Just curious about the experience of others.
What percentage of the people applying to you for a construction job (not clerical, but labor of some sort) over your years of experience have been female?
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.”
~ Voltaire
We found the brightest, best-performing green laser in a head-to-head test of eight popular models.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I haven't known of a female on my cousin's company yet.
It takes studs to build a house
Lets see. 6 women out of 30 employees would be 20%.
Why? You hiring? I need a vacation. :)
You can't leave a footprint that lasts if you're always walking on tiptoe. ~ Marion Blakey
I'm specifically asking the percentage of women APPLYING for construction jobs.
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
Oh, well excuse me for that misunderstanding. The number would still be the same as we hired all that have APPLIED. You can't leave a footprint that lasts if you're always walking on tiptoe. ~ Marion Blakey
Well, the number might not be the same. It also depends on the denominator. So unless you hired EVERYONE who applied, or you happen to get lucky, the percentage of female applicants is unlikely to equal the percentage of female employees.
The denominator is the same.
We have only had 6 females apply.You can't leave a footprint that lasts if you're always walking on tiptoe. ~ Marion Blakey
Hired for what jobs?Did you also hire all male applicants?"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."~ Voltaire
Edited 1/4/2008 1:45 pm by hasbeen
What jobs?
Small remodels, weatherization.
No, we haven't hired all males that have applied.
I thought this post was about females that applied.You can't leave a footprint that lasts if you're always walking on tiptoe. ~ Marion Blakey
It's about the percentage of females and that requires knowing about the number of male applicants, too, right?
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
"Did you also hire all male applicants?"No we did not. If they dont agree to a drug test we dont hire. The women didnt have a problem with it so far. Plus in my experience, if woman comes to apply for a construction job she is there to work and not just draw a paycheck. Generally she has something to prove that she can do the work.OTOH, we get guys that just call to satisfy their unemployment agents. These guys dont even get the time of day from us if they dont come in and sit down to talk. One girl we hired had 15 years with B & R. She ended up as lead after a year and a half once she got into the residential aspect.Where there's a will, there are 500 relatives
This thread is an attempt to find out approximately what percentage of all applicants for construction jobs are female (and, thus, the reverse, what percentage are male).
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
I think that is what she gave you. Out of 30 total applicants (not including the unemployment tire kickers) we've had 6 women apply. Which makes for 20% total for women and 80% for men.It is high IMO, because women she what LF does and may want to try it. That and they are probably more comfortable being hired by another woman.Where there's a will, there are 500 relatives
Did she say 30 applicants? I thought she said 30 employees.
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
She probably said employees but meant applicants. If I had 30 guys I would be in the Bahama's right about now.That or a heartattack. :)Where there's a will, there are 500 relatives
Anyone who hires, please post the approximate percentage of female and male APPLICANTS for construction jobs. (Hopefully the two percentages will add up to 100 ; )Thanks!
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
0% Women
100% Men.
Must be something about framing.View Image
You mean something other than discrimination? <G>I've never met a female flatwork mason, block layer, sheetrock stocker or hanger, framer, or even lumber delivery driver. I'm in a rural area. maybe it's different elsewhere.
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
How 'bout a female roofer? I haven't seen one of those yet either. I can remember seeing female plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, and painters. That's about it. Best plumber on the whole crew who did my own house was a woman named Lori. The only one with any common sense too.View Image
Yeah, I've known a few female painters, a plumber, a trim carp, and an electrician.I may be older, but it seems that you still don't get the jobs that you don't apply for.
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
I knew a gal that laid block and did flatwork a few years back. She could've been a heck of a lineman on any HS football team around, I bet.
Framing is my favorite part of building. I ain't skeered! :)You can't leave a footprint that lasts if you're always walking on tiptoe. ~ Marion Blakey
LOL... I didn't think you would be. ;)View Image
I thought you were bowing out !
please stay :-)
I was, then I saw Diesel and had to say hi.
I'll stay for a little while longer since you asked. :)You can't leave a footprint that lasts if you're always walking on tiptoe. ~ Marion Blakey
My wife was a framer for a few years after architecture school. Also commercial form builder and eventually baker and caterer and Japanese/english translater. Now she's just an architect and mom. We've had several woman framers over the years. Generally not scared of heights and not afraid to use safety equipment.------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
Now she's just an architect and mom.
Better not let her hear you say that! :)
She sounds like someone whom I could get along with real easy! Could have used her last year when we had a Foreign exchange student here from Japan! Communication was tough until I found the translater on the computer!
The highest I've been up is 30 or so feet. I was a little scared but the job had to get done so I slapped the fear down and carried on. Funny, I could walk on joists and rafters all day, but I will not fly!You can't leave a footprint that lasts if you're always walking on tiptoe. ~ Marion Blakey
maybe we haven't been exposed to the tough southrn women. i'm from ny, framed houes for a long time and have met females in all trades except framing. you have to apply to be aframer. no applications, except one woman who thought that a framer was someone who framed pictures.
Must be something about framing.
Maybe its the way you guys look, you scare em away!
There was a framing crew that I would see back when I was triming tract homes that had a girl, looked just like that one that seams to get posted around here all the time, you know, the one with the sharp looking blond reaching up over her head - but I had heard that she was let go because she wasnt all that good a worker. I do know that it was a big disapointment to a lot of us guys!
Doug
I did say employees. Sorry about that. I think I'll just bow out of this thread with what little dignity I have left now. :) You can't leave a footprint that lasts if you're always walking on tiptoe. ~ Marion Blakey
Zero have ever applied to my company.
I have however employed as subs an all woman painting company, have had electricians, carpet layers and drywaller as subs that have had woman on the crew.
Plus the absolute best sack and patch team I ever saw were a woman and her husband. he was the hoddie, she did the work.
Does having a Local BI ( Both city and county ) who are woman count?
Same here dovetail,
I am a one man band most of the time. The painter that I use occasionally is a husband and wife team, she cuts and masks and he sprays or rolls. He openly admits that she is a better painter than he.
My carpet installer is a woman and her two sons, again she is the brains of the operation and does all the fine and finish work. I think her husband used to run the business but he was killed in a car wreck 10 years ago as I understand it.
About 1 in 1000, but I usually was hiring framers. I did the EOE thing sometimes and that attracted some female candidates.
I've had more woman calling up to apply for a job for their HUSBAND!!!!
I learned to ask why she was calling...sometimes it was a language barrier, sometimes it was a deaf problem, sometimes the bum was too drunk and she desperately needed him to work. Those were the ones I felt sorry for but I don't hire drunks.
Speaking of wives....I once had a guy quit...he was a small fellow and the job was just too brutally tough on him. I was a slave driving fool back then. As the guy was quitting, I gave him some encouragement and told him that he didn't need to feel bad because there were a lot of guys that hated the job and couldn't handle it either. You gotta love it to do it.
He calmed down a bit and then asked me what he should tell his wife, who was going to be mad at him for quitting. I said..."don't tell her anything...send her in here, I'll tell her". He left and I thought I'd never see him again. The next day he and his wife showed up and I had to explain the whole thing to her! LOL!
That should teach me to open my big mouth....but nooooooo. I never learn.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
I'd guess around 15%
------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
Are you the employer? For what jobs have 15% of the applicants been female?
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
Are you the employer? For what jobs have 15% of the applicants been female?Apprentice green/solar carpenter.We've worked with a few of them. ------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
A green carpenter? What the heck is that?
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
A green carpenter? What the heck is that?A carpenter who builds homes to the certification standards of the NAHB National Green Building Program ot LEED for Homes. What used to be called solar or energy star but has evolved signigficantly over the last eight years.Hottest selling thing in town these days in case you don't read the paper.------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
I do read the paper, but maybe not in your town.I designed and built my first passive solar in 1982-3. We live in another passive I built three years ago. I also built energy efficient homes in the AZ desert back in the late 80s. I have plans to build more passives where we live now.Just never heard the term "green carpenter" before. As you sort of mentioned, these terms come and go.
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
When I was in my twenties, back in the 1960's, and doing remodeling/renovation work there were two women who asked me for work, both of whom I knew through church. I hired each of them whenever I had some painting to do as that was the only skill they could offer.
I was happy to have either or both of them on the job, although it didn't sit very well with my carpenters, one guy in particular.
Those were different times to be sure, when men's and women's work/roles were strongly defined by long standing social boundaries. Those customs have never made any sense to me so I just hired whoever had the skills and was willing to work. As both of those women were able and had postivie attitudes, they were welcome.
I've also worked with women on union carpentry jobs. In every case they've needed a strong male partner to make up for some lack of physical strength, whenever the heavy work came up.
That only presented a problem for me on one job, when I was assigned to work with a woman who felt entitled to be there based on her gender alone. Fortunately for me, the foreman was pretty astute so he switched her and me with another team, putting her with a guy who was about as able as she.
When they got stalled for a couple of days in the same spot, trying to work without the knowledge, capabilities or support they required, the foreman was able to fire them both without causing a problem for anyone else.
Better duck, splintergroupie will be along shortly...........lolNaive but refreshing !
About 10% applied or submitted resumes for apprentice positions. Never had one for a carpenter position.
Edited 1/4/2008 6:13 pm by Hiker
Please tell me if any of your think I'm way off on this, but do you think it would be fair to say that less than 5% of construction job applicants, in the experience of those here, are female?
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
Please tell me if any of your think I'm way off on this, but do you think it would be fair to say that less than 5% of construction job applicants, in the experience of those here, are female?Yes I'd say that's definately true The job sites like mine that are open to women carpenters get way more than normal amount of applicants. My flat work person is a woman by the way. She runs an all male crew but she's in there with the concrete when it's push time and she does all the take-offs and estimating and gets the trucks lined up and the mix right. She runs a very tight ship and is well respected all around this town. ------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
fair to say that less than 5% of construction job applicants
Yes, I'd say that's a fairly accurate estimate based on the info here.
I would hope that the numbers would increase in the next few years but it's doubtful.You can't leave a footprint that lasts if you're always walking on tiptoe. ~ Marion Blakey
I go to the "Green Drinks" networking events put on by the Emerging Green Builders program that is part of LEEDS and the USGBC. The ratio is at least 50-50 at those things. Alot of those are policy makers, building science nerds and architects but there are some in that crowd who are open to building as well. It can be a good place to find employees.M------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
Joe
Around here and down in TX where I spent 3 1/5 years I'd say your 5% is high!
I joke all the time at our morning meetings that we should be looking at a 18 YO(she should be legal) Latino girl for a gopher/apprentice but my boss has said that in all the years he has been in business here in Iowa(approx 20) he has never had a woman apply!
I got around a lot of sites in Austin, TX and I dont recall ever seeing a woman in any of the trades. Saw one that did clean up work with her husband on construction sites but I think they were subs, only there once a week. I'm sure there were some but I never seen any .... and I'm always looking!
So for my money 5% is to high, closer to 2% and that may still be a bit high.
Doug
Thanks for your input!
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
I've had 2 apply out of about 500 in 15 years. One lasted 3 days, the other one about 18 months on the frame crew. She was a great cutman, OK with a hammer, not so good with a gun.
I see some female electricians, plumbers, and trim carps, lots of painters, and know of a 4 woman tape and float crew.
One of my roofer's subs works with his wife, he nails, she humps bundles up the ladder. Last time I saw her it was a 10 pitch, in July, in Texas.
That's a better woman than most men deserve.
And a stronger woman than most women and a large percentage of men!Your experience is similar to mine.
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire