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Have you watched or listened to CITB’s Beyond the Build podcast?
The series dives into the big issues affecting employers from across our sector – from mental health and wellbeing to diversity and industry culture – going beyond the usual conversations around skills and training.
Through engaging discussions, the series aims to raise awareness and reflect the realities of those working in construction.
Episode six sees Sophie Seddon-Hall, from Novus Property Solutions, and CITB’s Deb Madden discuss Industry Culture within construction:
- How do we define ‘culture’ in our industry?
- Is culture always better in large businesses?
- Is construction’s culture unique?
Sophie defines culture as the unwritten rules and behaviours within an organisation, noting construction's distinctive teamwork ethic and the sector's many interdependent stakeholders. Whilst acknowledging construction shares high-pressure traits with sectors like logistics and manufacturing, she highlights the industry's diverse thinking and strong family business presence as genuinely unique features.
The co-hosts discuss whether culture originates from leadership or the shop floor, agreeing it's a combination, with regional subcultures often emerging under local site management. They also highlight that culture isn't determined by business size, but rather by what an organisation is trying to achieve - and that good culture is essential for attraction and retention.
Sophie notes real progress on inclusivity but warns of growing fatigue around diversity conversations without visible action. Championing neurodiversity's contribution to problem-solving in construction, she calls for better sharing of good practice between large contractors and smaller subcontractors, alongside rebuilding lost community structures, particularly for lone workers facing rising mental health struggles.
Watch every episode of CITB’s Beyond the Build series.
Visit: www.citb.co.uk/news/updates-insights-and-stories/watch-citb-s-beyond-the-build-podcast-series →
