Novus 2025 Gender Pay Gap Report

Across construction, the gender pay gap continues to reflect how the workforce has developed over time, particularly in relation to trade pathways and progression into senior roles. At Novus, we recognise that reality, but we are also starting to see encouraging movement within our own data as part of a wider shift in how the business is evolving.
Our figures have continued to move in the right direction this year, with the mean hourly gender pay gap now at 15.6% (down 1.3%) and the median at 16.0% (down 0.4%). While the changes are incremental, they represent steady progress, and importantly, they sit alongside more visible changes in how our workforce is beginning to take shape.
This data is also used internally to help us understand how the business is evolving in practice, and to make sure conversations about progress are grounded in what is really happening on the ground.

The picture behind the numbers
The gender pay gap in construction is largely driven by how people are distributed across roles and levels of seniority, reflecting long-standing patterns in the industry where fewer women have historically entered trade and site-based roles, and fewer still have progressed into senior operational positions.
At Novus, our workforce is currently 77% male and 23% female, and while that balance continues to shape our overall pay gap, we are seeing positive movement at entry level and across early career pathways that will naturally influence the longer-term picture.
Change in this space is gradual by nature, but the foundations being built now are an important part of how that picture continues to evolve over time.

Bringing more women into Novus
One of the most positive developments this year has come through our apprenticeship intake, where 61% of new starters were women, marking a clear shift in early career representation and signalling real progress in how new talent is entering the business.
This is supported by continued improvements in how we approach recruitment more broadly.
Job adverts are now reviewed using Gender Decoder technology to help ensure language remains inclusive, while role criteria are structured more clearly to distinguish between essential and desirable requirements. We also actively encourage candidates to apply even if they don’t meet every listed requirement, which has helped widen access and strengthen the diversity of our applicant pool.
Alongside this, we have continued to increase visibility of careers in construction through engagement with schools and colleges, participation in Build UK’s Open Doors event, and the rollout of our BuildHer programme, which gives women considering the industry practical, hands-on experience of property maintenance and construction. These initiatives
are helping to make the sector feel more accessible and better understood at an earlier stage.

Progression and everyday culture
Attracting more women into the business is only part of the picture, and what is increasingly clear is the importance of what happens once they are here in terms of progression, development and day-to-day experience.
Our Women in Novus (WiN) Network now has over 50 members, including allies across the business, and continues to play an active role in shaping improvements across the organisation. One example this year has been the rollout of hygiene products across all Novus sites nationwide, introduced directly in response to feedback from the network and reflecting a culture that is increasingly responsive to colleague voice.
We are also continuing to invest in structured development through our Elevate: Aspiring Leaders Programme, alongside modern apprenticeships, NVQs and retrofit training. Together, these provide clearer and more accessible pathways for progression across the business, helping to ensure that development is not dependent on informal routes or chance opportunities.
All people managers have also now completed training on inclusive communication and unconscious bias, supporting a more consistent and informed approach to decision-making across teams and reinforcing the behaviours that underpin an inclusive workplace culture.

The people behind the progress
Rebekah Cliff joined Novus as an apprentice at 17 and has since progressed into a nationally recognised safety professional, while Amy Fitzsimon now leads on complex projects and holds significant operational responsibility across the business, and Anna-Louise Johnson is building a strong career in painting and decorating in an area of the industry where women remain underrepresented.
These individual journeys reflect the kind of progress that is becoming increasingly visible across Novus, as more people develop and progress within the business in different ways.

Looking ahead
We are encouraged by the progress we have seen this year, particularly in early career representation and workforce development, and while the journey is ongoing, the direction of travel is clear and increasingly positive.
Our focus remains consistent on continuing to bring more women into the industry, supporting their development once they are here, and ensuring that progression is based on opportunity, capability and ambition. As these foundations strengthen, we expect to see that reflected more clearly in the balance of our workforce over time.

To find out more about the opportunities at Novus Property Solutions, visit: https://www.novussolutions.co.uk/novus-careers/