Why are Manufacturing Companies Focusing on Female Talent?

Feb. 4, 2014

If International Paper's CEO gets his way the company’s payroll will be made up of 51% women.

When a company, such as International Paper (IW 500/46), is faced with having to replace more than 50% of its producton floor workforce within the next decade, a wide net must be cast to entice employees.

In an article on BloombergBusinessweek, Christopher Donville talked to the company’s CEO, John Faraci, about their strategy. “It’s a war for talent,” Faraci told Donville. “If we can only compete for half the people that are on the planet, how are we going to get the best? You want to compete for everybody.”

Should Faraci get his way the company’s payroll will be made up of 51% women, reflecting the percent of women in the general U.S. population.

Across all manufacturing sectors in the U.S., women are underrepresented in the workforce, with women comprising only 24.8% of the durable goods manufacturing workforce, according to the Manufacturing Institute's/Deloitte report, "Untapped resource: How manufacturers can attract, retain, and advance talented women."

However, International Paper has a good track record to stand on given that last year among the company’s five highest-paid executives three were women.

Read more about how International Paper is recruiting women.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Bio: Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today.

Editorial mission statement: Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I find manufacturing interesting: On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.