How BSC Industry Has Changed For Women

Women are really making a difference in the building service contracting industry.

While it wasn’t always this way, in the past few decades women have made huge strides to become successful BSCs and leaders in the community. We asked several women from BSCAI to reflect on their journeys in this industry, as well as what advice they’d give to a young woman just starting in the field.

Nathalie Doobin, president and CEO of Harvard Services Group, BSCAI treasurer

How have you seen the industry change for women since you started?

I joined the industry in 2012 and since then, I have seen two significant changes for women of the cleaning industry: 1) More companies want to recruit women for client-facing positions, partly because the real estate and property management world has more women, and 2) For women looking for career growth and networking, they can now access the ISSA Hygieia Network and its industry mentorship program. Mentors are a critical part of both professional and personal development.

In fact, a 2017 study by professional services firm Egon Zehnder found that only 54 percent of women have access to senior leaders that act as mentors or informal sponsors in their career. Especially in male dominated professions, where women often face even greater challenges building networks and embracing feminine leadership strengths, mentoring has proven even more paramount.

What advice would you give a young woman starting out in the field?

Get involved with organizations such as BSCAI where you can get a deeper understanding of your business, but also work on your financial acumen, your resilience and a good understanding of “people.” Seeking mentorship such as the Hygieia Network can also help. Goal setting to set expectations early will increase the mentorship potential success rate. Because trust is a necessary component of productive mentorships, fit is very important and should not be taken lightly.

Terell Weg, CBSE, president of MSNW Group LLC, BSCAI Board of Directors

How have you seen the industry change for women since you started?

There are more women in the industry than ever before. I remember being fresh out of college and going on bid walks and literally being the only woman there. Today when we do bid walks, most of the time one-third of the crowd are women. It’s a big improvement over the last decade.

What advice would you give a young woman starting out in the field?

Find a mentor, soak up all the information you can, become an expert in something, dig into industry events, and get connected. The more connections you have, the more you’ll grow as an individual. The peer-to-peer relationships I’ve built over the past 15 years through BSCAI have been instrumental in the development of my career and knowing the path I want to be on. And there are so many other local peer groups you can join, too. Our industry is vast, and there are so many opportunities to have an edge — you just have to discover what that is for you. Find your passion, then study it, own it, and make it known!

 

next page of this article:
Mentoring, Support Groups For Women More Prevalent