Historically, the purchasing sector has been predominantly male, but this reality is already changing.
Today, women represent 39% of the supply chain workforce, according to Gartner.
The research also shows that only 14% hold executive and leadership positions in the area.
In March, the month in which we celebrate the many achievements of women in recent times and raise awareness about the gender differences that persist throughout the world.
We will have the participation of female leaders from the purchasing department of large companies in interviews conducted by Mercado Eletrônico to talk about the main achievements and challenges of their careers.
In addition to this content that will be published on the blog throughout the month, we will have an episode of ME Cast, Mercado Eletrônico's podcast, dedicated to this very important topic. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here and receive notification when the video goes live.
Read on!
Female skills drive B2B business
Several studies have shown that diverse teams are essential to strengthening the plurality of ideas, which brings innovation to companies and, consequently, greater profitability to businesses.
Below, check out the main benefits of having women on purchasing teams:
-
Resilience:
Resilience is one of the most important skills in the sector, and women tend to adapt easily to different scenarios and respond more quickly to changes.
-
Communication skills:
Most women find it easy to communicate, and this can contribute to bargaining power during negotiations and in strengthening relationships with suppliers.
-
Attention to the details:
Anyone who works in purchasing knows how challenging it is to deal with a large amount of data and information on a daily basis. That's why attention to detail is essential.
-
Empathy:
During negotiations, women tend to seek benefits for both sides – buyers and suppliers, which strengthens the relationship between companies.
-
“Social”, from ESG:
Engagement with the ESG is growing in companies. Having more women in your purchasing area is a way to contribute to a global agenda for female empowerment.
How to promote gender equality in your purchasing area?
To begin with, it is necessary to understand that gender equality is beneficial not only for women, but also for men, companies and society as a whole.
In addition to increasing the female presence in the sector, diversity criteria must be considered in supplier selection. This makes it possible to go beyond the organization’s walls and positively impact the entire supply chain.
Women can contribute significantly to improvements and changes in the area. Therefore, encouraging participation in decision-making and leadership is one of the ways to reduce the disparity between men and women in the supply chain.
And last but not least, is to have a code of ethics and conduct, with policies against harassment and discrimination of any kind against women.
It is simple attitudes like these that, in addition to effectively helping to boost the results of your purchasing area, can positively impact the growth of the sector.
Did you like this content? Stay up to date with the latest news from the world of shopping. Enter your email here and receive our newsletter.
See you next time! 😉