How to Deal with the Gender Gap in Manufacturing
Posted June 16th, 2014
The disparity between the number of male and female employees in the manufacturing sector has long been acknowledge, but recent reports indicate that it is getting even worse. Since 2010, the number of men working at all levels of manufacturing employment – from entry level to executive positions – has grown by 7%. The number of women occupying those same positions has fallen by 0.3%. Even more alarming is that the number of women in manufacturing has fallen by 5% since the early 1990s.
Considering the sorry state of the job market in recent years, the widening of the gender gap in manufacturing must be attributed more to hiring managers than job seekers. By making conscientious choices, however, it’s possible to build a dynamic workforce and close this gender gap at the same time. As you begin to vet candidates for vacancies, keep these considerations in mind.
Be Realistic About the Demands of Manufacturing Jobs
Manufacturing jobs still have a reputation for being dirty, strenuous, and dependent on brute force. But thanks to decades of technological innovation, it’s no longer necessary for workers on the factory floor to possess an imposing physicality. Very few workers, from either gender, are incapable of taking on a manufacturing job due to physical limitations. Keep this fact in mind, and your pool of potential hires will grow significantly.
Expand Your Recruitment Efforts
Traditionally, women have been recruited for service sector employment while men have been targeted for manufacturing and industrial employment. But as gender norms have evolved, and social/technological limitations have eroded, there is no rational justification for this continued disparity. Manufacturers looking for qualified workers would do well to reach out to more women.
Create a More Flexible Workplace
Due to the on-site nature of manufacturing jobs, this corner of the job sphere has been historically resistant to flexible workplace options. But this outmoded attitude contributes directly to the gender gap in manufacturing, and the struggles many manufacturers face to find qualified employees. Rather than looking for 21st century workers to staff 19th century workplaces, manufacturers must find ways to introduce flexibility into their day to day operations. Offering more choices doesn’t just attract more women, it attracts more of the qualified, committed, ambitious employees you most want to recruit.
The gender gap in engineering is not a women’s issue, it is a manufacturing issue. No business, regardless of its size or the industry it occupies, can afford to rely on a single sex workforce. Taking steps to close the gap today can have serious affects on your success tomorrow. To start reshaping the character of your workforce, partner with the recruitment specialists at Bayside Solutions.
