Research director Soo Darcy shares her career journey and thoughts on diversity in the construction industry.
Can you tell us about your journey into leadership in the built environment? Is it something you were always interested in?
In a word: no! But it’s amazing how you can quickly become very passionate about something by being exposed to it. And I think the thing with the built environment is that it is relevant to everybody. We all live in it, work, socialise, play and learn in it.
I always wanted to become a writer, so I studied English at London South Bank University. By the time I was in my third year of my degree, I was pregnant with my first child. She was born four months after finishing my degree, then I carried on working full time – luckily, and unusually, I was able to work remotely 20 years ago, which made a huge difference!
I continued to gain a masters in English from Newcastle University, as well as a law conversion degree from Northumbria University. After my second and third child were born, I got a PhD bursary scholarship, but I couldn’t make it work alongside bills to pay and children to look after, so I put that on hold.
I continued meandering through jobs, with a whole clutch of qualifications under my belt, unsure of exactly what I wanted to do – but the roles I did find myself in, I threw my heart and soul into them. That was how I ended up specialising in market research and qualitative engagement, and being promoted into quite senior roles, simply by giving my best even if I didn’t think it would be my ‘forever’ job. And in the research industry I found I really loved listening to people’s stories and experiences.
How did you find yourself working at Ryder?
As part of a previous role as a consultant in market research, I ran Ryder’s client feedback programme. I remember in the early days sitting down with some of Ryder’s clients and having them tell me what this company was like to work with. And I always thought, I’d love to work for this place. I would come and sit with Mark Thompson and Peter Buchan to give them the feedback, and no matter how busy they were, they always gave me their time and welcomed me to leadership events – Ryder was their baby, and it was lovely to feel like part of the family!
As circumstances in my career changed, I interviewed for a role in comms at Ryder. But given my skill set and experience in engagement, it made sense to grow that role into something more structured.
I think the thing that made a huge difference to me at that point was that Mark Thompson and the wider leadership board gave me the freedom to be entrepreneurial and essentially said, spread your wings in this role and we will support you.
I still find that reflective of the ethos of the company now. I feel like the people around me have enjoyed seeing me grow, seeing the role grow and celebrated it with me, which is a lovely feeling.
Do you feel like your experience in the built environment has at all been challenged by being a woman?
I will openly say that I don’t feel I’ve ever been held back in my life or career for being a woman. So maybe I’m not the best person to talk about equality since I know I’m extremely lucky not to have really faced open prejudice – or not that I was aware of! But it’s something we all need to be aware of, and vigilant about, all through our lives. Are we treating people with respect and courtesy, and do we expect the same in return?
I’m very fortunate to have had parents and a husband who’ve helped with childcare and been incredibly supportive of any choices I’ve made. I think at the very least, even if you don’t have immediate family who can help you in life, don’t be afraid to lean on people who offer you help and support. It’s a strength to ask for, and accept, help when you need it.
I learned that routine is important when you’ve got a young family to look after. I’ve worked through my days off. I’ve sat and worked with a baby on my lap, trying to feed and type at the same time… not something I’d necessarily recommend! It’s difficult to strike a balance, especially in this industry, but you must be firm about your priorities in any given moment and firm about your days off so you can protect that precious time.
You will have to make compromises, inevitably. I think the best thing we can do as an organisation is make sure people know it’s alright to ask for help and try to be that voice for change.
You’ve witnessed Ryder grow significantly since first working as an external consultant. What do you feel has been the biggest change in terms of inclusivity?
I think first of all, just simply having these conversations is brilliant. The move to provide a generous parental package was fantastic and being able to have conversations around working flexibly is very important.
You can look at the leadership board and it’s still clear that there’s only a few women in very senior roles… I don’t think anyone would deny that! So, I still think there’s a long way for us to go to have true diversity and representation, and it’s not just about gender.
It will take time. As long as we’re having the conversations and actively trying to work towards making things better, then you just have to give that time to bed in, and for people to move into those leadership roles. We’re definitely going in the right direction and I think the practice is becoming all the better for it.