Building Diversity in the Construction Industry: Examining Hiring and Performance Evaluation Practices for Equipment Operators under the Trend of Technology Transformation

Abstract

The construction industry has been male-dominated for a long time and has struggled with diversity and inclusion in the workforce, especially for construction equipment operators with only 2.7% of women. Meanwhile, the construction industry is also currently facing the emergence of new technologies such as construction robots. This trend may offer new opportunities for increasing diversity and inclusion in the workforce, but it also poses the risk of exacerbating existing inequities without a well-designed transformation process of hiring and performance evaluation. This study aims to examine the current state of hiring and performance evaluation practices for equipment operators and identify the barriers and challenges to creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce, especially in the context of the incorporation of construction robots. Specifically, through content analysis of job posters and a series of interviews with industry professionals, this study identifies the reasons that prevent women from entering this occupation, the existing barriers, and the potential impacts of emerging technology adoptions on workforce diversity. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for the construction industry to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the technology transformation process.