At MCG Construction we're proud to have an inclusive and diverse workforce. This week (7 - 13 March) we join the national Women in Construction campaign to shine the light on our fantastic female colleagues and get to know some of them a little better.
Name: Niamh Mulchrone
Job title: Team Manager
How long have you been working in construction? 13 years
What was your first role in construction and when? Started with McGinley Support Services (before we rebranded to MCG Construction) as a Resourcer for the Trades & Labour team.
Have you noticed more women working within construction since you started? Yes definitely, when I first started, I worked in a very male dominated environment. My colleagues, clients and candidates were predominately male. If I spoke to women, they were generally in an admin role, but I now employ women in trades and labour. There are far more ladies in the office and out on site these days.
How did your friends/family react to you choosing construction as your career? I have grown up with an Irish background where my family and friends all know someone who has a Trade and works in construction. So, it was not a big surprise that I chose to recruit for the construction sector.
Have you ever felt daunted by being in a male dominated industry? Going on site visits was initially daunting, as you can often be a lone female going on to a site full of men, but I have always been made to feel very welcome and even encouraged to return regularly.
Did you have any pre-conceptions about the construction industry? When I first started in this job there was probably still a pre-conception that women did not have a trade and did not work on site in a construction sense. They may have been an assistant or work behind the scenes but not have been involved in the actual build of a project or had a presence on site. This is how it used to be, but I have been in a position to see this change over the years and women in construction is a more common sight now. For myself, it has been a case of working hard, learning the specifics of what is required from construction sites, being consistent and proving that I am more than capable of working alongside my male colleagues.
Where do you aim to be in 5/10 years’ time? Where are your aspirations within construction? Help towards MCG’s reputation of being a renowned company for supplying a good workforce to construction companies.
What do you enjoy the most about your job? Getting good reliable workers for my clients and them being kept on the job for a longer duration. I also enjoy the relationships that I have built up over the years with my workers and clients.
Can you describe a typical day at work? Who you work alongside, your main responsibilities, the tasks you have to complete that day etc Start 7.30am, call all new starters for the day, check they are on site, speak to clients, resource candidates for new client requirements, go on site visits, meet the client for updates etc, register new candidates and deal with any queries. Then I’ll be regularly catching up with my colleagues/ team and helping them with any issues.
