Management processes pushing women out of real estate, finds study

Traditional management and reward processes are pushing women out of the property industry, according to new research. A report from networking organisation the Circle Partnership, Cellence Plus and Laing O’Rourke explored the mid-level female talent retention challenge faced by the built environment. It found women are discouraged by overtly competitive or ambitious behaviour, and more cautious and risk averse when it comes to career and finance. It suggests they tend to avoid the discomfort that can accompany high performance, move away from people and businesses when under pressure, and bottle up frustrations. It added that they are “extremely strong” in increasingly critical relational skills such as relationship building, emotional intelligence, empathy, influencing and team building. The report authors argue that businesses should reconsider the ways in which women are managed, developed and rewarded. Ceri Moyers, director of the Circle Partnership, said: “It’s not news to say that the built environment has a problem when it comes to gender balance – particularly at senior leadership levels. What we have struggled to truly understand is why. A focus to date on the policies and procedures that impact on diversity has ignored a critical piece of the puzzle: that of culture and behaviour. “The insight gained from this study suggest that the industry still doesn’t seem to fully understand how to make the most of women’s talents and potential. And it also raises bigger questions about our macro workplace culture; is it time to begin truly re-examining the environment that favours traditionally masculine traits of extroversion, competition and leading from the front rather than expecting others to adapt to fit?”