How Culture Has Evolved 

Q: You started your career in construction in the early 1990s. What was the industry like back then? 

Guy: 
I started as an apprentice in 1992. Back then, you did the right thing by your employer because you needed the job. There wasn’t a lot of choice or mobility, so you stayed loyal, worked hard, and hoped it paid off. 

Thirty years ago, it was extremely rare to see women onsite. Amenities weren’t designed for them, and there was very little consideration for what it meant to be a woman working in construction. 

I still remember one of the first female apprentices I worked around. She was capable, hardworking, and did a great job, but the culture around her made it incredibly difficult. Eventually, one incident was enough to push her out of the industry altogether. 

Q: From your perspective, how has the role of women in construction evolved, and what impact has that had on the industry? 

Guy: 
What’s changed is that women are now visible across many roles. Engineering, contract administration, project management, supervision and architecture. That visibility matters. 

Overall, it’s had a positive impact. Having more women across different roles has changed how people think, communicate and problem solve onsite. It’s challenged the idea that there’s only one way to do things. 

When women became a regular presence onsite, behaviour adjusted naturally. Language improved, standards lifted, and you started to see men pulling up other men if something wasn’t right. Most blokes already know what’s appropriate, and that standard tends to hold when the culture allows it. 

The culture has improved, but it hasn’t improved evenly everywhere. 

Q: Do you still see resistance to women onsite? 

Guy: 
Yes, but it’s more subtle now. It’s less overt and more of an undercurrent. 

For example, someone might say, “They’ve got a female supervisor out there.” The question is why gender is the first identifier. Why not just say, “They’ve got a supervisor named Sarah, and she’s doing a great job”? 

That mindset is still shifting. 

Q: What do women bring to construction that genuinely changes the way projects run? 

Guy: 
Perspective. That’s the biggest thing. 

Construction is notorious for doing things the same way because “that’s how we’ve always done it”. Many of the women I’ve worked with ask “Why?” and “What if we tried this instead?” Those questions can completely change how a project runs. 

There’s also a more empathetic and collaborative approach to problem solving. Less ego, more focus on outcomes. It’s not about winning. It’s about finding a solution that works for everyone. 

Leadership, culture and retention 

Q: How important is culture in creating an environment where women feel comfortable staying in construction long term, and who is responsible for setting that tone? 

Guy: 
Culture is critical, and it’s set from the top. The tone leadership sets around behaviour, flexibility, wellbeing and respect shapes how safe and supported people feel day to day. 

For women in construction, that really matters. If the culture doesn’t support speaking up, setting boundaries or having a life outside the job, people might push through for a while, but they won’t stay long term. 

Culture isn’t static. It shifts as people come and go, and as leadership changes. You can see businesses change quickly when the tone at the top changes, and that directly affects whether people feel comfortable staying. 

That said, culture isn’t only owned by job titles. You don’t need “leader” in your title to influence the people around you. Culture is reinforced every day by the behaviours people accept, challenge or model. But if the tone at the top is unsupportive, it’s very hard for a healthy culture to survive underneath it. 

When support matters most 

Q: Do you feel women are being supported enough in construction, and where do you think businesses are getting it wrong? 

Guy: 
I’ve seen situations where young women have spoken up about issues and felt completely abandoned by the business when they needed support. That’s incredibly damaging, and it stays with people. 

In many cases, I don’t think it’s because the business doesn’t care. I think it’s because they’re not actually prepared. They might have policies, but they don’t have the structure, the capability or the confidence to respond properly when something goes wrong. 

If someone puts their hand up and asks for help, how that moment is handled matters more than any policy document. If leaders aren’t trained or supported to deal with those situations well, trust disappears very quickly, and people leave. 

Why good people leave 

Q: Retention is a big focus for HiViZ. Why do you think women leave construction? 

Guy: 
Because construction is a brutal industry when it comes to work-life balance. 

If you’re a woman thinking about starting a family, this industry doesn’t make it easy. But honestly, it’s not easy for men either. Long hours, constant pressure and very little flexibility take a toll on everyone. 

We still struggle to normalise flexible work. Even asking for a four-day week is often seen as unrealistic unless the business desperately wants that person. Until flexibility is built into how we structure roles, we’ll keep losing good people. 

Q: What challenges do you see emerging with the next generation entering the industry, and what needs to change to address them? 

Guy: 
One of the biggest challenges is the sheer number of options in front of young people. When everything feels possible, committing to a clear direction can be difficult. 

I don’t see a lack of capability. What I see is a lack of structure. Without clear pathways, expectations and guidance, people can lose momentum and confidence early. 

That’s where businesses need to step up.  

Leaders need to provide clearer structure, defined pathways and genuine mentorship. In construction, structure matters. It’s how people build confidence, develop purpose and commit for the long term. 

Q: What challenges does the industry face right now, and what concerns you most looking forward? 

Guy: 
We’ve got a lot of very good, very technically capable site managers who are getting close to retirement. Most of them actually want to pass their knowledge on. They care about the next generation coming through. 

The problem is the way jobs are set up. You’re expected to deliver the job as tight as possible, and training someone properly just doesn’t fit into that model. As a result, we’re sitting on decades of practical experience, and there’s a real risk it just walks out the door. 

My worry is that younger site managers will be pushed into senior roles without having had the chance to really learn the technical side properly, and that’s not fair on them or the projects they’re running. 

Q: Are there particular roles where you think greater female representation could have the biggest impact? 

Guy: 
From what I’ve seen, women in site-based and delivery roles tend to have a really strong influence on culture. When you’re visible onsite and involved in how the job is run day to day, it changes how people interact and how issues are handled. 

With so many experienced site managers nearing retirement, there’s a real opportunity to support and develop the next generation into those roles, provided the right mentoring and structure is in place. 

Values, upbringing and why this matters 

Q: You come across as someone with a strong sense of fairness and respect. Where does that come from, and how has it shaped the way you view women working in construction? 

Guy: 
A lot of it comes from how I was raised. My mum was a big influence on me growing up. She was strong, practical, and didn’t tolerate nonsense, but she also had a lot of empathy for people. 

When you grow up around women like that, you don’t see capability or authority as gendered. You just see people for what they bring, and that’s probably shaped how I’ve always shown up at work. 

It means I don’t see this as a special conversation or a box to tick. Respect, behaviour and opportunity are just baseline expectations for me. 

When women are present onsite, most blokes adjust naturally. You see men pulling up other men if something’s not appropriate, and that’s a big change from how it used to be. Those standards don’t disappear just because you’re on a construction site. 

Q: How does that perspective shape your views on retention and the future of construction? 

Guy: 
It’s all connected. Retention isn’t just about attracting women into construction, it’s about creating workplaces where people can actually stay. 

If we want good people to build long careers in this industry, we need healthier, more flexible environments. Otherwise, we’re asking people to choose between their career and their family, and that’s not a choice many people are willing to make anymore. 

Interviewed by: Tahlia Cross, HiViZ Committee.