It is well-documented that Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) industries are not fiercely populated by women. According to the Women’s Engineering Society, just 6% of the engineering workforce is female. At Brompton Bicycle we have experienced a similar struggle to find female engineers: at the moment we have one in a team of 17 – something we are keen to change.
A balanced team is imperative for any business. For most, ourselves included, 50% of the target market is female. It makes no sense to have a workforce that is predominantly made up of men catering for a consumer base made up of both sexes in equal parts. We are aware that we are in danger of missing out on innovations that could make a huge difference to our customers.
But, as a business, how do you kick the image of an industry stereotypically made up of men in greasy boiler suits and become more appealing to those women who you need on your side? This is an industry-wide issue, in which education plays a significant role. However I believe that there are steps that individual businesses can take towards building a workforce that truly represents their customer base.
Build from the ground up
Be proactive in encouraging more women into the industry. This all begins with education. Devise initiatives that help to position engineering as an attractive career choice for the young generations and raise awareness about the excitement and benefits a career in the industry can offer.
Get local schools into your factories; show them the modern environment that engineers now work in and that there are opportunities for girls to break out of the confines of stereotypical career choices.
Brompton Bicycle opens its doors to students as part of our industry insight days. All of the activities available offer a genuine insight into our business, so students gain a solid understanding of where they could fit in and how engineering embraces our modern world; how it grabs and excites people to make a difference.
Employ a mentoring scheme
It is extremely important to support people through their careers, particularly when they are in a minority. For a mentee, the gift of having someone to listen, advise, challenge and nurture productive thinking is invaluable. It also gives mentors a great opportunity to see the business and industry through a fresh pair of eyes and understand the challenges faced by women.
Set the tone from the top
Whether it’s your intention or not, you create your company culture and set the tone from the top. Your policies need to be fair, consistent and well-communicated, while senior figures must be vocal about their desire for a gender-balanced workplace.
We turned to Investors in People (IIP) to help guide us through this, reinforce our policies to get the best from all of our people. Working with the IIP has really helped people to feel there’s a consistent approach across the workplace, as we make decisions using the same guidelines and standards.
Be flexible
Offer flexible working options not just to working mothers but to anyone with caring responsibilities. This will help crush many of the barriers that are preventing women from entering and remaining in work while caregiving.
A recent study, conducted by Timewise and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, found that 46% of workers want to work flexibly to fit in with modern life, but few jobs offer this.
Provide strong female role models
Pressure group Sciencegrrl found that when asked to name a female role model in engineering and science, one in 10 people named male engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
There is clearly a strong need for more female role models in Stem. To encourage more women to join your organisation, make sure you shout about those who are at the top levels. This communicates to potential employees that you value equality and that your definition of a leader isn’t bound by gender.
Strategic business benefits
We are aware of the skills deficit in the UK and understand that to thrive, we must find a successionary pool of new talent and expertise. By making a name for ourselves as an educational advocate at the strategic and national level we aim to ensure a pipeline for the future of engineers, female and male.
There is no one-size-fits all solution, but businesses that pay attention to how they manage their people for inclusivity will reap the financial benefits in the longer term.
