Carol Massay
at a major construction software provider. Despite the challenges sometimes presented when trying to attract skills into a small business, she has successfully assembled a team of experts—some of whom she managed previously, which means that they are familiar with her style and she knows what they are capable of. I address the responsibility that Carol might feel, working in a male-dominated sector, towards encouraging more women to consider getting involved in it. “When we have been recruiting, consciously, I’m hoping that more women will apply and look at construction software as a good career path,” she shares. “I will continue to advocate for this.” According to the latest ONS report, as of September 2020, women made up just 13% of construction workers in the UK—a figure that has in fact dropped Given that there is a very real slightly in the past labour skills shortage that is three years. Sector likely only to be exacerbated misconceptions and a lack of flexibility have as we work through Brexit, been cited as barriers encouraging more women into to improving these this sector may no longer just be numbers, and the rate a ‘nice’ thing to do . . . it could be of cultural change appears painfully imperative to its survival slow. The trope of the burly, hard-hatted macho man on site is difficult to get out of one’s mind when considering the sector’s potential for welcoming women. A blog post on EasyBuild’s website posited that: “The problem lies in the current perception of the industry, as well as course providers and companies failing to attract women.” It believes that advertising for these positions is often targeted at men. Given that there is a very real labour skills shortage that is likely only to be exacerbated as we work through Brexit (somewhat faded from focus right now), encouraging more women into this sector may no longer just be a ‘nice’ thing to do—I believe it could be imperative to its survival. Carol considers the government’s support of the construction sector during the pandemic to have shown it to be a hugely necessary, resilient, and positive space to be in, and hopes that this might drive interest. “Women in business, like myself, need to put themselves forward and say, ‘It’s not a challenge; it can be done,” she asserts, and thinks that men who are at the helm of their businesses should not wait for someone else to pick up the mantle of improving diversity, but get stuck in by presenting their workplaces as inclusive. “Interview the women that they already have, whether it’s in finance, on reception, or out in the field, to explain what really goes on and how great it can be.You can put a lot on paper, but seeing is believing.” She also urges construction, as an ageing sector that contains so much expertise, to push apprenticeships and appeal to younger people via effective use of social media which “drives their decisions”. Carol’s involvement as a speaker and presenter for the Women in Construction & Engineering (WICE) Awards 2019, and head judge in September this year—an occasion that recognises exemplary leaders and encourages more women into the sector through its nominations process— affirmed her view on how important representation is. She had the honour of bestowing Roni Savage with the Best Consultant award in 2019, and remembers the winner sharing an anecdote along the lines of: “When I
first showed up to site as an architect, ready to discuss things, they looked at me and said, ‘Who are you? I’m not taking instructions from you.’” Roni has gone on to become a widely recognised face in construction, is ubiquitous online and on TV, and is policy chair for construction at the FSB. WICE has reported more submissions year-on-year, demonstrating that there is a demand for showcasing female talent and expertise. While Carol’s overall attitude to female-specific workplace obstacles is that she has found ways of overcoming bias by keeping her head down, when pressed, there is a particularly infuriating instance that comes to mind.Years ago, she found herself—encouraged by management who wanted to leverage her excellent client relationships—in a sales role. Although this was not her natural proclivity, she smashed targets and, somewhat expectedly, began raising eyebrows among her male peers on the team. She recalls being regularly singled out and challenged on her work, despite her above-average performance. Fortunately, this has never held her back from enjoying working in the sector. Back to the present, Carol is far more comfortable using her innate talent for networking. In order to keep her finger on the pulse and EasyBuild moving in the right direction—with the help of a very engaged development team—Carol is huge on relationship building. “I speak to my customers at C level to find out what their challenges are as a business and what is happening, but also what their clients are enforcing that is impacting them.” As a regular feature at industry roundtables, Carol can stay ahead of changes in business modelling, contract types, policy changes, and so on. “I’ve been elected to be on the Business Application Software Developers Association, BASDA, a collective of software houses providing technology for construction … that is making sure that we’re aware of what’s coming downstream around government policies, HMRC, and the like,” she says. Being immersed in the market informs Carol of what should be next on EasyBuild’s agenda. “We’ve introduced our suite of mobile technology, which is key, and our analytics which allows information on the business to be accessible from a secured web browser. We are always listening to our customers’ needs and keeping our eye on what is required in the ever-changing realm of construction reporting.” In light of more scrutiny being placed on sustainability within the building sector, I ask Carol whether EasyBuild has aspirations to play an active role in facilitating a greener future. “Yes, we are definitely looking at it. At the end of the day, the system is there to provide information, and it’s how that information is used that’s going to protect the environment, indirectly.” The platform enables a much more accurate advance view of stock levels and requirements, leading to less paperwork, deliveries, fuel, and waste. On the overall pace of progress within construction, it has been dubbed the ‘dinosaur of technology’, partially due to a certain mentality that favours investing in the build itself, rather than the supporting processes. But things are gradually improving—helped along, no doubt, by ambassadors such as Carol who are actively trying to shift how we perceive the sector and serve as the necessary role models for what is ultimately a space with so much potential for growth and evolution.