Advancing Women
Mentoring
In order to support the advancement of women in your company, you should consider implementing a mentorship program. From an employer’s perspective, a mentored employee can be more knowledgeable and productive contributing to the bottom line.
- “At least as far back as 2007, over 71% of Fortune 500 companies have instituted formal mentor programs. ” 71%
Source: Whitney Beltran, (February 2016) Mentoring Women for Leadership. CHRONUS.
Retrieved from http://chronus.com/blog/mentoring-women-for-leadership
The challenges women face trying to advance in any male dominated industry can be very gender specific. Having a mentor who understands these challenges can offer a woman in trucking the support and encouragement she needs to step up and seize opportunities to advance her career. Too often women are overlooked for advancement because their supervisor’s or manager’s are not aware of their desire to move forward. They often put their heads down, work hard and hope someone recognizes their accomplishments. They can be uncomfortable with self-promotion and do not realize that directly asking for something can be instrumental in advancement. A mentor can help women employees break through these barriers and be successful.
A successful mentoring program must be well planned out, supported by all levels of the organization and given time to foster and grow.
In the videos below, both Dayna and Pamela talk about the importance of mentors. Check out their stories.
Resources:
- Joanna Barsh and Lareina Yee. (2011) McKinsey & Company. Unlocking the Full Potential of Women at Work
Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/unlocking-the-full-potential-of-women-at-work- Whitney Beltran, (February 2016) Mentoring Women for Leadership. CHRONUS.
Retrieved from http://chronus.com/blog/mentoring-women-for-leadership
Career Pathing
Employee Career Development Plans
Investing in your current workforce and growing talent from within is nothing new to the trucking industry in Atlantic Canada. Many successful individuals in trucking have gotten their start at entry-level positions within the company and worked their way upward. Except in larger companies with dedicated human resource professionals, much of the career pathing was done on an adhoc and informal basis. Employees who showed some interest in advancement were often the ones who benefited. Without proper planning, employees who advance are often left on their own to gain the knowledge and skills to do the job at hand. Some have and will continue to succeed despite the lack of formalized support, however, too many have and will continue to struggle not having the right competencies to fulfill the role. Without the right competencies and training to perform the job, morale, productivity and an employee’s health can be negatively affected.
In the videos below, both Melanie and Jessica discuss their career path in trucking.
Although some successful women have advanced in trucking under less formalized plans, the reality is that most women will respond better to a formalized approach. They are less likely to ask for advancement opportunities or share career aspirations with their supervisors or managers.
Did you know, according to Sheryl Sandberg, the C.O.O. of Facebook:
Susan Vinnicombe, (August 2013) Lean in but Keep your Balance. Management Focus. Retrieved from www.som.cranfield.ac.uk
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In a recent survey conducted on women in trucking by the Trucking Human Resource Sector Council, 66% of women who responded were looking to advance their careers or enhance their skills to better perform in their current positions. Based on this, it is important that you, as an employer, consider offering a career development program to harness the potential talent that exists among the women who currently work within your company.
A consistent message in trucking is we need qualified talent. The salaries and the opportunities for advancement in our industry are tremendous . . . [there are] great opportunities for females.
In order to develop a good career development plan, you need to consider the following:
Do you have a good organizational chart that highlights for employees the careers that are available within your company and have you shared this with all employees?
Written job descriptions that highlight not only the roles and responsibilities of a job but the competencies and experience needed is also important.
Do not only consider/highlight vertical paths. Lateral moves may not advance an employee to a higher level within the company but it can give them access to higher paying positions that may be hard to fill.
Performance review sessions or employee check-ins are great opportunities to discuss career development plans and gain insight into your employee’s career aspirations. You need to start the conversation. (Remember, not everyone wants to change careers or advance beyond their current levels and that is certainly OK)
Incorporate training and development, both internally and externally, into the career development plan in order to help the employee develop the needed competencies. For example, if you have an employee interested in advancing to a supervisory role, consider enrolling them in the Supervisory Development Program offered by the Trucking Human Resource Sector Council Atlantic.
Utilizing Mentors that have experience in the desired career can be a big part of the development process.
Once a path has been created and action items have been identified, support the plan by ensuring time and resources are available.
Finally, ensure someone is held accountable to continually monitor the plan and make adjustments when needed.
Professional Development
Professional development is a key element to nurturing your talent from entry to executive level. It can be both formal and informal and it can be derived from external or internal sources. Professional development is an important step in the implementation of any company policy, program or standard operating procedure. It is also an important step in implementing an employee career development plan.
To advance women in trucking successfully, professional development is crucial to enhance and develop the competencies they currently have or may need. Studies have shown that women want to know their jobs and have the right competencies to perform their roles.
According to a study at Hewlett-Packard, it was discovered that:
Although many of the competencies needed for careers in trucking are received on-the-job through job shadowing, experience and internal training, there are some excellent sources of external training opportunities that now exist in Atlantic Canada. Knowledge is empowering and women who avail of professional development and continuous learning gain the confidence they need to succeed and advance.
In 2015 the Trucking Human Resource Sector Council began offering its newly designed Supervisory Development Program developed specifically for employees who have advanced or are advancing into the supervisory or management roles in the trucking industry. Each course in the program focuses specifically on the competencies needed to be successful supervisors and managers.
Other training is also available in the trucking industry in Atlantic Canada. Check out the following:
Networking
As a leader within your organization, you understand that networking is crucial for both personal as well as professional development and advancement. The connections your employees make within and outside your organization can enhance their interpersonal skills and improve your company’s overall position and performance. For the women in your company that show potential and have expressed interest in advancement be sure to encourage networking opportunities within your company and the industry at large.
Internally this can be achieved by supporting the organization of social events at work among all departments and levels that are gender inclusive and appeal to all employees. It can also be accomplished by providing opportunities for women to sit on committees that aid in the development of their knowledge and skills. For the committee itself, having a diversified perspective can enhance their quality of output.
Externally, there are many great organizations that exist in the trucking industry in Atlantic Canada that can provide great networking opportunities for women. Whether you encourage her to join a committee or attend an event, the opportunity to network will prove beneficial to all parties. It will connect your company to opportunities, enhance your employee’s overall competencies, and raise your company’s profile as your employees get involved and give back to your industry.
Advancing Women in Trucking: Materials & Resources
