The report, Minding the Manufacturing Gender Gap: How manufacturers can get their fair share of talented women, is a collaborative effort of APICS SCC, Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute. More than 600 women across manufacturing provided insight into best practices for attracting, retaining and advancing women in manufacturing careers.

Key findings from the study include:

• Respondents ranked opportunities for challenging and interesting assignments, attractive pay and work-life balance as the top three most important priorities.

• 26 percent of respondents rated their companies’ retention efforts as poor or very poor.

• Two-thirds of respondents indicated standards of performance are not the same for men and women.

• 84 percent of executives responding to the skills gap survey agree there is a talent shortage in U.S. manufacturing.

“By focusing on recruiting and retaining female talent, organizations can lessen turnover, decrease workforce costs by improving employee relations, enhance shareholder value, and improve public perception,” said APICS CEO Abe Eshkenazi. “Prioritizing continued education through organizations like APICS can support the professional development of employees and by doing so, help companies retain valuable talent. We are seeing positive changes from the industry regarding recruitment efforts, but it will take a collective effort to see a greater number of women applying for positions in manufacturing and progressing to leadership roles.

“In 2015 the manufacturing industry is anticipated to yield approximately 700,000 new jobs, creating an urgency to recruit and retain women in manufacturing careers,” said Eshkenazi.

The report also notes that a critical problem companies face is the inability to retain and engage with employees. Understanding the evolving attitudes toward work, expectations of work-life balance and personal advancement are important in retaining employees and meeting the expectations of prospective workers.

The Manufacturing Institute continues to contribute to the efforts of attracting and advancing women in manufacturing through the STEP Ahead Awards, which recognizes outstanding women in the manufacturing industry. Click here to nominate a female in manufacturing who deserves this recognition. For more information on the study, see the full report here.

Source: APICS Supply Chain Council