Guideline ACT
Getting creative to attract women into civil construction
Guideline ACT is a mid-tier Civil Engineering Contractor in the Canberra region, specialising in technically challenging projects. Guideline ACT believes that people are its greatest asset and provide opportunities for both training and career progression, in a safe, productive, diverse and supportive environment.
Guideline ACT joined the Workforce Australia - Career Revive program off the back of the success of the SPARK Ginninderry Women in Civil Construction program. By participating in the Career Revive program, Guideline ACT aims to:
- recruit and retain female civil construction workers
- explore options for supporting returners to the organisation.
Guideline ACT is dedicated to increasing the number women employed by their organisation and review their broader organisational systems and cultures.
Early in the program, the executive and HR team co-produced a ‘Career Revive commitment’. This highlighted the organisations’ intention to invest in its employees by reshaping the way it attracts and recruits employees.
To diversify its recruitment pipeline, Guideline ACT focused on reframing job advertisements to incorporate more inclusive language and present the employee value proposition up front. Through this job advertisement, the team also trialled offering part-time options for prospective site team members, a first for the organisation.
The revised approach received a higher-than-average response rate, including increased interest from female candidates.
Guideline ACT also focused on ensuring that their systems and processes best support female employees. This has meant:
- designing a system to more clearly define job classification and requirements, allowing employees to better understand progression opportunities
- establishing a buddy system to support new starters in the organisation
- participating in Career Revive Action Learning Groups, workshops and mentoring
exploring how industry cultures may be limiting to people who see themselves working and at Guideline ACT.
