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Shawmut Design and Construction is anything but a construction company for white guys only.
At the Boston-based company, 35% of employees are women, more than three times the sector average. The The company has also achieved 100% pay equity between men and women in similar roles in the company.
As the fourth annual Construction Inclusion Week continues, Shawmut Chief People Officer and Chief Administrative Officer Marianne Monte talks with Construction Dive about CIW’s success and the challenges facing diversity efforts today , equity and inclusion.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
CONSTRUCTION DIVE: CIW has grown rapidly in terms of industry participation, with 80% of the top 50 companies participating this year. To what do you attribute CIW’s success so far?
MARIANNE MONTE: There is power in numbers, and when competitors come together as partners who need to tackle a critical industry problem together, it spurs action and change.
Marianne Monte
Courtesy of Shawmut Design and Construction
There is noise about companies abandoning their DEI efforts. We are not in that camp. Time is a challenge for everyone, but we don’t see that participation brings people’s day jobs.
We believe that participating in the important conversations held during Construction Inclusion Week provides tools that can be used every day at work. That’s why it’s so important for leadership to support diversity, equity and inclusion: when this work is clearly prioritized, it removes barriers and paves the way for participation.
You mention the backlash against DEI recently. Worried that CIW is a passing fad?
At Shawmut we haven’t taken our foot off the gas and neither have other companies truly committed to DEI. Those who reduce or eliminate their efforts around DEI will have a lot of catching up to do.
DEI is a business imperative at Shawmut. By creating Construction Inclusion Week, the industry has shown that it is a fundamental imperative for all businesses.
I am confident in CIW’s staying power. Safety Week launched across the industry 10 years ago and hasn’t slowed down.
Bias-related incidents were reduced in construction last year and earlier this year recovering again in recent months. Why do you think this is happening now? How can construction companies do more to prevent these incidents from happening?
We are living in a very busy time. There are many things in the world and in people’s personal lives.
What we need to do as general contractors is to create workplaces and offices where people feel safe, respected and supported.
While it can seem daunting to have conversations about issues like discrimination, mental health and substance use, Shawmut has seen firsthand the value of these difficult discussions and the powerful support system it creates.
We’ve had business partners open up about their own struggles in front of an entire field team after our culture of care toolbox talk, and that vulnerability and discussion created a very important first step in building a truly inclusive workplace where people feel safe and a sense of belonging.
Construction has a reputation for being overwhelmingly white and male. How is CIW more than marketing and industry showcases?
Even though it’s one week out of the year, it provides the tools and resources for businesses to take concrete steps to increase diversity, equity and inclusion within their own walls and workplaces throughout the year. We are creating a blueprint for the sector by having discussions and sharing successes and challenges with each other.
What is revealing and promising is the range of businesses that have joined Construction Inclusion Week, from trades to industry organizations and manufacturers. At Shawmut we don’t think of it as a one-week event, but rather it’s built into the fabric of everyday life here.
CIW has been an industry driven initiative. However, the EEOC has also focused on construction from a regulatory perspective, saying construction outperforms other industries. Why has self-government not been enough?
To promote change in any field, responsibility is key, which is why Commitment and Responsibility were the theme of the first day of Construction Inclusion Week.
Compared to other industries, construction started right away when it comes to DEI. What CIW does is bring everyone together and establish a baseline that will enable meaningful and sustained change and action to advance diversity and inclusion.
In terms of government action, Shawmut signed up with the U.S. Department of Commerce Community engagement of millions of women in constructionone of the first construction companies to sign on to do so, committed to increasing women’s access to training, jobs and leadership opportunities.
If businesses or workers have one thing to take away from CIW 2024, what should it be?
That there is progress in taking small steps and there is no hierarchy when it comes to this work.
Companies are only as good as their employees. When people feel respected and included, they are more engaged, productive and can reach their full potential.
This, in turn, drives safety, talent retention and recruitment. These are all measurable values of inclusion – the importance of DEI and CIW work cannot be stressed enough.
