Flexibility, Allyship and Women’s Careers in Construction

18 Mar

Written By The Equality Conversation

With Paula Chandler, Design Director at Wates

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Episode #63: Flexibility, Allyship and Women’s Careers in Construction with Paula Chandler

Series 9, Episode #63, Wednesday 18 March 2026

In this episode, Joy Burnford is joined by Paula Chandler, Design Director at Wates, to explore women’s careers in the construction industry. Paula shares her perspective on the barriers women can face, the powerful role of allies and advocates, and why flexible working and moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach can help build stronger, more inclusive workplaces.

Soundbites

“We've got some incredible, amazing female talent in the construction industry. What we want to do is make sure that we can inspire them to great things and catch hold of that talent in every possible way that we can for the progress of the industry.”
“Some of my biggest advocates and supporters have been men who have either recognised something in me or wanted to support me to realise my potential.”
“Flexible working is essentially striking the right balance between professional needs and personal needs, making sure that the business thrives as a result, that you've agreed with the team, you're part of that in that team, and you will honour your obligations. That's fundamental. The way that we work these days has shifted. We've got used to spending more time with our families but we've got to strike that balance between being productive and impactful in our work working lives as well.”
“There's always plates to spin, but you need to carve out the arrangement that works best for you. Businesses will get the most out of their people if they trust them to do the right thing and it's not a one size fits all approach. It has to be tailored.”
“Stop treating every single person like they're a carbon copy of each other, because that doesn't work. Trying to apply rules of engagement to one person that is experiencing a life outside of work completely different to another, is setting us up to fail. If we want to leverage all of the success and the benefit that can be gleaned from a equitable, diverse, inclusive population, then we need to realise that the one size fits all model does not work.”
“What we need to do is embrace the individualisation of people, embrace the talent that they bring in all the different range of forms that that might take. We're not all props and we're not all wingers, but the blend of all those different talents and skills, will achieve something greater than the sum of its parts. You feel it. If you've got five people in a room all thinking the same, all dressed the same, all with the same outlook, compared to five people who are hitting a problem from different angles, you get a richer solution in that latter model than in the in the former.”

Keywords

Gender equality, flexible working, construction industry, women's careers, inclusion, leadership, STEM returners, armed forces, elite sports, Premiership Women's Rugby, diversity, fair hiring, talent retention, workplace culture, employee networks.