Last week, our founder and Managing Director Nikki Redhead spoke at the launch event for Women in Cold Chain. She was part of a panel of inspirational speakers who discussed how the cold chain and temperature-controlled sectors can attract and retain more women. 

The purpose of Women in Cold Chain is to encourage female school leavers and graduates, as well as women from other sectors, to consider a career in temperature-controlled storage and distribution. The sector is traditionally very male dominated, even though there is plenty of female talent. 

The gender split in UK transport and logistics stands at around 20% women, which is disheartening given the size of the sector. The (accurate) perception that the industry is male-dominated discourages women from joining and creates a catch-22. 

While there has been considerable progress towards improving equality, a report by the Department of Transport in 2021 identified several challenges.  The research found problems with gender stereotyped training which limited career opportunities for women. It also found a low uptake of shared parental leave. 

Women in the sector found that working arrangements were often inflexible compared to other sectors, leading to a “leaky talent pipeline” of women leaving the sector early.  At a practical level, women said that onsite facilities were often designed for men, which in some instances made their working experiences unsatisfactory and potentially dangerous.

There is no doubt that equality brings huge benefits to both the workforce and to business success.  As a proudly female-led company, we understand better than most the contribution women can make to the temperature-controlled storage and distribution industry. In this blog post, we look at ways to persuade more women to explore a career in cold chain.

Ensure equal pay and benefits

The gender pay gap still stands at 14.9% in the UK. This means the average woman in paid employment effectively works for free for nearly two months of the year when compared to their male counterparts. In logistics, a massive 70% of companies admit they pay men higher salaries than women. This is often perpetuated by offering to match a candidate’s previous salary and benefits package. Consider performing an equal pay audit to compare the pay of men and women doing equal work in your business to identify and eliminate instances of unequal pay that cannot be justified.

Offer flexible working

All employees have the legal right to request flexible working, not just parents and carers, yet many are not aware of this. It’s well worth promoting your openness to flexible working, as this could make a job opportunity more attractive to women. This could include remote or hybrid working, flexibility in start and finish times, or part-time contracts.

While this benefits all employees, women in particular are attracted to flexible working, since childcare and family caring responsibilities tend to fall disproportionately on them. Flexible working gives your employees a better work/life balance, meaning improved wellbeing plus improved productivity in the workplace.  Flexible working also improves employee retention and makes your company a more attractive place to work for everyone, but especially for women and those with families.

Promote the benefits of our industry

The temperature-controlled storage and distribution industry offers great opportunities for career progression, with a wide range of roles suiting any number of skillsets. Our industry quickly embraces new technologies, making it an exciting sector for ambitious employees.  A more diverse business benefits from an enriched talent pool, which drives innovation. By promoting these benefits, your business can attract a more successful workforce.

Include women in decision making

Your female employees, in any role, have a better understanding of what it’s like to be a woman in the sector than their male counterparts. That might be stating the obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Draw on their experiences, both to make improvements in your workplace and to make them feel valued.

Some businesses have outdated cultures which put women off, so speak to your female employees about how this can be changed. Involving female staff in recruitment and training will help you promote your business to potential female employees.

Support the education of young women

To ensure there is a large pool of candidates in the future, we must inspire girls and young women from an early age. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects are studied by too few females, despite research which shows that girls enjoy them.

There is a perception that STEM subjects are more male-centric, which discourages girls from choosing them. To help shift this perception, consider supporting initiatives which aim to inspire female participation in STEM subjects. This will provide girls with the knowledge and skills they need for a career in cold chain.

Your business can actively participate in career fairs and school events, as well as offer internships and apprenticeships to demonstrate the opportunities available for women.

Existing organisations like Women in Cold Chain and Women in Transport already work hard to encourage women to join and remain in the sector.  Their efforts can be reinforced by the actions of individual businesses. 

At Keep it Cool, we’re proud of the strength and diversity within our team, which has undoubtedly contributed to the success of our business and the happiness of our people. As a mum of four, MD Nikki understands the importance of work/life balance (as well as the difficulty in achieving it). She is passionate about the fantastic opportunities available to women in cold chain, and as a company we will continue to strive to improve the gender imbalance in our industry.