In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk sits down with Andrea Piering, President of Sun State Builders, to explore how leaders can better attract, recruit, and retain women in construction.

Listeners will learn:

· How Andrea Piering went from working job sites as a teenager to becoming President of Sun State Builders

· Why construction can be a fulfilling and creative career path for women, even if they didn’t grow up around it

· How schools and industry messaging can change misconceptions that construction is only dirty, outdoor, “in the hot sun” work

· The wide variety of roles women can have in construction

· Common misconceptions women have about entering construction and how ongoing learning makes the industry accessible

· Common misconceptions male leaders have about hiring or promoting women, and how those are changing with new generations of leaders

· Practical ways to help women succeed in the field

· How companies fall short when they don’t provide a spectrum of entry points for women

· Why equal pay and feeling valued are critical to retaining women in construction

· How flexibility and empathy for family responsibilities impact retention

· Concrete ideas for leaders to attract and recruit more women

· How to retain women by simply asking them directly about their challenges, listening for blind spots, and making fixable improvements

· The importance of women in the industry seeing each other as allies, not competitors and growing together

· That there is a clear, needed place for women in construction, and how leadership development programs can support their growth

Resources

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