Blokes. They’re everywhere in the supply chain.

I say this in jest, but as a woman entrepreneur & CEO in the supply chain, I’m the minority everywhere I go. 

Women at all levels of employment in the supply chain, transport and logistics sector are underrepresented and difficult to retain. And unlocking their potential in our industry could be the difference between a thriving post-COVID economy, or bare supermarket shelves.

In spite of supply chain companies investing in new technologies to shore up operations, their number one solution to the labour problem is higher wages. Throwing money at the problem when the technology for digitisation exists is mind-boggling. It’s a temporary solution to an endemic problem. 

But in the past, it worked. Higher wages led to positions being filled. Now more cash is no longer enough.

With more employment options, workers place greater value on relational elements, such as a sense of belonging or having caring and trusting teammates at work.

It’s no surprise that the logistics industry is struggling to fill roles. We’re not known for the workplace “warm and fuzzies”. This is a problem that can no longer be laughed off or dismissed. The lack of women working in the supply chain industry is an endemic problem from the bottom up.

Transport is still seen as a job associated with masculinity; it limits women through a lack of belief that women are physically capable of performing certain job requirements.  This has a ripple effect, as workers progress in their careers and ultimately reach leadership roles, by being promoted from the existing warehouse staff. 

When women are hired, they report feeling they are not treated equally by their leaders, and like so many industries, they are paid less than their male counterparts. And even though women leaders outscore men in employee surveys, most logistics companies have yet to adopt primary diversity targets.

So why should the industry be making an effort to hire (and retain) more women?