How to encourage female talent in supply chain and

In recognition of International Women’s Day (8th March), we’re taking this opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements in Supply Chain and Procurement, but also to reflect: why do we need a global day of recognition for women?

While great strides have been made to level inequalities between men and women, disparities still remain. In many organisations there has been great movements to address inequality and many women are in leadership positions, however, in many respects there is still unequal female representation in positions of seniority (and, conversely, in unpaid labour) and gender pay gaps do still exist.

Gender representation and equity varies even by sector – it’s well documented that STEM industries face greater disparity of representation than many others, and this includes Supply Chain and Procurement. Business leaders must seek to redress imbalances of gender diversity in Supply Chain and Procurement and this begins with attraction, development and retention strategies with a strong focus on addressing the gender pay gap.

Gender gap in Supply Chain and Procurement

While there are fewer women working in Supply Chain and Procurement across the board, this number drops dramatically when it comes to senior leaders and C-Suite executives, this is at least in part responsible for gender pay gaps. There are issues in attracting women to the profession in the first place, however, the majority of the problem is in retaining women and promoting them to senior positions.

Obstacles to female leadership in Supply Chain and Procurement

There are a number of reasons there may be fewer women in positions of seniority within Supply Chain and Procurement, including:

Family pressures: Women often struggle to get promoted in Supply Chain and Procurement due to the pressures of maintaining flexibility between family, childcare, and work commitments.
Unconscious bias: Hiring managers tend to hire in their own image unconsciously, as there are more men in leadership positions they naturally lean towards hiring more men rather than women.
Lack of female role models: Due to the aforementioned reasons there are fewer women in leadership positions to look up to or gain mentorship from.

How to support women in the workplace and achieve gender diversity in Supply Chain and Procurement

To solve the problem of the under-representation of women in Supply Chain and Procurement, and in particular, within senior positions, additional work needs to be done to attract and retain female employees. This requires a combination of policies and proactive choices, for example:

Family-friendly policies: for example shared/gender-neutral parental leave, subsidised childcare
Flexible working
Mentorships by and for women
Gender-balanced interview panels
Gender-balanced candidate shortlists

Importance of female retention in the workplace

Why is it important that we have women in Supply Chain and Procurement in senior positions? In short, gender diversity within corporate settings both reflects and encourages gender parity elsewhere. If those at the top are homogeneous this means decisions will likely be made through a particularly narrow worldview lens. This is the case whether these choices are made consciously or – as is more likely – unconsciously. The impact is the same, irrespective of intention.

Studies have actually revealed that a greater proportion of women on boards positively impacts the financial health of the business, so the imperative for equality is not solely a moral one.

How can we help?

At SEA Global we can help you shape an inclusive recruitment strategy. Through our database and deep networks we are able to source high-calibre temporary, interim or permanent candidates from diverse backgrounds to suit the specific needs of your business and create an inclusive workplace. We also have the expertise to help you define your recruiting needs, advise on interviewing technique, source and assess candidates effectively and quickly to help you streamline your recruiting process.