Innovative Thinker | Andy Pritchard
Allied effort
Predominantly male construction businesses should support and advocate equality, Andy Pritchard tells Thomas Johnson.
Gender equality in the workplace cannot be achieved solely as a result of the efforts of women. Male allyship is crucial if the construction industry is to achieve a gender balance across all disciplines, says Willmott Dixon head of supply chain Andy Pritchard.
Male allyship is not just about supporting gender equality, it is also about publicly and consistently advocating it.
Pritchard believes male allyship will bring industry wide benefits
The role of male allyship in achieving gender balance was recognised by Pritchard’s firm and the business decided to act on it.
Now Pritchard believes the wider industry could benefit from using the approach.
The company created a four-step strategy to help promote and cultivate male allyship within the business.
The first of these steps was to set a target. Pritchard says it is important for companies to clarify what they want to achieve in terms of male allyship and set a target, as without one he says: “how will you know what success looks like?”
In 2017, Willmott Dixon set a target of achieving equal gender representation across all disciplines by 2030. Now the company is reporting that women account for up to 40% of the workforce in some departments, while there is female representation in every discipline.
The next step is to get men on board, as Pritchard puts it. He points to the need for a diversity policy to be implemented. This should positively affect everyone but should be aimed specifically at women.
The knock-on effect of the policy is what gets men on board, Pritchard points out. He gives the example of flexible working arrangements that could be put in place to help mothers with childcare but which can also benefit fathers.
Another good illustration is extended paternity leave. “For my first son I got two weeks off. For my second son I got eight weeks off. Do you know who that benefited the most? My wife. It made a massive difference to her,” he says.
“For my second son I got eight weeks off. Do you know who that benefited the most? My wifeThe third step involves mentoring. Pritchard decided that every female employee at Willmott Dixon should have the option to take part in a mentoring programme.
This would allow them to have one or more male mentors, helping them build networks.
“The people that mentored me over the years have looked out for me,” Pritchard says.
He adds that these networks are a critical element in making people allies.
According to Pritchard, male allyship brings long-term business benefits as well as fostering equality.
“We can’t change everything overnight, but what we can do is get a hundred people to come out and meet and connect with some of the most talented people in this industry,” he states. He believes that the networks they forge are the key to success, not just in individual businesses but in the entire industry.