It’s #InternationalWomensDay – meet Rebecca Hodgson

Rebecca is our National Office Manager, so she’s responsible for making sure our staff follow our administrative protocol and are working as efficiently as they can to support our operations and our customers.

We spoke to Rebecca this week for insights on her career to date, and her thoughts on why more women than ever are deciding to enter our industry.

How did you get into your current role, Rebecca?

It kind of happened by chance! I’d been working in customer-facing jobs for many years before I decided I wanted a new challenge. I was drawn to Environtec’s job ad and decided to go for their Contracts Administrator position. I was promoted to Office Manager at what was then the Mansfield office, and 2 years ago, I was offered a new role as National Office Manager.

What do you enjoy the most about working at Environtec?

I love visiting our multiple offices across the UK and supporting everyone on site. I also like the fact that I am a woman working in what is traditionally a very male-dominated environment. But things are changing.

What do you mean by that?

Since I started at Environtec in 2018, I’ve definitely seen more women coming into the sector. I think a lot of people hear the word ‘surveyor’, for example, and immediately think it’s a man’s task – but women do seem to be more open to applying for these roles now. As a company, we have recently taken on a couple of female site staff, which is a great step forward. I’m even seeing more female staff in our labs. When I first started here, I used to look around and think, I’m one of the only women here – but that certainly isn’t the case anymore.  

Why do you think perceptions of women in the construction industry are changing?

I think there’s more representation, which makes girls think that, actually, they CAN thrive in a career in this space. I’ve certainly come across more women in leadership roles when talking to our clients, too, so it’s clear that construction is not just a man’s arena anymore. These ladies are getting the respect they deserve for their skills, and they’re able to just get on their jobs without the same prejudices as maybe 20 or 30 years ago.

That said, I also think it’s important that we encourage more men into the administrative workforce. Admin has always been typically seen as a women’s job, so I’m personally trying to challenge this by balancing out our team. We’ve got to a point now where our Central admin staff is almost 50% male and 50% female. Equality works both ways and we should be encouraging people to go into roles that suit their skillsets, regardless of their gender.

What do you like to get up to outside of work?

The usual things, really – seeing family and friends, getting out on walks, and going to the gym as often as I can. I’ll be honest, I do love to binge-watch a good TV series, too!