Körber on empowering women

MOVING THE DIAL ON GENDER EQUALITY

To attract more women to supply chain, the image needs to shift away from males dominating the industry.

The supply chain industry is characterised by an ageing and largely male workforce, but this is starting to change. Leading the way in this step-change is technology solutions provider Körber Supply Chain. MHD catches up with the APAC team to find out more.

In 2020, Deakin University’s Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics (CSCL) released its report on the under-representation of women in the supply chain and logistics workforce. The report is based on extensive interviews with more than 100 women in the sector, making it the most comprehensive study of this issue in Australia to date.

The research revealed that the sector has an image problem, with stereotypical views of male truck drivers and dirty warehouses that discourage many women from applying, and a boys’ club reputation that typically holds women back in their careers.

While there is still a long way to go, there is a step-change happening in the industry and a number of businesses leading the way when it comes to gender equality in supply chain. One of the businesses in the APAC region is Körber Supply Chain. According to Nishan Wijemanne, Managing Director APAC at Körber Supply Chain, recruitment practices have traditionally been onedimensional in this sector, which is holding the industry back.

“Recruitment practices need to be much wider and strategic to ensure we attract a more diverse workforce,” Nishan says. “At Körber Supply Chain, we look behind the CV and dive deeper into cultural awareness, ambition and background. This has helped us recruit from a much more diverse background

than the traditional profile of supply chain professionals.”

As a result of attracting a much more diverse workforce, not just from a gender perspective but from an education and cultural background perspective – the outlook, experience and way Körber Supply Chain approaches business and client relationships has been improved and enhanced, Nishan says.

While there is a long way to go, the industry is improving and in 2021, Gartner’s annual Women in Supply Chain Survey results showed the highest percentage of women in the supply chain workforce since the survey’s inception in 2016.

The survey revealed that women now comprise 41 per cent of the supply chain workforce, up from 39 per cent in 2020. Additionally, every leadership level saw an increase in representation, except the executive level where there has been a slight decline – with women only accounting for 15 per cent of executive level roles, which is down from 17 per cent in 2020.

At Körber Supply Chain’s Elevate conference in 2021, female senior leaders and change markers from across the supply chain industry met to discuss what needs to be done to attract more women in supply chain.

Speaking at Elevate APAC, Kari Banick, General Manager at Linfox said she fell into the industry by accident, which is often the case in supply chain. She said she immediately loved the people and process aspect of supply chain and the opportunity to implement the newest of new technology.

At the event, all of the panellists were unanimous in their gratitude and enthusiasm for the opportunities the industry has given them and each spoke of their commitment to making sure they improve diversity across the board.

According to Nishan, creating an inclusive environment for all is key to recruiting a more diverse workforce in supply chain and for him, this ultimately comes down to good leadership.

“Leaders at all levels across the business need to work harder to create an inclusive environment – this is how we learn and develop

SOPHIE GREENWOOD,

MARKETING EXECUTIVE, KÖRBER SUPPLY CHAIN APAC

WHY DO YOU THINK WOMEN ARE WELL-SUITED TO ROLES IN SUPPLY CHAIN AND TECH?

Women typically have great interpersonal skills, which is important within a company and when dealing with external personnel such as customers, partners, and vendors. This also is highly valued when they take on leadership roles, where they effectively support their team, inspire, and motivate others, and display high levels of integrity.

To create more opportunities for women in the supply chain and technology fields, there needs to be a mindset shift away from males dominating the industries. Whenever I go into a warehouse, I always see women on the floor as operators and within the offices. We need to increase the visibility of women from marketing ventures and promoting women into leadership roles.

HAVE YOU HAD STRONG FEMALE ROLE MODELS IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE AND HOW HAS THIS HELPED YOU?

Rachita Naik, Director of Marketing APAC at Körber Supply Chain has been my biggest role model in my professional life. She has taken me under her wing from day one and shown me the ropes to the corporate world and being a woman within a male-dominated industry. She is fearless and works incredibly hard to bring strong ideas to the table. The projects and the team at Körber have stood out in the industry because of her efforts. I have so much respect for her as a person and a manager, she is a fantastic marketer but most of all she values my success and guides me in my career journey.

TARRYN EDELSTEIN,

SOUTHERN REGION SALES MANAGER AT KÖRBER SUPPLY CHAIN AND WINNER OF HONEYWELL’S PARTNER SALES ACHIEVER AWARD.

HOW CAN WE BETTER COMMUNICATE THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS SECTOR?

There needs to be a focus on hiring policies and programs that support women. The language in position descriptions can often appeal to males, leading to more applications from males than females. Females generally only apply for jobs where they meet a significant number of the job requirements, whereas males will often apply for jobs even when they don’t meet as many of the requirements. Posting a position description with a greater number of ‘requirements’ could therefore lead to less female applicants.

HOW DO YOU THINK MEN CAN BE BETTER ALLIES TO WOMEN IN A MALE-DOMINATED INDUSTRY?

Sexism in the workplace is often less obvious than many might assume and therefore harder to notice when it is prevalent. Having more awareness of the challenges and the unconscious bias that women face within these maledominated industries is the biggest step towards making a change.

IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE INDUSTRY CAN DO BETTER TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL?

Changes to policies that encourage women into the workforce (e.g. hiring policies, parental leave policies, etc.) as well the establishment of more leadership programs for women to encourage women to advocate for themselves in a male dominated industry.

business practices over time,” he says. “Inclusivity and collaboration must be paramount at all levels of the business.”

Körber Supply Chain APAC prides itself on its diverse workforce. With a number of females in executive, sales and marketing roles – the business is proud to demonstrate that it is an equal opportunities employer.

“I am extremely proud of the team we have built over the years,” Nishan says. “With one of the most diverse teams in the market, I have had the privileged opportunity of collaborating and learning from a number of amazing women on my journey in this industry. The female leaders in our

To create more opportunities for women in supply chain, the image needs to shift away from being a male-focused industry.

I think the exposure to the opportunities in this sector is greater than it used to be. I even see that with my own daughters and their journey through life and education. The supply chain space is becoming a more attractive space to work in, and there is a great opportunity ahead to take advantage of. Whether that’s in a start-up or a large corporate – I think the opportunity today is greater than it has ever been. ”

Claudia Ford and Tarryn Edelstein both won the Partner Sales Achiever Award at the recent Honeywell Partner Conference.

team continue to deliver exceptional leadership and outcomes across the board.”

The Körber Supply Chain APAC team was recently recognised at the Honeywell Partner Conference with team members Claudia Ford, Client Executive, and Tarryn Edelstein, Southern Region Sales Manager, both winning the Partner Sales Achiever Award.

Throughout Körber Supply Chain APAC’s history, the organisation has recruited beyond the usual industry profiles, and as a result has been able to highlight the great opportunities that can be found in the supply chain and tech industry.

“I think the exposure to the opportunities in this sector is greater than it used to be,” Nishan says. “I even see that with my own daughters and their journey through life and education. The supply chain space is becoming a more attractive space to work in, and there is a great opportunity ahead to take advantage of. Whether that’s in a start-up or a large corporate – I think the opportunity today is greater than it has ever been.” ■ IVANA PUGLIESI, MARKETING INTERN AT KÖRBER SUPPLY CHAIN APAC

DO YOU THINK THE INDUSTRY IS TURNING A CORNER WITH REGARDS TO SEEING MORE WOMEN IN SUPPLY CHAIN AND TECH ROLES?

During my short time at Körber Supply Chain, I have seen many team members from a variety of fields have been women, which is amazing to see. I believe this diversity is due to Körber’s passion and drive to create a more inclusive and a diverse workplace.

HOW DO YOU THINK WOMEN CAN HELP SUPPORT EACH OTHER BETTER IN A MALEDOMINATED SECTOR AND WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Women supporting women is so important, especially in an industry that can be intimidating and full of masculine energy – there’s no worse feeling than feeling isolated and unsupported. For myself, I believe reassurance, encouragement, inclusion, and kindness has made me feel supported in my role at Körber Supply Chain.

IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE INDUSTRY CAN DO BETTER TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL?

I believe it comes down to how supply chain businesses are showcasing themselves to the public and potential applicants. They should look at how they are showcasing their values, workplace culture, job openings, opportunities for women in career progression, the list goes on. Just like how applicants need to ‘sell’ themselves to be offered a role, so do businesses and the supply chain industry combined. It should be a two-way street. CLAUDIA FORD, CLIENT EXECUTIVE AT KÖRBER SUPPLY CHAIN AND WINNER OF HONEYWELL’S PARTNER SALES ACHIEVER AWARD.

HOW DO YOU THINK WOMEN CAN HELP SUPPORT EACH OTHER BETTER IN A MALEDOMINATED SECTOR AND WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Women should almost always be supporting women, and it is no different for the supply chain industry. By ensuring there are women in leadership roles, those women in charge should be advocating for equal opportunities to women in their employment. HR is also a female dominated role and those in HR positions should ensure job descriptions have no gender bias, and that workplaces not only hire more women but have policies that ensure they enjoy their role and feel supported.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS ABOUT SUPPLY CHAIN THAT PREVENTS WOMEN FROM SEEING IT AS A VIABLE CAREER OPTION DESPITE THE OPPORTUNITIES?

Businesses need to be more consciously aware of who they target for roles and the demographic and gender that would apply for them. Through generating a stronger awareness about what supply chain is, the different roles available and how you can succeed, more women would be more likely to consider supply chain for a career.

IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE INDUSTRY CAN DO BETTER TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL?

Make the industry more appealing to women and stop conducting business as if it’s a boys’ club. Women should be actively encouraged to join by creating job advertisements and policies that cater to them. Finally, boost awareness of supply chain at schools and universities, showcasing diversity and inclusivity.