As we celebrate Women in Construction Week, it is important to recognize the incredible contributions of women in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Elise Krueger, a Senior Software Engineer at Dome Construction, is one such woman who has made her mark in the construction industry.
Published March 6, 2023 . 2 mins read
Women in Construction Spotlight: Elise Krueger
Business
What is your role/title? How long have you been in the industry? How did you get started?
I have been working in IT/IS for about 15 years and in construction specifically since 2016. I started my career in healthcare, administrating ERPs and doing special projects. I transitioned to the finance side working to automate and standardize KPIs for several hospitals on many different ERPs.
After a few years I wanted a new adventure, so I moved to software implementation and began creating custom reports and doing backend modifications for hospitals transitioning to new ERPs.
Why did you choose to work in construction?
I didn’t necessarily choose construction, construction chose me. I needed a break from healthcare, so I started working for a vendor that was doing backend database customizations and reporting for Viewpoint Vista. Construction gave me an opportunity to learn a new industry while doing what I loved: playing with data and providing exceptional customer service.
I fell in love with construction because there is so much room for technology to make a huge impact and improve not only how we build but how we manage projects and leverage the vast amount of data collected to make better decisions.
What does Dome Construction do to promote Women in Construction & DEI?
Dome continues to focus on diversity and inclusion. We have an internal Women’s Leadership Group and over 20% of our workforce are women. While it doesn’t sound like a lot, it is double the industry standard of 10%.
We have women in every role from superintendent and carpenter to project manager and estimating. Our women are involved in organizations like WiOPS, NAWIC, ISPE, CREW and continue to pave the way for more women to join us in building tomorrow’s future.
What advice would you give to construction companies seeking to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce? What advantages does this create for the organization?
I wholeheartedly believe that the best solutions come from having a diverse group of people bringing ideas to the table from their unique perspectives. If we continue to only allow men to make decisions, we are leaving out half the world’s brain power. We need to stop believing that women are not qualified or won’t be able to do a job just because the industry has historically been male dominated. I love technology because it is helping to bridge the gap between men and women with things like exoskeletons and robotics, while making the work safer.
Dome has won jobs because of our diverse workforce. When a typical project team is all men, a woman superintendent and/or project manager sticks out in a good way. I would challenge construction companies to give women more chances and not in just the typical back-office roles. We have to stop putting careers in gender boxes.
What advice would you give to women seeking to enter or advance in this industry?
I would encourage all women to be the change you want to see in the world. As a woman, it sometimes takes multiple times of explaining yourself for others to really hear you. We must keep talking and keep pushing to be included at all levels. I would urge all women to seek out a mentorship program to help share knowledge and experience. There is so much we can learn from each other.
Elise Krueger
Dome Construction
