Business Aviation, a subset of the aerospace industry, is illustrative of a male dominated field with a relatively small percentage of women and minorities employed in flying, sales or technical positions. As a career aircraft sales professional with over thirty years of global experience in the pre-owned marketplace, I have had an interesting perch from which I have watched the industry evolve in many respects. As well interface with corporations across a broad classification of industries where overwhelmingly the key decision makers were male. Sadly, not much of the change in my industry has included the recruitment of women to fill these jobs, let alone elevate qualified, female, industry veterans into leadership roles. While this is perhaps an extreme example of the lack of diversity among a workforce, small and large companies across the spectrum need to embrace active recruitment of young woman to fill roles that they otherwise might not have thought themselves qualified for or even considered as an option. Publicly traded corporations need to more aggressively engage in the search and recruitment of qualified women to fill board seats so as to gain a more global perspective and stimulate idea creation and innovation.
Education & Partnering
There are a number of industries that young girls and women have not pursued simply because they do not know they exist or lack specific information as to potential career opportunities. It is important to foster at an early age an interest in certain skill sets that broaden the mind and open paths to more technical fields. Today there are a number of groups focused on education that stimulates an interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among girls as young as kindergarten. Exposure to STEM through formal education as well as extra-curricular activities forges a relationship between the disciplines and girls that in turn empowers them to believe that they can accomplish anything.
Companies can demonstrate a commitment to society by partnering with a school and offering on campus educational opportunities or otherwise financial support for a specific program. Alternatively, they can sponsor a group that offers after school programs in STEM education. In exchange they are given the opportunity to build awareness of their particular industry, the role they play within it and the employment options that exist. While at the K-12 level this means a long road to attracting and finding the right employee, select industries are going to have to do just that in order to meet future needs for skilled professionals.
Promotion
Awareness is an integral part of attracting talent to a niche business or one whose image is that of being strictly a domain for men. Using images of women in the workforce filling non-traditional roles is a form of empowerment and encouragement to a younger generation. Female mentors and role models are an effective means by which to convey to women that this is a job you are capable of. Companies should rethink their messaging to the public and continue to increase advertising and promotion that feature women performing jobs more closely associated with men in an effort to dispel the myth that it is closed to them. Image advertising that features a key female employee helps for young girls and women to identify and spark interest in following them into this profession. No question that promoting women into leadership roles sends the strongest message of all.
Active Recruitment
Larger corporations routinely recruit from college campuses across the country through career resource centers and job fairs, but are they making their appeal equally attractive to both genders? The potential for gainful employment that exist in many STEM fields needs to be communicated broadly and career counselors and educators engaged in the process.
Businesses need to be more assertive in seeking out qualified women candidates for leadership positions and recruit aggressively. Women account for more than half the population and so their numbers at the C suite level and in board rooms should be more reflective of that fact. There are professional women in select fields who are now taking the matter into their own hands by actively promoting their skill sets vis a vis web sites focused on raising awareness. This provides another resource to corporations to source a qualified board member beyond traditional recruitment services and an insider referral.
The problem of a lack of diversity in the workplace can in part be overcome by early engagement with girls and boys. Through equal opportunities in education, support in the pursuit of non-traditional careers and confidence building among young girls will encourage then to stretch their boundaries and put an end to role playing.
