Diversity, inclusion still needed to recruit and retain construction workers, finds U of Toronto researcher

TORONTO — Diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, has become a corporate buzzword in recent years.

But as Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia found, incorporating DEI principles in the construction industry could have some valuable benefits, including better recruitment and retention of workers, higher career satisfaction, and better overall mental health in the workplace.

That’s based on the results of a recent study undertaken by a team of researchers led by the occupational therapist, who’s also an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

“I think the landscape internationally has changed in lots of places, geopolitically, and as a result, DEI may not be as much in fashion, but it’s very much needed, and the research continues to substantiate it,” Nowrouzi-Kia said while presenting at CROSHCon on Jan. 23.

The virtual research day is hosted annually by CROSH, the Centre of Research in Occupational Safety and Health at Laurentian University.

“In this particular sector, it’s important for recruitment and retention. It’s also important for workplace performance, for career satisfaction, for civil discourse, respect, and lots of other outcomes, and, naturally, it’s good for [workers’] health.”

A graduate of Sudbury’s Laurentian University, Nowrouzi-Kia now leads the Rehabilitation Sciences through Occupational Research and Engagement (ReSTORE) lab at the University of Toronto, where they assess risk and develop interventions to create healthy workplaces.

In the study, Nowrouzi-Kia worked in partnership with the Ontario Electrical League to examine skilled trades employers’ and workers’ perspectives of DEI in the workplace and its impact on mental health and wellbeing.

“Some of the challenges in this sector … is that it is relatively masculinized. There’s more men than women in the trade. It’s been fairly resistant to integration and inclusion of other perspectives. That’s the evidence from the literature,” he said.

“So experiences and research substantiates people having experiences of sexism, age discrimination, gender discrimination.”

For the qualitative study, the research team questioned 52 people in the industry, during interviews that lasted 45 to 60 minutes, he said.

They represented a wide range of ages and experience, from apprentices to long-time business owners, small to medium-sized businesses, and rural and urban dwellers, including those in Northern Ontario.

Ultimately, those who volunteered were predominantly white, European, North American and mostly male, which Nowrouzi-Kia acknowledged is a limitation of the study.

Participants reported that sexism and biased beliefs about underrepresented groups were “quite prevalent” in the organizations they worked in, and certain work opportunities were simply “out of reach” for underrepresented groups.

“As human beings, we naturally gravitate to our networks and those that we know,” Nowrouzi-Kia said, “but you could be missing out on a significant talent pool that could augment your workplace and enhance worker productivity.”

Leadership involvement was extremely important to building DEI culture in the workplace, participants noted, and having DEI principles in place actually helped retain workers and elevated the organization’s reputation.

“So, people were more likely to stay in workplaces that adhere to that diversity, adhere to that equity and inclusion, and it actually kept workers staying in a particular workplace,” he added.

Rather than focus just on the challenges, Nowrouzi-Kia also wanted to explore strategies to help promote DEI in the workplace.

Participants suggested that more early career opportunities are needed, particularly for apprentices and those in underrepresented groups.

They also said that employers need to be part of the DEI discussion and recognize diverse perspectives in the workplace.

Mental health resources and a peer support system should also be available to support workers’ mental health, participants said.

“We’ve heard that there is no mental health concern [in the construction industry], although the skilled trades, in particular in the construction sector, report higher than national averages across a variety of mental health outcomes, including suicide, depression and so forth,” Nowrouzi-Kia said.

ReSTORE’s small study is really just “scratching the surface” of this issue, Nowrouzi-Kia said. As they continue the work, he’d like to get more participation from underrepresented groups, including women, newcomers to Canada, Indigenous workers, and those living in northern, rural or remote regions.

Nowrouzi-Kia acknowledged that some people may be hesitant to participate out of concern that their employment could be impacted. However, he emphasized that no identifying information about participants is shared, and full confidentiality is assured.

A workplace culture that prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion won’t happen overnight, he noted, and more study is needed.

But as construction in the country gears up, building more homes and large infrastructure projects, this work is welcomed.

“As we move forward, and as our team and our lab continues to work in the skilled trades and the construction sector across Ontario, we have to recognize that there are deep issues that are not only at the individual level, but also systemic,” he said, “meaning that workplaces and the culture itself has to be studied much more carefully, and we have to look at approaches to ameliorate workplace mental health.”