Nearly 90% of managing directors and HR personnel within the wholesale industry believe a gender-diverse workforce can have a positive impact on how a business performs, with 57% of managing directors wanting more female representation at board level.
Yet, how the industry targets females through the recruitment process could be a reason wholesale is not attracting and retaining enough talent, claims a new report by Women in Wholesale (WiW).
The report, which utilises exclusive data from research consultant Him, also shows that 89% of HR personnel working in the channel see social media as a way of attracting fresh talent into wholesale, yet 62% of female applicants access jobs via a recruiter, with only 8% using social media.
WiW founder and organiser, Elit Rowland, said: “There is a will to increase gender diversity within wholesale, but other factors may be holding the industry back. For example, we may be looking in the wrong places for the best female candidates.
“Employers must also proactively target networks where women operate, and these are often outside of traditional male circles.
The research also reveals a potential difference in how company leaders view methods to achieve gender parity compared to that of HR practitioners.
The majority of HR departments (67%) in wholesale say they actively employ females for male-dominated roles, while 89% of managing directors say their company does not.
The new report, entitled ‘Six Steps to Effectively Market Wholesale Careers to Women’ was launched at the WiW Speed Networking event yesterday (26 April), and is designed to support wholesalers and brands with an effective recruitment strategy.
