Building firms lacking inclusion data will fail to win contracts
Sandra Healy, CEO of Inclusio, says construction companies will be excluded from contract pitches if they fail to provide credible data on areas such as people, culture and inclusion.
Credible data on inclusion, wellness, people and company culture are becoming increasingly critical for construction companies competing for projects.
“In Germany, companies are excluded from contract pitches if they fail to provide credible data on areas such as people, culture and inclusion,” said Sandra Healy, CEO of Inclusio, a Dublin-based platform for people data capture and compliance reporting.
Inclusio also has operations in the UK and Canada. In January, the company began a new data collection initiative entitled 'VOiCE for Construction'.
The VOiCE (Valuing Openness, inclusive Culture & Equity) benchmarking initiative uses Inclusio’s technology and science to gather data on people and culture within construction. All of the data is confidential.
Inclusio’s clients include Kilsaran, Linesight, IPS Global, Designer Group and other employers who see the value of gaining feedback on their staff’s experience of their company culture.
The study will also be useful for employers seeking analysis of what actions would help those in the construction sector, among others, to overcome perceptions of a negative culture and to attract and retain talent.
“Construction does face a perception challenge, and it’s not all about gender,” said Sandra Healy. “When people think of construction, they instantly think of a building site. They don’t think of roles in project management, health and safety or HR.
“When looking at employers, people think ‘will I fit in there?’ If you think there won’t be anyone like me in the office, then you won’t want to work there.
“Over 20% of people in hospitality and in construction identify as neurodivergent, which is 5% higher than any other sector. We are signing up construction companies on a weekly basis. They want to develop data in their sector around men, women, neurodivergence, disability, work-life balance and socio-economic background.
“Our first benchmark data will be published in 2026. That Year One report will make for very interesting reading.”
Why conduct this data collection? A report by Core Research found that two out of three (63%) of companies find it hard to recruit talent, owing to a lack of career options and negative perceptions about working in the industry.
Research by Technological University of the Shannon found that the construction industry will need the recruitment of up to 120,000 additional skilled construction workers and the re-skilling of 164,000 construction workers by 2030 to deliver on Ireland’s housing and climate targets.
“Industry leaders in construction came to us because they realise that they need to change how their sector is perceived,” said Sandra. “They want data on wellbeing and a sense of belonging.
“When the sector attempts to entice back talented project managers and others who have left Ireland and moved to Australia, USA and elsewhere, they need to overcome a lot of perceptions about the sector.
“If you’re a project manager and a mother, you won’t apply for a role in Ireland if you presume it will mean having to be on site at 7am. Attracting these people back means changing perceptions.”
Around 80% of people will actively research the company culture before applying for a job. One in five employees leave a company due to poor culture. Replacing a person who has left can cost a company the equivalent of 6-9 months’ salary.
Prior to her role as CEO of Inclusio, Sandra was an engineer working in information technology, engaging with aviation and other industries. She was often the only woman in an office with 20 staff.
She notes that construction is not alone in having perception challenges around male dominance and other inclusiveness topics. Nonetheless, construction is a sector that is currently working hard to alter perceptions.
“When we started our data collection work at Inclusio, I really didn’t think that I’d be working with the construction sector. When you start this work, the first thing you have to do is to leave the competition outside the door.
“You have to define the challenge and decide how you are going to address it. Then you develop an action plan. That’s where our VOiCE benchmarking initiative comes in.”
As a respected expert on workplace culture, social sustainability, and DEI, Sandra believes that for any sector to thrive, it needs to attract and retain the most talented employees from a diverse range of backgrounds.
As workforces become more diverse, it is imperative that companies build a culture of inclusion. Sandra believes that an inclusive culture unlocks and activates workforce diversity which in turn, drives more collaboration, creativity and innovation.
The data collected by Inclusio also helps companies make informed decisions around diversity and inclusion, mental health support, and work-life balance.
“We also offer actionable strategies to keep supporting DEI initiatives despite current pushback and how to create a culture that supports and inspires the next generation of employees,” said Sandra.
“For any sector to thrive it needs to attract and retain the most talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds. As workforces become more diverse, it is imperative that companies build inclusive cultures.
“An inclusive culture, unlocks and activates workforce diversity which in turn, drives more collaboration, creativity and innovation.”
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