This Company Cares About Gender Intelligence Spotlight on adidas

This Company Cares About Gender Intelligence Spotlight on adidas When you think of adidas you probably think of sports, right? Women in tech, not so muchlet alone an entire initiative on Gender Intelligence. Time to meet Amy Wick, the newly implanted senior director of U.S. product operations at adidas, who welches sent to the companys headquarters in Germany recently for a unique new program on Gender Intelligence, or understanding the differences between men and women and how they make decisions, solve problems, and communicate. It was tzu siche that she learned about her current position in product operations via a circle of female mentors who encouraged her to throw her hat in the ring.The opportunities adidas have given me are tremendous and I am so thankful. The people, the legacy. I wont forget that they gave me this chance and I intend to pay it forward.Though Amy has been working for the company for 15 years, she began her whole new professional path on the product operation s team after serving at the intersection of geschftsleben solutions and IT for well over a decade. She even moved across the country from Massachusetts to Oregon to pursue this new experience. Although trepidatious about the change at first, the support of those at adidas around her proved to be the ultimate impetus.ITwasnt what I studied in college and I didnt want to be stale in my thinking or in my approach to my job. I left my team ready. The team was ready to step up. Everyone has their own journey. Its always worth trying something. In fact, this position Im in now - my current manager is also female, and the two people who held this role before me were also women. Strong female leaders who I aspire to be like.Along with her growing career, Amy discussed how her views on gender in the workplace have evolved. Education on gender is absolutely necessary in the workplace. We can be so biased without even knowing it, says Amy. The more we talk about it and acknowledge it is really important. Im glad adidas has recognized it and put a team in place. Hopefully in the future we wont even have to talk about it.As a kid, I didnt consider gender as an obstacle, Amy continues. I was raised to work hard, but that was a bit naive on my part. Whats important is to talk about gender and biases and to talk about masculine or feminine traits. The Gender Intelligence program is critical to adidas growth in the future. Its a sustainable way to keep us going.With all that adidas has given her and others, personally and professionally, Amy wouldnt dream of working anywhere else.I live in the moment, and this is exactly where I need to be right now. One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction i ndustry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an exce llent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or litera l) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.