I was lucky enough to be asked to speak on a panel at a National Association of Woman in Operations (NAWO) Industry Solutions event last Thursday morning. The event was co-hosted by long-time NAWO member and supporter Orora.
I was joined by esteemed panellists:
The discussion was moderated by Simon Bromell, Group General Manager, Orora and covered five key areas:
The panel offered too many insights and examples to share them all but I’ve compiled some of the key themes from each area that I felt had the greatest impact.
Diversity and inclusions strategies are becoming far more prevalent and most of our clients now ask for balanced shortlists for key positions. However, there is still a struggle to populate shortlists with appropriately qualified and experienced women, especially at the senior level and especially in operations.
The panel was posed the question:
Having recruited senior roles in engineering, operations, supply chain and more recently marketing (within operations) for the last ten years I can confidently say there is a supply issue.
I recently mapped the market for a client to find all Heads of Engineering and Manufacturing in the FMCG and industrial manufacturing industry, after my extensive search I found that only a small percentage were females and even a smaller percentage were open to considering a move.
When advertising for a similar role within the chemicals industry, I received over 100 applications and not one of those were female. I even tried to rework the ad in three different ways.
Driving the diversity agenda on shortlists for mid-level roles is a step in the right direction to combat the issue of supply.
The issue of supply is complex, but one observation offered by Rebecca McGrath was that there is an enhanced loyalty from woman. In her experience woman have a greater tendency to stay with an employer who they have been with for a long time and wait for an internal promotion rather than seek the next ‘big role’ externally.
Rebecca also said that a business will do well if they maintain a strong relationship with senior women even if they leave the business rather than grieving the loss too much. This way you always leave the door open for them to come back.
Chief Executive Women and Male Champions of Change recently released a joint report titled ‘In the Eye of the Beholder – Avoiding the Merit Trap.’ In this report they say merit must be redefined to include broader leadership skills and potential.
The panel was posed the question:
The panel discussed the propensity for hiring managers to recruit in the same image as themselves or the predecessor. So in fact the unconscious bias can be quite a conscious decision in many instances.
“People have good intentions but expediency and demand for filling the role can get in the way of a process.” - Rebecca McGrath
From my perspective it is not just about gender but background. I’ve had many clients say they don’t want to employ someone from a different industry background as it hasn’t worked in the past. However, looking to other industries in order to achieve a balanced shortlist is often the only option. It is then it is up to the leader to set these people up for success. No one said leading a diverse workforce was the easy option, in fact it is the bold and harder option. However research shows this decision can have long-term commercial benefits.
In 2015 and 2016 Westpac introduced its ‘Equilibrium’ initiative. ‘Equilibrium’ is a program to bring highly skilled women into the financial services sector. It offers a career option for accomplished female leaders, currently working in other sectors, to switch to a new career in Financial Services
The panel was asked:
There were some brilliant examples of organisations innovating to achieve their diversity targets.
The most important message that came from the panel on this topic is the education of line managers. The diversity agenda needs to be driven from the top but if it is not being lived and breathed at all levels the values will not be embedded.
“Men challenging men is important.”
- Rebecca McGrath
At NAWO we still hear specific stories from women who have had poor experiences in the hiring process. Examples include;
The main theme here was in regards to the processes that are run and who is running them. As Craig Jackson pointed out although supply is an issue, often more needs to be done on the demand side. It is not enough to simply ask for a balanced shortlist, there needs to be flexibility in background and experience.
“If we keep doing the same thing, we will get the same outcome.”
For more information, contact Kristan De Sousa on (03) 8613 3508.
For more information on NAWO or membership options contact NAWO.
NAWO is the peak body championing women in operations. Their vision is a world where women and men can be equally represented and valued at every level.