Esti Cogger, a project director with Jones Lang Lasalle, has received the National Association of Women in Construction's Crystal Vision Award for giving women what they require at work: equal pay, flexibility, and career progression.

Cogger's strategy to improve retention of female staff, and to improve women's progression at JLL, has delivered exceptionally successful results.

Cogger, a project director with JLL for the Department of Defence and the leader of a team of eight, was presented with the Lendlease Crystal Vision Award for Advancing the Interests of Women in the Construction Industry at the NAWIC NSW Awards for Excellence in late August.

“I come from a long line of project directors who have been raising awareness about this issue and promoting ways to foster more women into construction and project management,” said Cogger.

“JLL aims to maintain a workplace that addresses female workers’ needs,” she said.

Cogger led extensive focus groups with the women at JLL, asking two simple questions: What would make you stay? And what would make you leave?

Both senior and junior staff came back with the same answers: they wanted workplace flexibility, equal pay, and more focus on career progression.

Once those issues were understood, Cogger set about working with the leadership team to address them.

One of Cogger’s key activities was “educating our leaders so that they could support the career progression of everyone in our firm”.

“It’s about knowing how to ask the right questions to find out what each person wants in their career, what motivates them, and where their strengths and weaknesses lie," said Cogger.

The results of Cogger's work are exceptional. Every one of JLL’s Project and Development Services female employees have returned to work after maternity leave in the last two years, promotion of female staff has increased by 38 per cent over the last six years, and pay parity has been achieved.

Cogger was quick to point out that her work is not just about gender. She has also helped JLL to broaden its thinking around diversity overall.

“We’ve started to focus on how we include everyone regardless of gender, generation or geography,” she said.

“We know that any team in Australia will be culturally diverse because of our national demographics. And we need to make everyone feel included.”

Cogger herself has lived in Israel, South Africa, and now Australia, and so has a unique perspective on inclusion.

“I understand what it’s like to learn a new language, and to have to learn to fit in,” she says.

“I feel strongly about the importance of diversity, because I know from personal experience when I don’t feel included I can’t give everything. When people feel comfortable to bring their whole selves to work, they’ll be more productive, and want to stay.”

Read more about women in construction:

Promoting women in construction

Women in construction recognised at awards night

A call for equality in the construction industry