4 minute read
Making brakes, breaking the mold: How Hayes brings women into manufacturing
// By Chris Jenkins - Director of Communications, MMAC
Given the demographic stereotypes that have long been associated with manufacturing, you might expect a company that makes braking systems for mountain bikes, motorcycles and military transport trucks to have a largely male workforce.
But walk onto the shop floor at Hayes Performance Systems in Mequon, and you might be in for a surprise.
At last count, 44 percent of Hayes’ production floor workers were female. The team that runs Hayes’ operations includes a female value stream manager, engineering manager and manufacturing supervisor. A former Hayes employee was the first woman in the country selected for the Industrial Manufacturing Technician registered apprenticeship program with encouragement from her female supervisor.
As manufacturers face a talent crunch and are taking steps to attract more female employees, Hayes has a significant head start. In fact, when you talk to current Hayes employees — you get the impression that the company’s male-female balance is so ingrained that they don’t see it as abnormal.
“They don’t,” said Lou Ann Koval, Hayes’ vice president of human resources and general counsel. “It is normal.”
Jody Stimps, value stream manager for Hayes’ power sports and motorcycle divisions, grew up in a household where both parents worked in manufacturing. So she was aware of the opportunities that exist. That isn’t necessarily the case for female employees who come to Hayes from previous jobs outside manufacturing, but it doesn’t take long for any stigmas to fade away.
“They’re a little bit surprised – ‘I’ve never done this before, but I can do this,’” Stimps says. “And it’s a fun environment. I’ve been in manufacturing for 20-plus years. It’s all I know, so I love it. But, I think it surprises a lot of people that it’s not as difficult as it may seem.”
Dark, dirty and dangerous? “Definitely not the case!,” Stimps says.
Koval and Timothy Hake, Hayes’ director of human resources, say there are several factors in Hayes’ appeal to women. They work largely with small parts, emphasizing precision over heavy lifting. They have a clean working environment, a culture that allows for flexibility and career advancement, and the presence of female leadership.
“Once you get more women in management, it’s easier to start building upon that until you reach that critical mass where we don’t really recognize it any more,” Hake says.
// Timothy Hake HR Director, Hayes Performance Systems
Finding a home in manufacturing
Tracy Papp was working for a house cleaning company when someone she knew told her about Hayes, and then helped her get hired. She started off in assembly, then entered a two-year apprenticeship program that exposed her to several other departments at Hayes – including one that caught her interest, machining.
“They had a position open,” she says. “So I was like, I’m going to try it and switch over. And I really like it a lot.”
What does she like about it?
“You have to think about what you’re doing,” she says. “It’s more challenging to me.”
For Papp, a challenging work environment isn’t the only advantage to working in manufacturing. She also likes the hours, beginning at 6 a.m. and finishing at 2:30 p.m.
“You have the whole rest of the day, and it’s still light out,” she says. “And it’s nice because some of the other manufacturing companies in the area have the same time schedules. My boyfriend assembles engines (at another company), and he has the same exact time schedule as I do. And we can relate to each other, what we’re doing at work.”
Elizabeth Herrick has been at Hayes for 20 years after leaving a job as a preschool teacher; “I can still use some of those skills,” she jokes. She started in assembly and has worked her way up to a supervisor position.
“I plan on retiring here,” she says. “I have no reason to go anywhere. I’m pretty content. I like what I do and I’m comfortable here.” Adds Aleesha Buckner, a former shift manager at a fast food restaurant who now works as a parts auditor at Hayes: “I love my job. I love the people that I work with. I’ll be here for a while.”
Emphasis on flexibility
Asked to describe Hayes’ appeal, Hake points to the company’s competitive benefits package, comprehensive training process and professional development opportunities. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt that they make cool things: Employees can check out a mountain bike with a Hayes braking system for the weekend.
Their most significant differentiator, however, might be flexibility.
“Everybody has a life, right?,” Hake says. “So when things do pop up, we’ll work with them one on one to work through those things.”
That, of course, can be challenging in a manufacturing environment – but not impossible, even for employees who work on the manufacturing floor in assembling or machining positions.
“You can still allow people to come in early or leave early, they can make up hours depending on various shifts and machine equipment availability,” Hake says. “You may not get overtime on the weekend (when making up hours), but you can at least make up the hours if you missed them.”
Stimps has only been at Hayes for five months, but already has a strong appreciation for the environment. “I like that it’s a very tight-knit group of people here,” she says. “It’s a smaller company. Everybody’s so welcoming, and eager to show you the ropes. I’ve really enjoyed my time here.”
Hake says the steps Hayes has put in place has paid off, both for the employees and the company.
“Turnover is way down, and continues to decline every year,” Hake said. “I think our employees are more engaged. It’s taking a look at all of those factors in a manufacturing setting – it’s the climate control, it’s safety, it’s cleanliness, it’s professional. It’s a good environment to be working in. And then if you like the markets that we’re in, people stay for a long time.” p
