Workforce Development
What The Pandemic Has Taught Us About Recruiting and Retaining Women in the Manufacturing Workforce By: Allison Grealis, Founder and President of the Women in Manufacturing® Association (WiM)
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n October, nine new women manufacturing leaders were inducted into the Women in Manufacturing (WiM) Education Foundation Hall of Fame. Nominated by their peers, these women were recognized for their contributions over the course of their careers and their efforts to support the professional growth and success of other women in the sector. The ceremony was part of the 2021 Women in Manufacturing (WiM) SUMMIT in Cleveland, Ohio, which was themed, “Manufacturing HERoes,” in honor of manufacturing leaders who have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic by working tirelessly to produce essential products and to help lead a sector that continues to be the backbone of the U.S. economy. This acknowledgement is all the more critical in light of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on working women. From widespread job losses across industries to the rise of remote work to having to manage virtual learning for our children, how and when Americans across the board are able to plot their careers and make a living has been upended. And while some of these changes will prove short-term, and others, such as more flexible working options, may well be a positive for workers, there is one trend from the last 18 months that we need to take seriously and course-correct as quickly as possible: the rate at which women left the workforce. According to the National Women’s Law Center, more than 2.3 million women have left the labor market since March 2020. Even more troubling, one in four working women are considering leaving their job or downsizing their career due to pandemic-induced factors, such as loss of childcare. When you consider that, today, women make up 47 percent of the U.S. labor force, hold more than half of all U.S. managerial and professional positions, and earn more than half of all associates’, bachelors’, and masters’ degrees in this country, that is a serious blow to our nation’s workforce and economy, not to mention the financial stability and opportunity of American families. The loss of working women also boils down to dollars and
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22 IMD NOVEMBER 2021
cents. According to McKinsey and Company, employing women in leadership positions helps companies’ bottom lines, and companies that employ women in senior roles consistently financially outperform those with all-male leadership. In the manufacturing sector, the loss of highly-educated and accredited workers exacerbates an already significant gender gap. Today, women make up only 29 percent of our domestic manufacturing workforce. If we continue to lose women from these fields, then we run the very real risk of having the backbone of our economy become almost entirely male-dominated. That is not only problematic in principle, but means that an industry that touches nearly every corner of our day-to-day lives is missing out on the insight, experience, and expertise of half of our population. That is why it is critical that manufacturing employers take this issue seriously and make proactive steps to recruit, train, and promote women within their companies. The challenges experienced by women in the manufacturing sector is why WiM is committed to supporting the retention and advancement of our industry’s female workforce. A challenge facing many women in the workforce is balancing the needs of raising their children with their professional lives. If we are going to reverse the trend of women leaving the workforce, it is critical that working mothers feel that they aren’t alone in balancing the demands of a career with the demands of parenting. That means recognition and support from their employers and colleagues, and it
