Women in Engineering: Our Nations Need to Recruit and Retain

1
Women in Engineering Our Nations Need to
Recruit and Retain
RDML Michael Giorgione CAPT Chris Honkomp LT
Chris Steele November 2007
2
The Importance of Diversity

• An increasing number of women are entering
  scientific studies in college, but better ways
  are needed to keep these women in science and to
  help them grow into leadership positions.
• DiversityWomen in Science Building Better
  Balance , Nov 2006.
• Everybody should be extraordinary to succeed,
  but nobody should have to be extraordinary to
  have the opportunity to succeed.     Phillip
  Cox, Chairman, Cincinnati Bell Telecom, May 2004,
  
• Chief Executive Roundtable.

3
The Pipeline - Engineering Education

• What happens in grade school?
• Do nature, parents, teachers and stereotypes
  influence girls and boys about what to be
  interested in?
• Women are over 50 of the U.S. population and are
  about 60 of university undergraduates
• Women make up about 45 of managerial positions
  in companies, but only 5 of senior executive
  positions
• In engineering, women are about
• 20 of bachelor degree graduates

4
Joining (and then leaving) the Workforce

• While women are 20 of the engineering graduates,
  they are only 13-15 of the workforce
• In the military, uniformed women engineers are
  9-12 of the officer corps (Army, Navy and Air
  Force)
• In the civilian workforce of the military, women
  engineers are 10-13 of the workforce
• Many women leave the workforce around the age of
  30
• Life choices, such as marriage and children
  become a priority
• Some want to pursue other interests and career
  opportunities by using engineering as a
  background
• Some believe women look for other careers and
  pursuits that work on finding solutions to
  real-world problems
• Some lack mentors and role models
• Are they pushed out?

5
Retention - Industry Approach

• Family Friendly HR practices
• Maternity leave flex schedules on-site day
  care telecommuting
• Give employees with significant life/work
  challenges flexibility and more time to show they
  are qualified for promotion
• Encourage men to participate in these benefits as
  well when only women participate, careers suffer
  as compared to men
• Give women demanding developmental job
  experiences
• Establish on-ramp programs for women who had to
  exit the workforce tap their experience and
  allow them to re-enter
• Avoid having a sole female member on a team
  ensure a critical mass of women to avoid
  tokenism

6
Retention - Military Approach

• Extension of maternity leave
• One year deferment from deployments after birth
• Considering approval of sabbaticals
• Geographic stability
• Paternity leave
• Flex hour schedule and telework
• Mentorship

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Summary

• What can we do? What should we do?
• Do you recognize that diversity is important in
  your workforce?
• Are you looking for and taking advantage of
  opportunities to diversify and promote women in
  the engineering workforce?
• Are you a proactive member of national
  organizations and schools?
• Are you a mentor and role model to all engineers?

8
References

• Attracting and Retaining Women in Engineering
  The Tufts Experience, Abriola, Linda M. and
  Davies, Margery W., 2007.
• Implicit Stereotypes and Gender Identification
  May Affect Female Math Performance, Science
  Daily, Jan, 24, 2007.
• Are Women Happy Under the Glass Ceiling? Clark,
  Hannah, Mar. 8, 2006.
• Off-Ramps and On-Ramps Keeping Talented Women
  on the Road to Success, Hewlett, Sylvia Ann and
  Luce, Carolyn Buck, Harvard Business Review,
  March, 2005.
• Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership, Eagly,
  Alice H. and Carli, Linda L., Harvard Business
  Review, September, 2007.

9
References

• Groundbreaking Study Exposes a Crisis Among
  Successful Women, Center for Work-Life Policy,
  Apr. 15, 2002.
• Did She Jump or Was She Pushed? A Study of
  Womens Retention in the Engineering Workforce,
  Roberts, Pam and Ayre, Mary, Oct. 15, 2001.
• The Glass Ceiling Effect and its Impact on
  Mid-Level Female Officer Career Progression in
  the United States Marine Corps and Air Force,
  Everston, Adrienne and Nesbitt, Amy, NPS
  Monterey, Mar. 2004.
• The War Over Unconscious Bias, Parloff, Roger,
  Fortune, Oct. 15, 2007.
• Women on Boards (Not!), Sellers, Patricia,
  Fortune, Oct. 15, 2007.