‘As an industry, it has come on in leaps and bounds’: Why more women are joining construction

With a background in PR and marketing, Glenveagh‘s communications manager Ailbhe Enright joined the construction industry early last year. At the time, she had just bought her first home and found the process tough to navigate, so when the opportunity came to join a homebuilder company, she felt like she already had a leg up with her recent experience.

Ailbhe soon discovered how helpful Glenveagh is to first-time home buyers, and she wanted to be a part of that support. And, she’s not alone –  more women are joining construction every day, says Ailbhe, and at Glenveagh there’s a strong focus on equality, culture and family-friendly benefits and policies.

Tell us a bit about your current role and your career path.

I’m the communications manager here at Glenveagh, responsible for both internal communications to our employees and external communications and reputation management. I really enjoy both aspects of my role and particularly enjoy the way in which good internal communication keeps everyone informed, can motivate people and can enhance and contribute to the culture of the business.

Why did you decide to join the construction industry?

I saw the role come up on LinkedIn and it appealed to me as I was familiar with the brand and knew Glenveagh was one of the bigger homebuilders in Ireland. I was interested in the company because I had just bought a new house myself and knew that buying your first home can be the most challenging yet incredibly rewarding thing you ever do, so I liked the idea of being part of something that was bringing that same joy to others.

I also understood the process of buying a home so that appealed to me. I worked in the legal industry in communications for four years before this role came up, and I had a great boss, gained valuable experience and made friends for life there, but I knew that in my next role, I wanted to work in an industry I felt passionate about – one that was working to alleviate the housing crisis.

What do you like most about your job? What do you find the most challenging?

I like the way my role enables me to work with many people across the business which means I get to know more people and also get an insight into other departments and exposure to the different areas. It means you’re always learning which keeps it really interesting, but of course that learning curve can be challenging at times too.

What factors do you find essential in a healthy work environment?

We just moved to a really nice, contemporary office space in the Maynooth Business Park with a restaurant, collaboration zones, wellbeing areas and so on and I must say this has been absolutely brilliant for bringing people together and for morale in general, but obviously, fulfilment at work is about so much more than just the physical space.

I work two days a week from home which is brilliant, and I really appreciate the flexibility my boss gives me because there’s trust there. Most importantly for me though is that the people and the leadership team in particular are really approachable – and this is something that really struck me when I moved to Glenveagh. In my opinion, leaders should not underestimate how much this means to employees – to be able to approach a member of the executive team without feeling anxious or nervous goes a very long way. It also encourages an open and equal workplace where everyone feels empowered to speak up and is just generally more relaxed and happy, which in turn makes problem-solving and issues management that bit easier.

According to a recent survey, the number of women in construction has slightly increased in recent years. Why do you think that is?

I think people are beginning to see that the construction industry is more female-friendly than it used to be. As an industry, it has come on in leaps and bounds. I think around 30% of the graduate intake last year at Glenveagh were women – there genuinely is a real focus on attracting female talent and you can really feel that it’s a really good time to join the industry as a woman – I know my female colleagues would say the same as well and there are really strong benefits in place, and family-friendly policies which is something I definitely looked into when I was about to join Glenveagh.

Any advice for other young women who are considering the industry?

Definitely consider it – it’s genuinely really interesting and it’s an industry you can become passionate about. As housing is so topical, you can speak to family and friends about it – I always find myself chatting to friends and family about the industry as I feel strongly about it now and am proud to be a part of a company that is bringing much-needed homes to the market and having been someone who went through a long home-buying process, I know how much it means to get those keys after weeks, months and years of waiting.

As one of Ireland’s leading homebuilders, Glenveagh’s vision is that everyone should have the opportunity to access affordable, high-quality homes in flourishing communities across Ireland. They prioritise diversity and inclusivity across the company and are on a mission to break the male-dominated stereotype of the construction industry, encouraging women from all different backgrounds to join their team.