Conversations about diversity aren’t new in engineering. Too often, they start and end with a focus that’s limited to representation. These discussions are important, but they can easily miss another slice of reality: how the composition of any project team can dramatically change the way our infrastructure is ultimately delivered.
Engineering projects rarely succeed because of a single person’s expertise. They succeed when teams identify risks early, resolve design conflicts efficiently, and coordinate across disciplines before problems even reach construction. In my experience working on multidisciplinary teams, diverse crews often do all the above more effectively.
Early in my career, many of the project teams I worked on followed a traditional structure, with team members who had similar backgrounds and experience levels. At the time, projects were often simpler, with fewer moving parts and constraints, and were well-suited to more prescribed approaches.
Fast forward almost 20 years and multiple promotions later, I feel inspired by how much change I have personally seen on projects. I have increasingly worked on teams with a broader mix of perspectives. By broader, I mean more differences when it comes to seniority, culture, gender, race, and other identity-defining puzzle pieces. What I have noticed across the board is that these teams carve more space for creativity. When people don’t feel like outliers, they are more willing to share ideas verbatim, question assumptions, and explore solutions that challenge the status quo.
That openness can make all the difference on complex projects.
Modern buildings call for intensive coordination not only between structural, architectural, mechanical, and electrical teams, but across a broader group of project stakeholders, including clients, user groups, and contractors. When these stakeholders work together to resolve a challenge, diverse perspectives and experience help identify conflicts earlier and lead to practical solutions faster.
As a structural engineer, I collaborate closely with other project team members to integrate building systems and achieve a highly efficient structure that meets all project requirements. These conversations work best when team members feel comfortable asking questions and proposing new approaches that might seem unconventional at first. This back-and-forth dialogue ultimately leads to stronger outcomes for the entire building.
Diverse teams also approach risk differently. When people share similar backgrounds or experiences, they may naturally analyze problems through the same lens. A team with varied perspectives is more likely to consider multiple possibilities and identify risks and opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.
In infrastructure projects, that matters. Early design decisions influence cost, schedule, and long-term building performance. The sooner potential issues are identified, the easier they are resolved.
I’m hopeful the engineering space will keep making progress in this realm. Teams today often include a wider range of voices than they did a decade ago. Younger professionals are entering the field, more women are participating in technical discussions, and people from different cultural backgrounds are contributing new perspectives.
However, challenges remain.
One issue consulting firms continue to face is retention. When we look at the pool of engineers-in-training entering the profession, diversity is often strong. But as careers progress, that diversity can narrow. This pattern is sometimes referred to as the “leaky pipeline.”
In my experience, one of the biggest factors influencing retention is flexibility.
Engineering consulting can be demanding, especially during critical phases of a project. For many professionals, particularly those raising families, maintaining a long-term career in consulting requires workplaces that provide both flexibility and trust. Flexibility allows people to manage competing responsibilities, while trust ensures that different working arrangements do not become barriers to advancement.
For me personally, the ability to continue working in consulting while raising two young children has depended on that balance. Without both flexibility and understanding from my organization, it would be difficult to sustain the pace required by the industry. At our company, that support has allowed me to take on leadership roles on complex projects while maintaining the flexibility to be present for important moments outside of work.
On March 8, I joined a community of 750 plus in celebrating International Women’s Day. More than just one day, it was an opportunity to reflect on gender equality, how far our profession has come, and the representation gaps we need to keep closing 365 days a year. Where we are now is far from perfect, but examples of women building successful careers as engineers are far more likely than two decades ago when I joined the field.
If there is one takeaway that I hope the industry recognizes is that diversity and optimal project outcomes are married. It is not about filling quotas. It is about creating environments where different perspectives are encouraged, ideas are shared openly, and professionals feel supported in building long-term careers.
When that happens, the benefits extend beyond individuals or EDI benchmarks. They appear in stronger collaboration, vibrant visions, and infrastructure that serves communities best because it was crafted by people who reflect their unique demographics.
Vanessa Wong is an associate at RJC Engineers in Vancouver.
