Around a third of UK home owners would employ a female builder, new survey shows

Almost a third of home owners in the UK would prefer a female builder or tradesperson to do work on their property rather than a man, new research has found. Women feel particularly positive about hiring female builders with 35% saying they would feel more positive about hiring a female builder or tradesperson to complete a task in their home, according to the research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Some 51% think female tradespeople might be more respectful of their home, 46% would hire a female as they want to support more women working in non-traditional job roles and 42% said they might feel more at ease with a female tradesperson. The research also found that 37% think female tradespeople might be more trustworthy, 35% that they might be friendlier, while 30% think women often have better attention to detail than men. Some 20% of respondents said they prefer the company of women and that is why they would hire one, 18% said they relate better to other women and 16% said it would be a novelty and a welcome change to hire a female builder. However, despite feeling positive about hiring a female tradesperson, 30% fewer people would encourage their daughter to pursue a career in construction than their sons. The survey also reveals that nearly two thirds of the general public are not bothered whether the builder or tradesperson doing work for them were a man or a woman. ‘There’s a clear appetite among consumers for more women to enter the building industry with one third of home owners saying they would rather hire a female builder. There are numerous reasons for this and chief among them is that these home owners feel that female tradespeople might be more respectful of their home,’ said Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB. ‘Consumers are also keen to support more women working in non-traditional job roles which is a breath of fresh air. However, there’s a serious gap in the market here as currently only 2% of tradespeople are women,’ he pointed out. He also pointed out that the construction industry is in the midst of a skills shortage and needs to appeal to women who make up 50% of the population. He is discouraged that so many would not encourage their daughter to consider working in the construction industry. ‘In 2018, this attitude is outdated and denies thousands of women a potentially rewarding career. Today is International Women’s Day and we’re calling on all parents, teachers and careers advisers to talk to young women about a career in construction. The construction sector can appeal to anyone who takes pleasure in the built environment and wants to avoid being trapped behind a desk all day. This can and should apply to both men and women equally,’ said Berry. According to Debi Sporn from Sporn Construction, who has worked in construction for more than 16 years, the public perception of the construction industry is changing but not quickly enough.