thales group international womens day

thales group international womens day International Womens Day, organized across the world on March 8, is an opportunity for Thales to highlight its commitment to the employment, development and engagement of women in the company. This year, within the Group, over 50 events are taking place in mora than 20 countries. At Thales, diversity and inclusion are both key to foster creativity and innovation through a greater variety of approaches, perspectives and ideas.Follow Thales on PowerToFly to be the first to receive updates on any and all opportunities. 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 industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likel y 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 1000000 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 excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develo p 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 hig hest-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 literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

Guy Kawasakis Small Businesses Tips to Cultivate Enchantment

Guy Kawasakis Small Businesses Tips to Cultivate EnchantmentGuy Kawasakis Small Businesses Tips to Cultivate EnchantmentGuy Kawasakis Small Businesses Tips to Cultivate Enchantment Blaszczyk, Managing Editor, Resource CenterAuthor, Silicon Valley venture capitalist, small business-evangelist and blogger, former Apple chief evangelistGuy Kawasaki is a force de la nature. His latest book, Enchantment The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions(Portfolio, 2011) outlines the steps to enchant customers, employees and your babo.Kawasaki argues that in business and rolleal interactions, the goal is elend merely to get what you want but to bring about a voluntary, enduring, and delightful change in other people.He offered his insights on how small businesses can cultivate enchantment.Monster Your latest books title, Enchantment, is an interesting choice of words. It brings to mind the idea of authenticity. Does what youre advocating lie somewhere between the two?Kawasaki Enchantment is bey ond authenticity. People who are enchanting are authentic, but not all authentic people are enchanting. For example, a person could be an authentic jerk, if you know what I mean. Enchanting people are both likable and trustworthy, and authenticity is a building block of trustworthiness.Monster You recommend that small businesses define their companys purpose as a means to drive employee satisfaction. Can that purpose be similar to those found in large companies?Kawasaki Purpose is purpose. There is no reason why a small businesss purpose cannot be as lofty as a large company nor, frankly, that a large businesss purpose cannot be as lofty as one from a small business. If anything, large businesses should emulate small businesses more than vice versa. The problem with the stated purposes of large businesses is that the words are usually crafted by marketing people and outside agencies. That is, defining the purpose is an exercise in marketing spin, not a true definition of the reason an organization exists.Monster You also recommend that employers set clear goals for employees and give them the autonomy to do the right thing. Can an employer expect all their employees to be capable of doing so?Kawasaki It would be naive to assume that all employees are capable of doing so, but its also stupid to manage a company for the lowest common denominator. An organization should believe that employees are good until proven bad actually proven bad at least two times because everyone makes mistakes.Im sure people can come up with horror stories of over-empowering employees, but the cure is worse than the cause, because when management distrusts employees, a downward spiral towards mediocrity occurs. On the other hand, when management trusts and empowers employees, the employees usually rise to the occasion. At the moment youre hiring someone, if you dont think you can empower the person, then you shouldnt hire the person anyway.Monster You lay out some tough love for empl oyers on how they should treat employees, including Judge yourself by what youve accomplished and others by what they intended. Why is this principle important for small business owners?Kawasaki I learned this lesson the hard way because I used to judge people who worked for me too harshly and without understanding the totality of what was going on in their lives. This principle is important for small-business owners because there usually arent layers and layers of management and years and years of practice at supervision. The owner has to embody this attitude for the organization and set the right values to remain in place as the small business grows.Monster You cite authors Bob Suttons list of the twelve beliefs of good bosses.Do bad bosses in small companies commit the same sins as those in bigger companies? Are the consequences the same?Kawasaki mora or less, a bad boss is a bad boss regardless of the size of the organization. The consequences are not the same, though. If you sc rew up in a big company, you get a huge severance package. If you screw up in a small company, you get the boot. Ive never understood the theory of severance packages for screwing up.Monster You talk about wooing employees not just job candidates and consistently telling them how much theyre valued. Is this a crucial practice for small companies?Kawasaki First, the most powerful way to enchant employees is to provide a MAP. M stands for mastery that is, a way to master new skills on the job. A stands for autonomy so that employees can master new skills while working autonomously and not be micro-managed. Finally, P stands for purpose. Employees love to master new skills in autonomous positions while working towards an organization with a high purpose such as making the world a better place.Telling employees that you appreciate them is also valuable too. Its even more valuable in a recession because in a recession theres less money to pass around as motivation and as a management team. A recession is a very interesting time because it takes real troopers to perform when the going is tough. Anyone can look good when times are booming.More on EnchantmentGuys Realistic Enchantment Aptitude test (GREAT)Enchantment Media Resources