It is no secret that the engineering field is male-dominated. According to a report by the US National Science Board, only 28% of engineers are women. The recruitment of engineers for decades has been extremely one-sided to a certain gender.
Contrary to popular belief, women have played a massive role in the engineering and development of products that we use today. To name a few, Mary Anderson created Windshield Wipers, Stephanie Kwolek discovered Kevlar, and Josephine Cochrane invented the Dishwasher. “Women who are ‘Onlys’ — often the only person in the room of their gender, race or ethnicity, or both — have a significantly worse experience at work,” reported McKinsey’s 2021 Women in the Workplace report. Women in software engineering are statistically even more likely to be an “Only” in their workplace when compared to the workforce as a whole.
Traditional methods of recruiting women to engineering have not been successful for several reasons. One of the biggest issues is that they often rely on stereotypes. In the US, women earn an average of 20% less than men in engineering.
So, how do you recruit women engineers?
- Reflect on why your company is looking to hire an engineer(s). It is projected that companies will need 182,000 skilled engineering professionals running up to 2023, so it is no surprise if your business is the same!
- Take time to research the engineering position you are hiring for. When hiring engineering staff, it is key that you understand what kind of skills and qualifications are essential for the role.
- Create job ads that engage and appeal to the best candidates. There is indeed a growing demand for engineers, but there currently exists a shortfall of 55,000 skilled workers for that demand.
- Outsource your efforts to an expert recruitment agency. Finding an engineering candidate that perfectly fits your company culture, meets your job specifications and is passionate about your industry can be time-consuming and difficult to source, not to mention expensive if you get it wrong!
- Make the most of the interview & onboarding process.
Equitable hiring strategies and generous benefits provide a foundation for the development of an inclusive workplace culture for employees who identify as women. Investment in concrete practices pays off in the long term as they continue to support the recruitment and retention of women in engineering roles.
In addition to robust PTO and parental leave, policies, and benefits, including pay transparency and equity, mentorship programs, childcare support, flexible schedules, and development opportunities, are helping companies recruit and retain women in engineering roles.
We do have a long way to go to level the playing field across the world for women in engineering roles, but we have made great strides. Enginuity Advantage has years of experience hiring for engineering roles.
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