To celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), the spotlight is turning towards the supply chain and procurement industry and its journey towards achieving gender parity.
Melaye Ras-Work, vice president and co-founder, and Libby Keen, recruitment manager, both at Efficio, share their insights on the challenges and progress within the industry, shedding light on the unconscious biases that persist in the recruitment process.
This year’s IWD theme, #InspireInclusion, resonates strongly with Ras-Work and Keen, who argue that fostering inclusion must begin at the very outset of the recruitment process. In an industry often perceived as ‘less female-friendly’, such as procurement, attracting women into the field becomes a critical first step.
Ras-Work emphasises: “While strides have been made towards gender diversity, the procurement and supply chain sector still face challenges in achieving true gender parity. The lingering perception that some fields, like procurement, are less accommodating to women impacts the number of women pursuing roles in these areas. Businesses must consciously adopt a balanced recruitment process to avoid missing out on valuable talent from the start, as a skewed beginning hampers efforts to establish gender balance.”
Keen offers an essential perspective by focusing on the language used in job advertisements. She points out: “The language in job adverts can either encourage or deter potential candidates. Women may hesitate to apply if they focus on a single qualification they lack, while men are more likely to apply even if they lack certain qualifications. Recruiting professionals need to use language that avoids unconscious biases and discourages stereotypes. Tools are available to highlight such biases and guide the creation of more inclusive job specs. Simply tweaking the language in job adverts can significantly impact the number of women entering the recruitment funnel, thereby reshaping the gender balance at an early stage.”
Furthermore, Keen advocates for broadening the hiring pool by considering candidates from diverse educational backgrounds. Historically, there has been a bias towards STEM backgrounds in procurement, but Keen argues that problem solvers and strategic thinkers can emerge from various educational disciplines. Embracing diversity in education can bring a wealth of different perspectives to the field.
Ras-Work concludes by highlighting the evolving leadership landscape within the industry, noting: “Leadership styles are shifting towards collaboration and empowerment. Concepts like ‘servant leadership’ are gaining traction, emphasising leaders who serve and empower their teams. In a cross-functional profession like procurement, this collaborative approach is essential for driving change. Companies must not only attract but also develop and encourage talent, particularly ensuring that quieter, yet highly efficient, team members are not overlooked during evaluations and promotions.”
As we celebrate IWD, it’s evident that progress is being made in the procurement and supply chain industry. However, the call to action remains clear – businesses must continue their efforts to foster an inclusive environment, eliminate unconscious biases and provide equal opportunities for women to thrive in leadership roles within the field. The journey towards true gender parity is ongoing, but with the right initiatives, women can aspire to and achieve more leadership roles in procurement and supply chain.
