Launched in 2013, the Fairness Inclusion & Respect (FIR) programme at the Supply Chain Sustainability School is committed to empowering organisations in the construction and built environment industry to attract, retain, and engage a diverse workforce. Dana James-Edwards discusses the latest research on its impact
The FIR programme helps tackle workplace cultural challenges, enhance innovation and productivity, and create environments where all people, regardless of background, are able to thrive at work.
It has over 550 free resources, from short and snappy Toolbox Talks to longer e-Learning modules and videos, case studies and guides showcasing best practice. We also produce regular workshops, webinars and conferences. But the FIR programme isn’t just about resources and events; it’s also about assessment and measurable impact. Our Diversity Data Benchmarking Report, the largest in the construction and built environment sector, provides insight into the industry’s makeup and trends in representation across demographic characteristics. This is incredibly useful and valuable information, but the team behind the programme wanted to know more.
We set out to build a picture of diversity and inclusion the industry beyond demographics. We wanted to understand the perception and sentiments around FIR across the sector and to measure how these changed over time. We wanted a way to hear about people’s experiences of diversity and inclusion at work to understand how we could better support. We also wanted to track and understand what was changing, across time, and evaluate the impact of the FIR programme in helping to create and sustain positive change.
This curiosity resulted in the launch of the complementary FIR Culture & Impact Report, now celebrating its 10th year.
The 2025 survey & respondents
This year’s survey was launched in February and closed in April, against a backdrop of strong anti-diversity and inclusion sentiment coming out of the US, which was filtering through to the UK.
One of the earliest responses to the survey gave every question the lowest possible score and left a single comment: “DEI is dead, and you won’t have this survey in a year”.
In the initial days after the launch of the survey, we regularly checked the responses to see if it was a trend, but while we did get a few more responses in that vein, they represented a very small minority overall.
When the survey closed, we had 990 responses from active programme users, providing rich, relevant and insightful data. This year, the survey had strong engagement from traditionally underrepresented groups in the industry. Women made up 54% of respondents, despite only representing 24.6% of the industry overall. In addition, 10% of respondents came from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and 12% identified as having a disability.
Over half of respondents were employed by larger firms with over 250 employees, and in management roles in the industry.
This broad cross-section offers valuable visibility into how FIR principles are being lived out on sites, in offices and across supply chains.
What did we learn this year?
- At an organisational level, 60% of respondents reported progress in embedding FIR principles within recruitment practices and 59% said people management processes were becoming more inclusive. Some 17% of organisations had fully embedded FIR into procurement, a modest increase from last year but an area where more progress is needed to drive culture through supply chains.
- On an individual level, while overall attitudes to FIR remained largely positive, the data revealed important nuances. Men generally reported more positive workplace experiences than women. Respondents from minoritised ethnic backgrounds had lower social inclusion scores, suggesting subtle barriers to belonging remain prevalent. Respondents with disabilities also consistently reported less positive experiences at work. These disparities serve as a reminder that inclusion work must continue to evolve, ensuring progress benefits everyone, not just the majority.
- Leaders reported tangible business benefits, including improved collaboration (63%), stronger stakeholder engagement (60%) and better health and safety outcomes (54%). However, diversity recruitment and talent retention remain challenging, with both measures declining slightly from 2024. These findings highlight the importance of sustained leadership focus to convert cultural awareness into measurable business outcomes.
- The findings reaffirmed the FIR programme’s reputation for quality and relevance. An impressive 91% of respondents rated FIR resources like workshops, webinars, e-learning as Excellent or Good. The majority also reported that these activities had strengthened their understanding of key inclusion topics.
The full report is available to download here.
A decade of learning and looking ahead
Ten years on, the FIR Culture & Impact Report stands as both a celebration and a reality check. It demonstrates that sustained investment in fairness, inclusion and respect delivers measurable benefits for individuals, organisations and the industry as a whole. Yet it also shows that embedding inclusion is an ongoing journey; a journey that requires continual attention, leadership commitment and open dialogue.
As one respondent aptly put it: “When people feel valued and supported, they’re more engaged, productive and loyal. FIR helps make that possible.”
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