Although women represent around half of the labour force in the United Kingdom, they account for only 26.1% of all workers in the manufacturing sector.
The UK has the lowest women’s participation in manufacturing of the top 15 countries. Yet manufacturing companies face difficulties in finding workers with both traditional and advanced skills. The lowest representation within manufacturing is in:
- Motor vehicles (12.6%)
- Basic metals (15.6%)
- Repair and installation of machinery and equipment (16.9%)
In 2023, women in the manufacturing sector earned 15.9% less than men … an improvement from the 16.7% gender pay gap observed in 2022. This value, however, is higher than the 14.3% gender pay gap across the entire UK economy. The difference in pay is 4.8% for women under 29, rising to between 11.5% and a huge 19.7% disparity in all other age bands. (ONS 2024)
March 8 2025, is International Women’s Day. Let’s illustrate this with a shout-out to some of the women who have influenced manufacturing:
- Ada Lovelace – one of the first software developers.
- Hedy Lemarr – invented technology that enables today’s wireless communication.
- Stephanie Kwolek – invented Kevlar, material used in body armour and Formula One cars.
- Mary Anderson and Charlotte Bridgwood – invented automatic windscreen wipers.
- Martha Coston – brought the signal flare to life.
Now is the perfect time to focus on attracting and retaining female workers.
Adding value
Encouraging more women to work in manufacturing offers exciting potential for the sector:
- Soft skills are general traits needed for most jobs, such as teamwork, problem solving, communication, adaptability and interpersonal skills. Women have a 28% higher share of soft skills than men.The gap is growing. (Fortune, 2024)
- Diverse views and approaches can create innovation in any situation, and a range of skill sets can contribute to solutions. Women can offer a different perspective and enhance the capabilities of teams. (Look at those great examples above!)
- There are financial gains to be realised too. PwC reports: ‘We find that even a 5% increase in the total number of women in employment In the UK could boost GDP by £125bn per annum.’
Workplace culture
Encouraging women to join – and remain in – the manufacturing sector is heavily influenced by workplace culture. An inclusive and diverse workplace benefits employee morale and retention.
In 2021, almost half of women working in manufacturing, production or warehouse roles were considering a move to a different sector. Only 25% were certain they wanted to stay. These are worrying statistics. Manufacturing businesses depend on the skills and experience of their employees and recruitment is time-consuming and potentially costly.
Important issues for employees within manufacturing are:
- Workplace flexibility – valued by 80% of manufacturing employees.
- Practical empathy – only 65% of manufacturing employees feel that empathy from leaders is accompanied by meaningful action and support.
- Feeling valued – 61% of production workers say everyone has the same access to opportunities in their organisation.
- Skill building – reflecting the increasing impact of technology, including AI.
- Nimble resilience – encouraging innovation and preventing burnout.
(Source: O.C. Tanner, 2024)
Addressing these issues supports the entire workforce – not just the female workers.
There are business benefits to be gained too: Low engagement teams have turnover rates typically 18% to 43% higher than highly engaged teams.
Why do employees work for you?
With skills shortages and retention difficulties in manufacturing, what can companies do to attract and keep talent?
Employee Value Proposition (EVP) involves understanding what successful employees most like about working in your organisation. Why do they work for you?
‘Asking your employees for feedback on their job, your organisation and how they feel about work, is all part of the Employee Value Proposition (EVP),’ explains Emma Clack of Heneom HR. ‘There are many parts to your EVP because it’s all about understanding the culture of your business, why it is unique and what it stands for.
‘Your EVP will flow through all aspects of your organisation – from whom and how you recruit, to the culture of the organisation, the ways of working, the communication and teamwork … it’s an endless thread even incorporated in how and why people leave your business.’
A proactive EVP making a positive difference to workplace culture is how your organisation can stand out and attract top talent. EVP policies typically involve five pillars:
- Compensation
- Career development
- Work-life balance
- Company culture
- Purpose and mission
Are you positively encouraging female workers?
Attracting women to work in manufacturing requires:
- creating inclusive workplace cultures,
- offering flexible working arrangements, and
- providing targeted recruitment and development programs.
Let’s make this happen! Manufacturing has a reputation as a traditional, dominated industry. The time to change is now. Encouraging women into manufacturing widens the talent pool available, facilitates greater innovation and drives economic growth. It makes manufacturing more resilient too. What’s stopping you?
For no-nonsense HR advice and guidance, contact Emma Clack at Heneom HR. Email [email protected] or book in a free, no-obligation 30 minute call here: calendly.com/emma-heneomhr/30mins-introductory-call
To find out more about Heneom HR and what they do, visit www.heneomhr.com
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