The first time I went to a plumbing trade show it was blindingly obvious that I was wading through a sea of white men. In previous columns, I have advocated for engaging women in the trades and now is the time to address the other half of the equation — advocating for racial diversity.
My anecdotal evidence from trade shows is supported by statistics. Black Americans comprise roughly 14 percent of the population, the largest racial minority in the United States. And while Hispanic or Latino workers — the largest ethnic minority — make up 27.3 percent of workers in the construction trades, black Americans are estimated to represent closer to 6 percent of this workforce. As a percent of the population, black Americans are underrepresented in our trades. This phenomenon isn’t limited to the construction trades, though.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for black Americans is nearly twice that of white Americans across all occupations. Yet the workforce participation rate between black and white populations is less than a percentage point, so willingness or ability to work isn’t the problem.
Data, and a simple logic leap, explains that black Americans want to work but have a harder time getting hired and/or there is a skills gap.
Meanwhile, the plumbing trade is facing a workforce development shortage that we are all well aware of by now. Say it with me — we need 138,000 workers by 2022. These potential workers — regardless of race, gender, color, or creed — need training. There isn’t a magical fountain of trained plumbers and a wide open field of opportunity stands to broaden the pool of candidates.
As we work to overcome this gap we must ask ourselves, “Who are we not engaging?” Are there motivated, underemployed workforce participants available that we are failing to make aware of, and include in, the opportunity our industry represents? The above statistics point to yes.
How we hire, where we find candidates, the opportunities we give to employees, the culture we create and all the other tiny decisions around employment shape who comes through our doors. If we want the landscape to change, we must be willing to change.
Here are a few factors to be aware of:
Hiring Manager’s Internal Bias
Former President George W. Bush recently said, “Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions.” This is perhaps never more true than in hiring.
Whether you think of yourself as racist (does anyone?), indifferent, or an advocate, every person makes judgments of others based on first impressions. We do this without thought or intention and the reasons are complex. Based on a blend of stereotypes, personal history, and cultural exposure, we decide, we judge, and we treat people based on our perceptions.
When these knee-jerk reactions happen during the hiring process they are called internal biases. When acting as a hiring manager, we have to teach ourselves to separate what we actually know about the candidate from what we assume to be true.
There are entire articles and books written about hiring bias, which goes well beyond race. If you want to double-check your hiring process for fairness and best practice, this topic is a great place to start.
Opportunity Roadblocks
It wasn’t very long ago — and in some cases it is still common — for both union and non-union plumbing shops to work akin to a fraternal order. You see generations of (traditionally) men following their fathers and grandfathers into a trade. In my own organization, we love to crow about third- and fourth-generation apprentices. It’s a point of pride. Yet this family dynamic doesn’t breed diversity. It’s literally the opposite, in fact.
That’s not to say you should turn these excellent candidates away. But consider that generational apprentices get their foot in the door partly because they are aware of the excellent pay, benefits, and opportunities available to them in plumbing. They understand the path to trade success, because it was modeled for them.
Google data indicates that there are over 1,000 searches every month for the phrase “how to become a plumber” so don’t take for granted that everyone understands how to join the plumbing trade.
Educating the public — those not in that fraternal order — about the excellent opportunities in our industry is not someone else’s job. It’s mine and it’s yours. It’s the responsibility of everyone in this industry to get that word out.
That might mean stepping outside of your comfort zone and into trade advocacy. Get involved with workforce development discussions in your community, talk at public schools, or participate in job fairs. Make an effort to be present at events that reach a wide and diverse audience.
Historical and Systemic Barriers
Any candidate starting fresh as an apprentice has a long ladder to climb toward success. Sometimes, there are a lot more rungs to that ladder for minorities.
It isn’t surprising, given the barriers to good paying jobs, that black Americans are three times more likely to live in poverty than white Americans. The cycle of poverty creates more roadblocks in and of itself.
For instance, black Americans are statistically more likely to have been incarcerated and are less likely to have access to reliable transportation. In fact, one in every 15 black men will be incarcerated in his lifetime compared to one in every 106 white men. Yet 69 percent of violent crime offenders are white.
Should criminal history exclude a person from the workforce for the rest of their life? Does the nature of the crime matter? To make a blanket statement of “yes” or “no” without giving it second thought is idealistic and perhaps unrealistic thinking.
In many cases, both transportation and criminal history affect employment eligibility. Small-business owners who are unsure and lack confidence with HR law tend to take broad stances on complicated issues. When it comes to background checks, it seems safer and easier to say zero tolerance and to write someone off from the beginning. But is that lawful or right?
The current climate is leaning toward “no.” More states are “banning the box” — preventing employers from asking about felony offenses on applications. Other states limit background checks to a seven-year period. It is important to know your local laws and decide what is right for your business.
Transportation, on the other hand, is a temporary logistical problem and should be treated as such. Treat these pre-employment screening concerns with dignity and don’t let them overshadow other, more positive, traits.
For many people of color these barriers aren’t just adding rungs to the ladder, but keeping them from ever starting the climb. We don’t have to like these realities, be comfortable with them, or solve them by ourselves. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have the conversation and revisit our own policies to see if we can give someone the opportunity to climb.
An Accidental Culture
There are documented cases of double standards for black workers in the trades. Expectations were demonstrated to be higher than that of white workers in the same position. Once employed in construction trades, black workers may have to work harder and outperform their white peers in order to get the opportunities and respect automatically provided to others. There go biases rearing their ugly head again.
Without even trying, many plumbing companies fall into what has been called a “culture of whiteness” largely driven by the fraternal nature of plumbing shops I discussed earlier. The industry is historically white and historically insular creating an accidental cultural identity.
Be careful not to assume that a lack of overt racism within earshot of supervisors is the same thing as racial inclusivity in your company. As a woman, I can attest to the fact that there are many subtle ways a person can be made to feel separate, unwelcome, uncomfortable or untrusted. If you’re going to have a zero tolerance policy for anything, it should be racism in any form — casual, hostile or jocular. If you stay passive in this, you are participating. It is important to set the tone and provide training where appropriate.
The lack of minority workers in plumbing is present at all levels but is most apparent in leadership — managers, foremen, and business ownership. As hiring managers, those of us in charge have to make an effort to be inclusive. We have to stand by minority workers and create a workplace that welcomes them as equals. Racism, both overt and subtle, must be stopped in its tracks.
Data shows that the 6 percent of black Americans who do work in the trades are typically laborers. Very few are able to rise in the ranks to journeyman or beyond. Again, the data shows a bias that isn’t easy to explain away.
A Final Word
There is no single answer to our workforce development problem, so every possible solution should be considered. It’s easy to sit there and say to yourself, “I don’t care what color skin they have if they can do the work!” The reality though, is that if the diversity of your staff doesn’t actually reflect that, you have an opportunity to engage. My own organization has room to improve and we are taking these same steps.
I believe in the opportunities of this trade, the importance of it, and the value we bring to our communities. As shepherds of the plumbing industry, we have jobs to fill and future plumbers to train. No stone can remain unturned in the search for talent and that might call for some change in tactic.
Man, woman, black, white, or other — there is room if we allow it.
About the Author
Anja Smith is managing partner for All Clear Plumbing in Greenville, South Carolina. She can be reached at anja@acpupstate.com.
