Member Article

BARRATT MANCHESTER SALES DIRECTOR BECOMES AN AMBASSADOR FOR DIVERSITY

In 1928 the Equal Franchise Act was passed, giving all women equal voting rights with men. Almost a century later, Barratt Homes Manchester’s Sales Director is striving for increased representation for all in the workplace, as a Diversity Ambassador.

Michaela Lancaster, who is a member of Women in Property (WIP), aspires to quash the idea that the housebuilding industry is a male dominated sector. And with this, aims to create a diverse workforce producing role models from all ethnicities, genders, religions and backgrounds.

Michaela commented, “It is important to ensure we have a diverse workforce so that we can accumulate different perspectives, ideas, ideologies and understandings.

“Having a diverse team means the strengths of many view points and perspectives can be considered.

“I am committed to empowering people and motivating them to take ownership and have a strong buy in to the company ethos.”

As a Diversity Ambassador, Michaela will be working with parent company Barratt Developments to encourage people from all walks in life to consider a career in housebuilding.

The leading housebuilder offers a number of roles within the company ranging from Sales Advisers to Technical Directors and Financial Controllers, meaning there are plenty of opportunities to suit different skill sets.

Michaela continued, “It is important to be able to encourage the next generation of leaders to move forwards in an industry which has seen a lower percentage of directors who are female, and to communicate that if you have the drive and ability – you can succeed.”

Fiona Dootson, Marketing Manager at Barratt Homes Manchester said, “Working within the construction industry can be a very rewarding career, with opportunities across a wide range of disciplines.

“In my role in the Marketing Department, I work closely with almost every department within the business from Land and Planning right through to Construction and this allows us to follow the full life cycle of a project.

“This also makes the role quite varied but mainly involves the delivery of key information to other departments at key stages of a project.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruby Harrison .