The visible presence of a diverse leadership team is more likely to offer relatable and inspiring role models for a diverse cohort of emerging and mid-career professionals than a sea of seemingly identikit older, white, middle-class, non-disabled men. Diverse role models are also more likely to demonstrate empathy towards and advocacy on behalf of others with whom they share common ground.
Raising the bar
We might wonder what the built environment would look like if its design were uninhibited by this lack of diversity. Creating a built environment that meets the complex, evolving needs of diverse communities is difficult to achieve when those communities are underrepresented in our organisations, and their voices are missing from the planning, design and evaluation of our work.
The neurodivergent community represents around 10 million people in the UK. The Asian/British Asian community is represented by a population of 6.5 million people. Disabled people: 10.4 million. Menopausal women: 13 million. So, what things need to change for things to change? What are key steps that an organisation can focus on to bring about meaningful, sustainable DEI in the interests of employees and customers?
- Recruitment: adopt a consistently open, competitive, bias-free approach at all levels.
- Promotions: make the process fair, accessible, transparent and objective.
- Flexibility: listen to, trust and support your people. Facilitate working practices that serve both their needs and yours
- Accountability: if DEI is a strategic objective, treat it as such. Implement KPIs and individual objectives for leaders to promote and uphold equity and inclusion.
- Raise the bar: culture is defined by the worst behaviours tolerated in an organisation. Take a zero-tolerance approach to all bullying, discrimination and harassment, whatever the source.
LET'S TALK
Data-led solutions for positive social change.
Imagine Eastenders without its community hotspots: the Queen Vic, the cafe, the square. It’d be a lot harder for characters to mix. In episode 26 of Exploration, Yeme Tech CEO Amir Hussain talks about building inclusive communities using geospatial mapping that intelligently, compassionately brings people together in the real world, plus innovative solutions that inform place regeneration and facilitate connection in challenged areas. Hear about the localisation of place performance; the acceleration of Carlos Moreno’s 15-minute neighbourhood; ‘stranded’ buildings; ESG benchmarking, and more.