Shamala Riggs, Talent Acquisition and Organisational Development Manager at NEX Building Group, is a true champion of the residential construction sector. It’s an industry she’s passionate about – not only because of the countless opportunities and career pathways that exist within it; she also loves its supportive, can-do culture.

‘There’s such an opportunity to develop a unique set of skills in this industry – empathy, collaboration, problem-solving and critical thinking skills,’ she says.

Shamala says she fell into recruitment after completing a degree in Asian studies, followed by a three-year stint in Japan. As an engaging people person driven by a curiosity about human behaviour, it was a career match made in heaven. ‘I enjoyed it because it was all about meeting different people and understanding what makes them tick,’ she explains.

Shamala held HR roles in industries ranging from education to agriculture before finding her groove in residential construction. Now, with 20 years’ experience and a degree in psychology under her belt, her primary focus is ‘helping people to reach their potential, but also the company goals’.

She’s also passionate about helping business owners foster happy, inclusive, productive workplaces, through initiatives such as the Women in Construction program, leadership seminars, and speaking at HIA events.

How to recruit and retain Generation Z

Any business, large or small, will only be as great as the people in it, and sound recruitment and HR practices play a crucial role in cultivating high-performing teams.

Although Shamala works for one of the industry’s biggest operators (NEX employs around 1300 people across Australia), her team-building strategies can also work for small businesses.

If you’re targeting Gen Z workers, for example, they thrive on variety. NEX Building Group caters to this with two-year construction cadetships that allow young recruits to spend time in different departments such as estimating, drafting or project delivery.

‘I think young people want to get varied experiences, knowledge and capability.’ 

If your business can support it, offer your new recruits a chance to rotate through different roles. This keeps them engaged and results in a well-rounded, multi-skilled workforce, so the benefits go both ways.’ 

How more women in construction can change your business

One of Shamala’s primary concerns is the importance of diversity and encouraging women into the sector. ‘There is a bit of a burning platform in the construction industry at the moment around diversity, when it comes to gender. This is a masculine industry; females are under-represented.’ 

She’s proactive about encouraging women into leadership and onsite roles, and men into the traditionally female-dominated areas such as design. The result? A balanced, and often more innovative, workplace. 

Asking the right questions and the latest hiring techniques

In terms of recruitment, the key is to identify whether potential employees have the right values and skillsets. Treat interviews as a two-way street. ‘The candidates need to decide if we're the organisation they want to join, but we need to make sure we know as much about them so we can make an informed decision.’ 

Large corporations utilise techniques such as psychometric testing to help gauge whether a candidate is a good fit, but you can still get great insight by asking thoughtful questions. 

‘Ask the question in the past tense so you might say: “Give me an example of a time where you've handled a disgruntled customer. What did you do? What did you say and what was the outcome?”

‘Resilience and the ability to remain calm under pressure is so important on sites so asking those competency-based questions get so much more insight.’ 

Creating cohesion, co-operation and support

The demanding nature of the worksite can sometimes amplify personality clashes, particularly within smaller teams. However, Shamala says building trust, empathy and communication can help overcome this. 

‘Trust is the foundation,’ she says. ‘The only way to establish trust is for people to be vulnerable with each other.’ By this, she means speaking up if you’re struggling in a particular area (and encouraging others to do the same); doing something when you say you’re going to; and sharing your knowledge and expertise openly. 

In the housing industry, she adds, ‘the work is complex, and we have to collaborate with so many different people’. So creating cohesion is often about knowing that ‘we need all personality types in a team to succeed’. 

She refers to the DiSC model which categorises people based on four traits – dominant, influential, steady, conscientious.

‘It’s the diversity of these personality traits coming together that creates that cohesive, balanced team. And once people see that, they also become quite proud of what they bring to the table. But they can respect the traits of other people as well; understanding they're important takes the judgement away.’ 

One of the biggest issues facing smaller businesses, in terms of people management, is a lack of formal frameworks for providing feedback and dealing with negative behaviour in a positive, non-confrontational way.

NEX uses a couple of frameworks – Situation Behaviour Impact (SBI); and Validate, Investigate, Problem-Solve (VIP) – both of which can be replicated at a smaller scale to help workers feel heard and respected. ‘VIP is validating the emotion before going straight to the solution: “What I’m hearing is that was frustrating for you”. Then straight away, the person will relax because you validated how they're feeling. You investigate and ask questions: “Why do you think that happened? What do you think we might do to fix it?” Then you arrive at the solution collaboratively.’ 

These strategies are valuable, Shamala says, because they can help managers understand the ‘why’ behind people’s behaviour, defuse high emotions, and bolster productivity.

Making a difference in the residential housing industry

Ultimately, Shamala aims to elevate the housing industry by ‘adding value’ and supporting the people who work in it. ‘What I love is the people I work with. They're always supportive and willing to be involved in some of the initiatives I'm rolling out to advance people or the industry,’ she says.

‘It's important for me to make a difference and improve whether it's the processes or help people to improve themselves. That's my goal.’ 

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First published on 17 March 2025