Supply Chain: More Important Positions Held by Women
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#### Many companies in the supply chain industry are taking strategic and proactive measures to recruit and retain more qualified female employees.
Although the field of supply chain management has historically been male-dominated, efforts to increase gender diversity are now on the rise. This is driven by one of the biggest pain points faced by companies with large supply chains: talent shortages and challenges in employee retention and engagement. Today, talent management has become one of the largest expenses for businesses—but at what cost? Common budget allocations for talent development range from 3% to 6% of payroll or 2% to 4% of revenue. On average, it costs around $5000 to hire a new employee, but many employers estimate that total costs can be three to four times the salary.
What are some of the biggest challenges? There is often a shortage of talent with skilled labor demand exceeding supply, which could lead to gaps in personnel. Maintaining engagement and motivation among employees in large diverse organizations can also be challenging. High turnover rates can bring significant costs and disruption, making effective retention strategies crucial.
The Role of Women in Important Supply Chain Management Positions
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Some companies are addressing this workforce challenge by exploring recruitment from new groups—including women. Intentionally hiring more female employees can offer notable advantages. Here are some of them:
* **Enhance profitability.** Diversity helps companies hire top talent, better understand their consumers, and build a solid reputation.
* **Faster problem-solving.** Employees with different experiences and perspectives can propose varied solutions to resolve issues more quickly.
* **Increase productivity.** A diverse workforce brings multiple skills, experiences, and viewpoints that may lead to more creativity and processes, thus boosting productivity.
* **Improve decision-making.** Diverse teams help control biases, encourage questioning assumptions, thereby improving decisions.
* **Enhance customer understanding.** A diverse team can better understand and serve the client base.
* **Reduce turnover rates.** Diversity can lower employee turnover rates, saving on hiring and training costs.
* **Boost innovation.** A diverse workforce drives innovation, helping companies stand out in competition.
* **Improve employer branding.** Diversity has a positive impact on an organization’s employer brand.
How Many Women Are Working in the Industry?
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Are women playing more significant roles in transportation and logistics? The simple answer is: Yes.
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) regularly conducts WIT Index surveys, which serve as a barometer for the industry to benchmark and measure the proportion of women in various roles within transportation and logistics such as executive management (C-suite), board positions; operational, technician, human resources/talent management, safety, sales, and marketing functions; and professional truck drivers.
The 2024-25 WIT Index reveals key data points indicating that women are playing increasingly important roles in the industry:
* A significant proportion of leadership roles are held by women. For example, 28% of executives in C-level management are female, while 34.5% of company leaders have managerial responsibilities.
* On average, 29.5% of board members are women. About 40% of participating companies report that the proportion of women on their boards ranges from 20% to 49%.
* Among professional truck drivers with a CDL license, an average of 9.5% are female.
* Approximately 38.5% of dispatchers are women.
* On average, 38.5% of safety professionals are women.
Addressing the Talent Gap through Greater Gender Diversity
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Many companies in the supply chain industry are adopting strategic and proactive approaches to incorporate more qualified women into their overall workforce strategies. Here are four ways companies can achieve this goal:
Firstly, companies are rethinking talent acquisition and promotion strategies as part of their overall business strategy. To attract women to the transportation and logistics sector, businesses need to focus not only internally but also externally in terms of industry outreach. In talent acquisition, smart companies prioritize individual qualities and what they bring to the table.
Secondly, follow through on commitments. Companies without active diversity-building strategies are prone to common pitfalls that lead to failure. Organizations must prioritize, collaborate, and think long-term regarding gender diversity.
Lastly, women need to feel more empowered. Women typically apply only for roles where they meet all qualifications, whereas men often apply even if they meet just 60% of the criteria. Similarly, because men are more likely to speak up and proactively seek promotions, they tend to be promoted more frequently than women. Companies can take a more proactive approach in identifying and promoting talented women within their organizations.
“Women need to take responsibility for themselves and their careers,” said an industry recruiter. “They must apply confidently even if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. They also need to be more assertive when seeking promotions.”
### About the Author
Brian Everett
_Brian Everett is the Group Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Women In Trucking Association (WIT)’s official magazine, “Redefining the Road.” He plays a key role in WIT’s strategic advisory and manages the association’s annual Accelerate! conference. With over 30 years of experience in marketing, communications, and sales within transportation, warehousing, and logistics, Everett specializes in business strategy, B-to-B marketing, and association management. He is also a senior partner at MindShare Strategies, providing market consultancy to key clients. Everett previously served as the Executive Director of National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council (NASSTRAC) and was the Group Publisher and Editor-in-Chief for “Food Chain Digest” and “Food For Thought,” the official magazine and member e-newsletter of Food Shippers of America._
_Everett has held positions on the board of directors with the International Association of Business Communicators, including international, regional, and local chapters; is a member of the Supply Chain Management Professionals Council (CSCMP) Twin Cities chapter; and served as chair for the transportation track at recent Warehouse Education Research Council (WERC) conferences. In fact, given his professional experience and passion for the industry, Everett was recognized as one of the youngest recipients of TMSA’s “Lifetime Achievement Award.”_
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Source: New SCMR
