Closing The Gender Gap - Women in manufacturing
Recently we did some Team building and mentoring for a Manufacturing/Assembly and Distribution company. We were really enthused to see a team working together, trying to improve and develop. The most inspiring and intriguing thing for us was that there was a very high percentage of the team that were women. In fact, all but one of the leadership roles were being performed by a female. This was mirrored with the Production Personnel.
This team were driven, motivated, intelligent, happy and astute...This reflected in the business performance.
Sadly, in over 50 years Operational experience that we have at Carpathia Operational Consultants, this is not a common encounter and the gender gap is huge in many businesses. It's well documented that Operations and Manufacturing has been a male dominated environment, since time began. Hopefully this is slowly changing and this is now being positively embraced. Diversity is good!
As mentioned we have first hand experience of the opposite and the struggle to accelerate the diversity. From Plants with the following;
Little or no female facilities
Unsuitable/Untailored workwear
Ignorance to female sanitary requirements
No Development plans that accommodate Pregnancy and Family planning.
Culture is a huge barrier also. Whilst leading and managing workforces with intolerance to such diversity or lack of empathy, Leaders must work on this EVERY day. It is vital to a company's growth and sustainability.
This brings back unpleasant memories of a particular appointment of a female Production Manager. Who was welcomed and celebrated by the Senior Leadership team but there were whisperings and murmurings in the corners of the site Management team.... She was the best person for the job, but for whatever reason some thought her gender disadvantaged her abilities.... and unfairly advantaged her appointment in the first place!
Further examples include:
Having attendance issues with a female employee and dealing with people's pre-conception that the root cause of the problem is that she is a female, in an unsuitable Environment.
Environments with the need to dig, lift, carry, clean up spillage predominantly deploying a male workforce, as its deemed to be an Environment only suitable for male workers.... Mind boggling at the inefficiency and waste companies will absorb and remain in ignorance to, not least the hazardous environments they will accept for their male employees...
These are some examples but sadly not all. Despite this, whilst in leadership positions for various companies, it did not exhaust our will to change the imbalance...
It's not to say that senior Leadership Teams do not recognise this or are not working on this but it needs to be driven all through the organisation and onto the coal face and the ultimate success of this can be measured in increases in female team members in ALL roles.
Some really good campaigns were put together by a particular company educating the workforce on Women's Health, Menstrual cycle, Cancer in woman. Educating and creating awareness and hopefully acceptance of some challenges that do exist for female colleagues but not only them but our Partners, Mothers, Sisters and Children. Of course this was equally balanced with Men's health education on prostrate cancer and the like.
We believe things are moving forward and statistically there could be a shift from the documented 85%Male 15%Female split in UK Manufacturing but its clear there is more work to be done and not least because of missed opportunities for businesses tapping into this talent pool.
If you are interested in finding out more about how to close the gender gap in your business then click here to CONTACT US