Welcome to Women in Construction Week: Part 2! Learn more about the projects, initiatives and technologies these three women have implemented within their company and communities.
HR Generalist, Manatt’s Inc.
For 13 years, Jamie has contributed her talents to Manatt’s and enjoys working side by side with family. In the past 3 years, Jamie has contributed to hiring over 450 employees, and has found success in retaining those employees through small group and interactive training. Her efforts have led to lower incident rates, fewer employment claims and higher engagement in all departments of Manatt’s.
Jamie attributes her success at Manatt’s to her positive outlook. She continually looks for opportunities to bring value to her position.
I love the variety my job provides. From working in the corporate office to working in the field, I get a daily reminder of why we spend a lifetime making the world a better place. By teaching leaders the value of assuming positive intent as well as building a more robust hiring process, we have learned to find value in everyone here at Manatt’s. Rather than focusing conversations on whether women or men can do something, I’ve always found it more successful to focus on what each of us bring to a process or activity.– Jamie Edelen
Jamie is an active member of youth development programs and fundraises through Kiwanis and Bear Bags. Keep up the great work at Manatt’s and your community, Jamie! We’re proud to work with you!
Talent Manager in the HR Group, Big-D Construction
Meet Becky Robinson, Talent Manager in the Human Resources group at Big-D Construction. She loves the dedication and talent of the Big-D crew, and the opportunities to learn in the ever-evolving field of construction. Becky has worked at Big-D for 4 years, and in that time, she’s implemented some big ideas.
Each year, Big-D recognizes female employees for their contributions in an event called “Women Thinking Big.” The vision of this event is to not only celebrate women at Big-D, but to motivate more women to pursue careers in the construction industry. Big-D initiated “Career Tracks” to help employees move through the ranks into leadership positions. Through this program, several dedicated female employees are now in leadership positions at Big-D. Becky has been instrumental in advocating for these programs to empower women at Big-D and the construction industry in general. She also works with local colleges and universities to encourage women to take construction management courses as part of their degrees.
Becky has helped spearhead several community initiatives like Christmas in July and Project Elf, which provide gifts and necessities to families in need.
She suggests that women interested in construction should learn the lingo to build confidence, and not be afraid to roll up their sleeves to get the job done.
There is something empowering when you see a woman rolling up her sleeves at a jobsite.– Becky Robinson
Thank you for empowering women at Big-D and your community, Becky! You are inspirational!
HR Manager, MYCON General Contractors, Inc.
Meet Diana Hume, HR Manager at MYCON General Contractors, Inc. Diana has been with MYCON for two years and has learned a lot about the construction industry in that time. She’s found MYCON employees to be among the most genuine, hardest workers she’s met throughout her career.
Diana’s commitment to fostering a “Best in Class” workplace is evident in the new programs and initiatives she’s introduced at MYCON. She’s supported MYCON’s growth from 80 to 135 employees in two years and has implemented new onboarding and training processes to develop those new hires. Diana has also worked to create a formal internship program, partnering colleges and universities with construction management programs to give students a taste of the construction industry. This program has had so much success that interns have returned to apply for full-time positions with MYCON.
Diana’s advice for women in the construction industry? Build trust, develop thick skin and be sure to enjoy a little bit of wine!
A huge thank you to our Women in Construction Week featured customers! Your stories are inspirational and prove just how important women are in the construction industry. For more information on Women in Construction Week, please visit www.nawic.org.