FOCUS ON DIVERSITY these areas of work . While this may be encouraging to hear , there is still a long way to go for gender equality in these male-dominated industries .
2030 ’ s target of 1.5 million women in STEM occupations would see 30 % of this workforce filled by women . According to the Harvard University Institute of Politics , 30 % is the ‘ critical mass ’ level where a minority group of women would have the ability to influence real change .
Improving diversity in manufacturing
“ The gender and diversity gap . It ’ s something a few of us have come to accept as part of normal practice in the UK ’ s manufacturing industry . But with the country ’ s issues surrounding Brexit and the current skills shortage costing UK businesses around £ 2bn a year , companies can ’ t afford to be missing out on the talent that half the workforce has to offer . It ’ s time to think about changing our approach to the whole subject ,” commented Precision People , a UK specialist recruitment , search and consultancy services organisation .
“ Despite efforts to increase awareness , progress has been moving at a snail ’ s pace . Therefore , it is time for company owners to take charge and make a change . If you ’ re an owner or director of a manufacturing business , where do you start ? Here are five tips for improving diversity within your manufacturing business ,” it continued .
1 . Leading from the top . To make any major change in an organisation , there needs to be honest “ buy-in ” and commitment from the top positions in the company . This will then filter down throughout the lower positions . The directors of a company have a huge influence not only over the policies in place to encourage diversity but for also setting the culture to be more inclusive of these employees . From public statements to recruitment programmes and policies , it all has a wider influence on how the company views a diverse workforce . A commonly used method is to implement targets for diverse recruitment and promotions , which can be rewarded through compensation and bonuses .
2 . Measure your current diversity rate . You can ’ t measure whether the initiative is working or not if you don ’ t know where you are now and where you want to go . By looking at metrics on diversity recruitment , retention , promotions and turnover , you can get a sense of your current position and set targets based on the results for six- and twelve-months ’ time . The idea of creating diversity groups ,
Workforce diversity is the key .
where employees can share experiences on their workplace interactions , is becoming popular for many companies in other industries . These employee groups are a good way of drawing important insights that can guide the company ’ s policy and decision-making . This helps managers to see what steps they can take to make the company more attractive to diverse candidates and accommodate their needs .
3 . Cross-department initiatives . By encouraging different parts of the business to open lines of communication , you can help employees to share their ideas of what they expect from the company and their colleagues . This provides everyone with a more wellrounded perspective and understanding of each other and can be done by simply setting up conferences , meetings and small group discussions .
4 . Working with workforce intermediaries . Manufacturing companies that maintain good relationships with outside groups ( such as educational institutions , employment consultancies and nongovernment groups ) seek to gain from their unique insights on how to recruit and retain a more diverse workforce . Working closely with these partners will also help them to understand what type of employee you ’ re currently seeking which will prevent wasted training and recruitment costs .
“ Manufacturing industries have a lot to gain by widening their potential talent pool to attract more women into their workplace , as diverse companies are 35 % more likely to have financial returns above the national industry median . However , the manufacturing industry
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