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I’ve been in the restoration industry for eight months; I continue to learn something new every day. I consider myself a student and take advantage of every opportunity to learn. Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Nexus Trade Show in Las Vegas. In addition to networking opportunities, guest speakers share their insights with those eager to learn more about the industry.
I was immediately drawn to the “Rise of Women” session since I am a woman in restoration. Several powerful women in the restoration industry led the event. They each had decades of experience. Over the years, they’ve been able to climb the ranks in a predominantly male-dominated industry.
The moderator opened the speech up with a statistic, and while it wasn’t shocking at first, it’s still a hard pill to swallow. I see it with my own eyes whenever I attend any restoration events. The number of men at these events far outweighs the number of women.
According to Zippia, only 19% of women make up the restoration, while their male counterpart makes up 80%. The statistics alone speak for themselves. There’s a need to make changes in the industry. There’s a need to hire more women. Despite last month being women’s month, this isn’t an issue that can be addressed only once a year. The concept of hiring more women should be a focus in this industry. So how can you make a change? Start by becoming the change.
When someone decides to explore another industry, several factors come into play. Some of those factors include an opportunity for career growth and advancement. In other words, what can you offer to help you attract top talent? That’s right, just like you try to attract new clients, take a similar approach to attract new employees.
Consider making your training stand out, offering the opportunity to specialize in a new skill. The purpose of this is to give people an incentive to stay. If people see a chance to move up within a company, it will encourage them to want to stay. You need to be taken seriously in this profession, so why not position your company as one of the leaders in creating those opportunities?
Your workplace should encourage fresh perspectives. During the panel discussion, several speakers agreed it’s always great to welcome someone with 0 restoration experience. Could the training process take a bit longer? Maybe… but at least you’re working with someone with a clean slate. It’s challenging to undo someone’s bad habits. When you hire someone with experience, you’ll hear comments like, “At my old job, we used to do it this way.”
Bringing someone up to speed can be a strength since they provide a different perspective from those who have experienced the process. In the restoration industry, we usually hear from those who are used to doing things a certain way. The advantage of allowing new perspectives means you can pump your business with fresh ideas that help keep your business at the top. So yes, a woman should have room at the table and feel welcomed to share her ideas.
A safe working environment is one of the keys to attracting more women to your company. Your work culture is a direct reflection of what your company represents. Your company has to live and breathe what it preaches. When people walk through the door, they should know what to expect. You must create an atmosphere that is welcoming, gender-neutral, and color-blind. So what does a gender-neutral and color-blind environment look like?
It means that factors like gender and race are thrown out the window and have no place in determining a person’s job, salary, etc. It’s an environment where no one is afraid to speak up. As a business owner, not only do you have control, but you also have a responsibility to set the tone. There are values and standards that you explain to every potential new hire… if your prospective new hire shows they disagree with them, that should be an indicator that they are not a good fit for your team! Or you might find out over time that you might have a fantastic employee, but the one thing they lack is respecting the company culture. If your employee can’t be respectful to their coworkers, this should be non-negotiable. So yes, you will have to fire some people.
During the Rise of Women Session, a business owner shared how he had to fire some of his best employees due to their sexist behavior toward female colleagues. His actions reflect a strong leader willing to make those choices to create a safer and better environment for all. There is simply no excuse for bigoted, misogynistic behavior. You should not tolerate it if someone brings that energy in; it should be a no-brainer they have to go!
Make it clear that pay and promotional opportunities are equal for all. For example, there are many people motivated by money… and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you want more women to work for your company, pay fair salaries and include bonuses. Child care is huge for many working moms; look into how your company can help with that. Once you hire someone, remember the concept of retention. Retaining your existing employees should also be a priority.
There is a good chance those reliable employees know other people, so make a referral program to get the best candidates. Give recognition where it counts! If your employee worked hard to get some type of certification, you should celebrate their achievements! Your marketing ads should also reflect what you’re looking for… if you want a diversified group of women show them! 
There’s nothing more rewarding than building your team from the ground up! If you have access to the resources and materials to lead your team to success, use them to their full capacity. More women should hold leadership roles. If someone has shown they have the qualities to be a good leader, use those tools to guide them!
So take a good look at your current team and list goals you would like for them and changes you would like to implement. If one of your goals is to hire more women… make some room on your leadership team. Women deserve a seat at the table… they can help drive your business to heights you’ve never imagined.
At Albiware, we strive to support women in the restoration industry. We’ve made it one of our goals to help the women in our company continue to grow and join the ranks in leadership positions. Their impact on Albi has been incredible, and we look forward to supporting them for many years to come.
Michele Rave is a Content Manager at Albiware. Although she’s completely new to the restoration industry, she’s eager to learn and most importantly create fun and interesting content to help restoration contractors. Michele spent the last five years working in the news industry. She started off working as Assistant Producer for WBBM Radio in Chicago.
She eventually became a television news reporter for the ABC/Fox affiliate in Rockford, IL, leading her to report in Spanish for Univision, Dallas. If you would like to share your ideas to Michele, you can email her at mrave@albiware.com Connect with Michele directly through any of the options below
