People are the Investment: Wrapping Up the “Call In” Series 2025!

Understanding “Call-In”:

“Call-In” is a series of working groups designed to develop best practices for EDI. This initiative, was set out by our very own Priti Gadani and Ellie Lawford who approached Eleanor Strange (AEW Architects), Louise Grimes (M1NT Studio Ltd), Jenny Perrie, Matthew Gavin & Martina Mastrangeli (HORIZON Fletcher Rae), Aida Ahmad (BDP) and Jonah Speaks (Turner & Townsend) to lead on important subject matters. Identified by the first fact finding meeting, Komfort and the others, will be leading four sessions in 2025 focusing on Allyship, Competence, Accountability and Investment. These sessions will address unconscious bias and the impact of power dynamics on inclusion.

Investment Call In

Last week, we proudly co-hosted the final “Call In” event for 2025, a key series driving ideas for a more inclusive and equitable construction industry in Manchester. The session, titled “Investment Call In”, underscored our central belief: ‘PEOPLE’ must be seen as the ultimate investment of company culture.

This final working group successfully brought together themes from the entire year, including Allyship, Competency, and Accountability, asking attendees for their opinions on necessary industry changes.

The conversation made one thing clear, achieving a cultural shift in construction requires everyone to participate, take part and drive the change through influence and constant encouragement.

Key Takeaways: What Investment in People Looks Like

Attendees explored the question, “What does Investment in People look like?”. The feedback was overwhelmingly focused on creating measurable, supportive, and purpose-driven work environments.

1. Fostering Growth and Development

True investment goes beyond basic training; it involves actively nurturing staff and helping them grow their skills and confidence.

  • Map out a plan for CPDs (Continuing Professional Development) and push educational boundaries.

  • Provide an Annual PDR (Performance Development Review) that is more than a tick-box exercise. It must have a clear purpose for career development and pathways.

  • Offer tailored learning and mentoring schemes, including both formal and “bottom-up” and “top-down” mentoring. Mentoring should extend to everyone, not just the younger generation.

  • Invest in a pathway that enables self-drive and achievement actions. Longevity alone should not warrant promotion.

  • Support genuine interest and encourage those who generate motivation.

  • Nurture young staff , including apprentices and work experience candidates.

2. Valuing Well-being and Work-Life Balance

The feedback highlighted that a company must care about an employee’s work and home lives , acknowledging the need to find a work-life balance.

  • Value staff’s mental health and their free time.

  • Consider having Mental Health First Aiders vs. Well-being Mentors as a universal investment.

  • Allow flexibility in people’s schedules where needed.

  • Create a positive work environment that is supportive and collaborative.

  • Promote investing in one’s own health.

3. Building a Supportive Culture

The core of investment is an authentic, supportive, and structured company culture.

  • Management must give staff their time and provide more one-to-ones.

  • Encourage team bonding that goes beyond social events, including structured workshops and events to build strong bonds.

  • Ensure fair judgement across all staff members, not just those who “shout loudest”.

  • Provide a sense of autonomy in decision-making and measurable responsibilities that are not a tick-box exercise.

  • Consider using tools like a Psychosomatic Test to understand individual strengths and needs.

  • To address the complexity of remote work, encourage collaborative working both in the office and on Teams and encourage younger staff to work from the office frequently.

4. Accountability and Meaningful DEI/EDI Work

A significant point of discussion was ensuring that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI/EDI) efforts are sincere and properly resourced.

  • Companies should have actual, meaningful investment and create EDI/DEI Groups within the business.

  • It is vital that Billable hours are allocated for staff conducting EDI/DEI work.

  • Explore new forms of investment, such as looking at B-Corp Companies/Social values and investing in people with fewer opportunities (e.g., Ex-Prisoners).

  • Measuring investment can be as simple as asking employees, “Are you happy?” as one company does annually.

Continuing the Conversation: Call In 2.0

It is safe to say we have executed four successful events that have raised further questions to achieve the Cultural shift the Construction world needs.

We are excited to announce that Call In 2.0 on all four key topics, Allyship, Competency, Accountability, and Investment, will be launched from early February 2026.

These sessions will be ramped up to address the deeper questions: how, why, what, and when, along with tangible examples of the good, the bad and the ugly in our industry.

Thank you once again to our dedicated team, our co-organisers, HORIZON fletcher|rae, Ridge and Partners LLP, BDP, AEW Architects, M1NT Studio Ltd, and Turner & Townsend for their unwavering support.

We look forward to continuing the conversation and driving real change in 2026!