Celebrating International Women's Day
On International Women's Day, we celebrate the achievements of women. But it’s more than a celebration; we challenge status quo. We have asked some of our female leaders to give their take on how they ended up in the building industry and how they experience that it’s a male-dominated industry.
Lene Groth, CHRO of STARK Group, Denmark, 6 years at STARK Group
What does D&I mean at STARK Group?
STARK Group is its people. For us, inclusion is so much more than just valuing diversity – it involves all the things we do to create a culture and workplace where everyone feels valued and respected and can be themselves and reach their full potential. The value of equal opportunity is embedded in the way we do business and retain talent groupwide.
Why is D&I important to STARK Group
Our continued success relies on having a diverse workforce. Diversity and inclusion is key to better business results, accessing top talents, creating innovative solutions, a positive work environment and, in the end, satisfied customers, owners and investors.
How does STARK Group work to enhance D&I
We want to attract, develop, and retain people with different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to support us on our strategic journey. We make a virtue out of having diversity and inclusion as a natural element of any recruitment, hiring and selection activity across the Group. Only by acknowledging and harvesting from different perspectives and experiences, we gain competitive advantages and leverage the effect of diversity for business growth.
How do you see STARK Group’s performance and ongoing work with D&I
Diversity and inclusion is a continuous journey. We are on a path where we want to learn - learn how to do better. It is business critical that we succeed if we want to stay relevant, and the fact that we operate in what some call “a man’s world” only enhances the importance of our continuous work to improve the gender balance, challenge stereotypes and break bias to ensure equality across the Group.
Do you see STARK Group’s initiatives and targets on D&I ambitious enough?
We operate in an industry where only 9% are women, and we want to contribute to increasing this number. We start to see greater female participation at each level of our business, and women account for 22% of our employees and hold 16% of management positions. Objectively, these numbers seem low, but with our high employee loyalty across the Group, a change will happen more gradually.
FEMALE LEADERS IN STARK GROUP
Britta Korre Stenholt, CEO of STARK, Denmark, 6 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
Everything we built has great significance for our lives. Construction sets the framework for where we live, work, are educated, get well and are with our loved ones, and that, I think, is encouraging to contribute to. As a youth, I also dreamed of becoming an architect. I did not become one, but in STARK, I still got the opportunity to work with construction. On the professional side, STARK faced some exciting challenges when I joined, and they were closely related to challenges I had dealt with before. Therefore, I found it interesting to see if my ‘toolbox’ could be used in a completely different industry.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
I never think of myself as a woman when I go to work, just as 'Britta'. Conversely, I experience a positive curiosity from male colleagues in the industry regarding my choice to switch to the construction industry, which traditionally is a male-dominated industry. At first, a few of them expressed scepticism, but I think it was more about my lack of industry knowledge than my gender. In general, I feel extremely well received but I find it awkward that on construction sites, I always get handed a safety vest that is several numbers too large. It’s just one small sign that we still have a long way to go before we have diversity in our business.
Sara Larsson, Branch Manager at Beijer Mölnlycke, Sweden, 16 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
I thought it was a very interesting business with a lot of potential for development. Both for me personally, but also if you look at the whole industry. It has been a great place for me to grow and show my potential as a female, an exciting challenge in this male-dominated industry.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
Most of my colleagues are men, we are only two women at the site at the moment, and we are 16 employees in total. The majority of our customers are men, and people mostly think that women mainly work in the tiles department or as a kitchen/interior salesperson, which isn’t the case. When I entered the Regional Management Team, I was the only woman, but now there are four of us, which is a great development. There are few female Branch Managers in total, but I hope that an increasing amount of women soon will see what a fun and great business this is to work in.
Sisse Fjelsted Rasmussen, CFO of STARK Group, Denmark, 4 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
Firstly, I have always been intrigued by how construction and renovation have such a great impact on our lives. It creates and improves the places we live, work, and play. Every morning, when I walk towards the office, I pass all the craftsmen, and you see how they team up to prepare a solid plan for the day and are ready to go out and build the cities of tomorrow. To me, that is such an inspiring part of this industry. On the more professional side, when I joined STARK Group, it was a company ready to stand on its own feet. I appreciated being professionally challenged through that transformation of an international market-leading company with huge growth potential. I really got energized by the opportunity to have an impact on that exciting journey.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
I have always worked in male-dominated industries. First, as one of very few state authorized accountants and later on, 10 years as CFO in Scandinavian Tobacco Group. So for me, it was actually a change to suddenly have co-female leaders around me at the executive level. A dynamic, I believe, create better business results and decisions as we bring different perspectives to the table. I do see that the industry has started to change, and the number of women in construction is increasing. Unfortunately, the change is just too slow. I believe we can accelerate the development through increased focus on inclusion and the unconscious bias, which we all tend to show and experience in our daily lives.
Nella Liljendahl, Warehouse Manager at STARK Lahri Mukkula, Finland, 4 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
STARK was my first contact with working life through a summer job at the age of 18. I immediately loved the varied and versatile warehouse work and the relaxed atmosphere in customer service. This was the start of my journey: During the years, I have grown from a summer worker to a warehouse manager and team leader.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
The construction industry is still very male-dominated. Around 300 out of 1100 Finnish employees are women, and it is a privilege to be part of the journey to increase the number of women in our company.
It is also empowering to act in a supervisor role in a male-dominated industry and to be a role model in the sense that every line of work is also possible for a woman. However, it still raises some bewilderment amongst some customers that a woman works in a warehouse, saws, and drives a forklift, but I hope that it will be the “new normal” one day.
Britta Susanne Bundgaard, Branch Manager at STARK Aabybro, Denmark, 19 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
There have always been most men in my workplaces – and that has never worried me, I feel comfortable. I am also married to a craftsman, and both of our boys work in my husband's construction company, so at home, at the dinner table, the conversations are always on construction and renovation. Further, I find it incredibly exciting to be part of the entire construction process, from the first sod to finally putting the key in the finished result.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
The construction industry has always been male-dominated. In the past, women in the industry have almost been looked down upon. Fortunately, that has changed. However, the change is just too slow. Women have just as much insight into construction as men and often see things from a different perspective. Therefore, an effort must be made to get more women in the construction industry. Unfortunately, there are still far too few female bricklayers and carpenters. And for that matter also too few women in our own Group. But something is starting to happen, and I look forward to seeing how the gender balance will be in the construction industry in five years.
Minna Markkula, Ecommerce Branch Manager at STARK HQ, Finland, 38 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
My first employer was an agency representing construction materials and did business with STARK. Through that, I learned a lot about the industry. I have always loved renovating and building, so it seemed a good choice for a career – I came to stay and have worked in several different jobs and responsibility areas.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
The industry has been very male-dominated, but I have not experienced it in any negative way. Men are fair co-workers. However, it delights me that the number of women in the industry is increasing, and I hope it continues that way. I see and also meet more female customers today: They are entrepreneurs, builders, and construction workers, you name it. I think this is a great development!
Carmen Brönner, Branch Manager at Raab Karcher Frankfurt, Germany, 1 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
My grandparents owned an excavation and demolition company. Even as a lawyer and sales representative, I ended up back in the construction industry - because of love: My husband ran a building materials branch. Here I found the perfect combination of everything I wanted and stuck with it - also with the love.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
I don't notice it so much because I grew up with it: Women have always been active in the construction industry, but mostly in the offices or family companies, less in the front. However, more and more women are entering the construction industry as it is an interesting and innovative industry.
Aina Qvarfell, Warehouse Sales at Beijer Östersund, Sweden, 1 year at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
My mother works at Beijer and mentioned that they were searching for employees to the warehouse, so I applied and got the job working by the hour. I really enjoyed the work, and after only a few months, I got a full-time job in the warehouse. Three other male employees applied for the job, but I was the one ending up with the position. The job suits me very well, as you get to be very active and learn something new every day.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
It's primarily men who come into the branch. When we serve our customers, and I have a guy next to me, they always ask him first. When you are helping out male customers, some of them look at you a bit crookedly because you are a woman in a male-dominated industry, but after helping them out with what they need, heavy or light products, you see that they are a little surprised after all.
Maria Johanne Mathiassen, Sales Consultant at Neumann Finnsnes, Norway, 5 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
My dad is a carpenter, and I have always wanted to work in the same "industry". An industry where there are high ceilings suits me well.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
The first year was challenging. I had some trouble getting to fully understand and know men and the different ways of working. But now after five years, I think it’s great and I could not imagine a different work environment.
Melanie Sorg, Head of Accounting at STARK HQ, Germany, 1 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
First and foremost, it was important for me to develop my professional career in a trading company. As a tech-savvy and down-to-earth do-it-yourself person, I like the challenge of the digital modernization of our company.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
At the beginning of my job, I felt a bit like a "stranger". For some colleagues, it was unusual to work with a woman on a team. However, I see that we are growing together, and it is becoming more common. From my point of view, there should be no gender discrimination in any professional environment, and we should treat each other with respect. Everyone should see the positive effects of diversity in a team. A diverse team brings a wide range of approaches and thus demonstrably increases a company's creativity and ability to be innovative.
Saz Lilian, Sales Manager at Neumann Sandviken, Norway, 2 years at STARK Group
What brought you into the building/construction industry?
My career in the construction industry started in February 2010 at Byggmakker. I didn’t have much experience, but I have always had a passion for creating beautiful homes. I had to go through other industries before it became clear that I was created to work in the construction industry. After being employed in other industries, I came back to the construction industry with a job at Megaflis. One of my colleagues, Eivind Rio, left Megaflis for a job as Warehouse Manager at Neumann Bygg, and he contacted me about a position he wanted me in. This was almost too good to be true, was my immediate thought, but I was so lucky to get the job at the world's best workplace. I haven’t looked back ever since, and I look forward to every single day with wonderful colleagues and customers.
How do you experience that it’s a male-dominated industry?
At the very beginning in Byggmakker, I got to know some older craftsmen who would not talk to me due to experience and gender for sure. I simply had to live with that, but I'm stubborn, and I acquired knowledge by listening to colleagues and finding out for myself, such as contact with suppliers. Eventually, I could actually prove gender has nothing to say when you can provide the correct information, offer great service and be humble when there’s something you do not know at the moment – but make an effort to figure it out. I have a genuine interest for this industry, both privately and professionally. Few things taste as good as offering and delivering complete "solutions" to satisfied customers!
