This episode, we are going to have a panel discussion on a top topic for the industry: Diversity in Supply Chain.
Our guests:
Annemieke Gelder is the Founder and Consultant Supply Direction. Annemieke has worked in various senior roles around Supply Chain for the last 17 years, covering various geographies and industries, across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
Saskia Groen is the Global Chief Operating Officer at Damco. Saskia is also a long-standing professional in the supply chain space, having started her career in the building materials space, having worked for Cement Australia. Following which she worked for several years in the global cement leader, Holcim, where she served also as Vice President of Supply Chain for one of the largest operations in Asia, namely Phillippines.
Ingeborg Veelenturf is the Senior Director of Logistics Asia at Coach. Ingeborg is an experienced professional in international Supply Chain Management for over 20 years, in Europe and Asia, for leading International Consumer Packaged Goods companies like Kellogg, Sara Lee and British American Tobacco (BAT).
Discover more details here.
Some of the highlights of the episode:
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This episode, we are going to have a panel discussion on a top topic for the industry: Diversity in Supply Chain.
Our guests:
Annemieke Gelder is the Founder and Consultant Supply Direction. Annemieke has worked in various senior roles around Supply Chain for the last 17 years, covering various geographies and industries, across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
Saskia Groen is the Global Chief Operating Officer at Damco. Saskia is also a long-standing professional in the supply chain space, having started her career in the building materials space, having worked for Cement Australia. Following which she worked for several years in the global cement leader, Holcim, where she served also as Vice President of Supply Chain for one of the largest operations in Asia, namely Phillippines.
Ingeborg Veelenturf is the Senior Director of Logistics Asia at Coach. Ingeborg is an experienced professional in international Supply Chain Management for over 20 years, in Europe and Asia, for leading International Consumer Packaged Goods companies like Kellogg, Sara Lee and British American Tobacco (BAT).
Discover more details here.
Some of the highlights of the episode:
Follow us on:
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Wba8v7
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2WeulzX
Linkedin: http://bit.ly/2w9YSQX
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2HtryLd
[inaudible]. Hello and welcome everybody to the leaders in supply chain podcast. I am your host Rapala Mario global logistics and supply chain practice head for Morgan Phillips executive said we are in the business of recruiting top leaders to take businesses forward and our job is also to connect you with global experts, thought leaders and executives in all things supply chain to share the latest developments in the industry and today we will be hosting a slightly different setting where we will have a panel discussion on a very interesting topic for the industry diversity, more specific gender diversity as well in supply chain. And for that we have here with us three guests that I'm very excited to introduce to you, Leslie and we together and Amica has worked in various senior roles around supply chains for the last 17 years covering various geographies and industries across Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia. First as a consultant for Accenture across supply chain projects. Subsequently worked for British federal domain, several positions across pricing, supply chain investing strategy and later on for Dyson as global head of procurement and global head of logistics. Moreover, since 2017 she started her own supply chain consulting company focused on logistics and end to end supply chain and Amica. Welcome Saskia. I use the RNs on the, on the Venice. Saskia is a, is also a longstanding professional in the supply chain space. Having started her career in the building materials work for cement Australia and following which she was, she was for several years and the global cement leader policy where she served as vice president of supply chain for one of the largest operations in Asia, namely Philippines. And in the last a couple of years she has served as Asia chief operating officer of Denko logistics part of Morris group and has just been promoted to take on the global CEO position. But the most, Saskia has recently been awarded the winner of Telstra business woman in Asia award, so scout welcome and that it did happen. Uh, and last but not least, uh, we have Ingeborg. Inventor is an experienced professional in international supply chain management for over 20 years in Europe, in Asia for leading consumer international consumer packaged goods companies like Kellogg and Sara Lee and British American tobacco. Uh, starting off with Sara Lee and international supply chain management, that retail collaboration out of Netherlands and subsequently worked for Kellogg's across Dublin, Hong Kong, Singapore and China in various senior roles across the supply chain and logistics functions. She was also regional head of logistics, Asia Pacific for British American tobacco. And since August, 2016 is the same director logistics ProTaper street former coach. It also sits on the advisory board of the supply chain Asia community in get welcome as well. Thank you. Super. So I'm very excited to have this discussion. Um, and uh, and I would like to uh, maybe uh, ask the first question, which is, uh, also just to get a little bit of background from each of you, how did you end up with a career in supply chain? Was this a deliberate choice or how did it happen
Speaker 2:before for each of you be limited if you want to start? Yeah, interesting question. Because I was thinking about it and[inaudible] is the school. I was very much intrigued about the whole logistics and operations module, some top. That's pretty cool stuff. Um, so our grading window is up track, but I didn't know when I started work that I free to continue that path. You don't know where you've got to be ending up. But throughout my career just went more and more, more specific into the supply chain space. Subaru,
Speaker 1:uh, Saskia for you?
Speaker 3:Uh, my path is probably a little less conventional. So I was working to the executive committee with hosting, which is, um, one of the world's largest building materials groups. And during that process you had a lot of exposure to actually what made the business tick. And over time, as we started to, to look at the profitability enablers, it was very clear that there were some untapped potential in the business, largely around logistics and procurement. So I was asked would I take the role in Philippians and start looking at how do we bring this together into being something that's a differentiator in both how we serve our customers, but also in how we drive the bottom line. Um, so I, I went with a pretty big blank piece of paper to the, into the Philippines and uh, you know, it's, it's a massive company there. So it was a really good opportunity to bring together all the formal training. You have three business schools plus a lot of, um, experience in industry to then see how does this fit as part of a business. But it is that last untapped mile, I think, in how businesses can really leverage both their customers and their bottom line. And I think that's, that's where it's quite an exciting industry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. Then it kind of pulls different resources together. So that's quite the holistic, how about you?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think my boss is more straightforward. I'm a industrial engineer and my specialization was in conjunction of this with, you should logistics. So my first job and then also phone, especially as nation. And I did that to get to studies and also we'll check engineer for the distribution logistics for Charlotte. So, uh, that's really starting in logistics is how IOT, the tip gutters elements, multiple supply chain knuckles or procurement going effective.[inaudible] I'm still having to focus on you.
Speaker 1:I'm good. Good to know. A little bit the background and now if you were to, we had to dip down a deep dive a little bit into the today's topic, um, and diversity in the, in, in supply chain and diversity in the supply chain community. And obviously you have very good examples of that. Um, but I would want to, to get your, your, uh, individual perspectives into what's your thoughts and opinions on, on, on diversity,
Speaker 2:the supply chain in general. Maybe Saskia, if you want to start.
Speaker 3:Obviously it has a long way to go and I think nobody is challenging that. And I think there's two aspects to diversity. The gender topic has a very big mandate at the moment, but I think what underpins that is real diversity of thought that boardrooms and executive leadership teams are actively bringing people onto their team. That bring different perspectives. I think if you look around the supply chain industry, two things are really apparent to me. One is there's a lot of company management teams that are extremely cookie cutter homogenous. And the second part to that is there's a lot of movement within the industry. So a lot of people just sort of move a step left. Um, particularly amongst the three PL players. And I don't think that brings real diversity or outside perspective to help the industry evolve in and get out of things like the commodity trap. So the diversity of thought I think is really essential ingredient into this industry. Starting to take bigger steps forward to realize its potential value to businesses like tapestry.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah I think so. Skeptical why not appointed? Because why we are talking about us and Kirsty or a particular gender diversity is to get different perspectives even in the rural environments and a neck more from the manufacturing sites experience that I have like a detailed still the way to go. Hopefully we talk more about[inaudible] 10 to five 30% and if you go to eater it into supply chain. But then across the finishes fabric, your metal manufacturing logistics, customer service is still a complete provides you. And we did that piece as well. And that was also in the[inaudible] like any FMCG industries and working more individually, the fashion, uh, that's where I see a higher level of, uh, the first team owned a double workforce. And I tend to see is a company that is very committed to inclusion and diversity and as part of the values and some of the[inaudible] she had been totally[inaudible] to bring in spinal to the culture. But I think[inaudible] asking, uh, quite eating and events and I see that it's a flexible where you can be in the whole, uh, several different layers, uh, different, uh, talking about gender, see from H hoops to different nationalities as a competing goals that have an a set up. Uh, I would say, and[inaudible] like a female[inaudible] like foods of personal care industries and some companies have worked for, there are, they might be less attractive from an a female perspective. So I think that it also has to do slightly with Tennessee probably. See there's also the wheel more or business to business environments, uh, or four 10 tortillas or the Spanish[inaudible].
Speaker 2:So they[inaudible] the different functions within the spectrum and they'll still apply it to home to different industries. Still magical. Yes.
Speaker 1:But it also is good that it's good. As an example in what you mentioned about the industry and I think there's a few companies that[inaudible]
Speaker 2:there are more and more and more companies that this is a positive trend. The dark
Speaker 1:doing things in our conscious about, about inclusion, about diversity, about including that in[inaudible].
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:A missions objectives that I have, putting it on the agenda and making sure that they get it
Speaker 2:clearly stated, which is,
Speaker 1:yeah. And then you can, how about, how about your son?
Speaker 2:I think there is supply chain as a function itself. It was a struggle. So there isn't a[inaudible] sort that doesn't have per se or very clear structure in each and every company at your house be organized and therefore it's also difficult to attract targets in general. Um, but there's a massive diversity in do I think the title interactions and the type of roles that you have, but they're not necessarily like a third, an obvious career choice. And I think that's really difficult for a lot of people to cover. Heck, when you're setting up their careers to that attract talent and another girl pool of tenants, it's gotta be, it's already a more difficult proposition to start off with like the typical pink topics if you might have to like fashion thirds and um, how scatter and I will be would w wore off your story so it's more well know to people and then sort of[inaudible] more accessible if people with otherwise more B to B commodity types of industries or not that obvious of a choice per se. And that's where a lot of the supply chain activity. Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And it's, it's, it's a, yeah, it's usually the not so sexy. The places very, very,
Speaker 2:we struggled to have this diversity more than like you said,
Speaker 3:I think there's just one thing to add to that. Having worked in heavy industry and now, um, in a, in a company of our dumb delicate, actually there seems to be what I have seen certainly across emerging parts of Asia, there is a lot of women, really a lot of women in the business, even in intimate manufacturing, which is a really unsexy business. It's actually pretty cool if you get to know that it's um, you know, nobody sort of goes through university and says, well I want to be a human insulin manufacturer and I worked with many really strong females. What happens is it's that gap from sort of upper mid management to senior management. And I know this is actually a universal problem. I don't think this is just a supply chain problem. This is something that is endemic in many industries where you just don't get that from say, you know, we're nine level organizations and say level five to six, which becomes
Speaker 4:a real leadership level. And I think that's the way we have to be a little more active. Um, you know, in, in all the best. And I think to your point, again conscious of making those choices. But the question is also then[inaudible] pulling in a back to[inaudible] and like, especially if you are hurt in the fossils in a few very male dominance of violence and you see as the, the networking, you need to have a few skills. We need to, to Xcel or to be seen and if he wants to make a career slips. So, and that's often a thing that this will generate discussion about what's one of the skillsets we need. Uh, self confidence will be men, uh, that, that is required. The networking skills. Hello. Okay. And then you ultimately, okay, there are more action now. Just like get our Barrack, especially cabinet femineity moments. You talked to Ben and she gets on the work with them in a time, let you in the office. It's shirting gas. It can hold[inaudible]. So is bill not to help you to be seen and to make yourself build on goal on the organization? Because we can sparkles the career[inaudible] currency to walk. Give him, okay.
Speaker 1:Good point. And also, I mean, uh, it bows down to all the listeners as well as to mindset because sometimes the issue, we make major issues mindset of the organization or of the current management team, which historically in most industries has been male dominated. Um, and that, uh, that I think needs a little bit of upgrading or shifting or moving as well, is that most cases is not. Of course we all have commitments. And definitely on the feminist side it's more texting from[inaudible] maybe. But there's not the reason that the, the management position is not,
Speaker 2:I don't believe it's actually the women's you should per se, it's an organization issue and any company that really wants to drive innovation, um, their top line forward, they should think about having more diverse teams in general and whether that's a gender issue, it's like diversity at large and that can really break up innovation and,
Speaker 4:um,[inaudible]
Speaker 2:increased productivity forward. And there's so much research being done about it, but it's not a female issue. So for me, sort of grading more female networking groups is great, but actually it's like, well, what are sort of boards doing about this faculty's not the male leadership doing about it. And that sort of, that is where a lot of the voice needs to sort of comfortable
Speaker 1:[inaudible] to, to this point in many to leeway into the next year into the next question. Um, what do you think that the right now is we is, we speak, what do you think are some of the critical skills that, that you need today to be successful? Cause now supply chains are more and more international, more diverse, more and more digital. What do you think, uh, is critical in today's wow.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think[inaudible] all I also say to my teams, I felt like the thoughts like trash and develop your own in your career.[inaudible] like functional different functions.[inaudible][inaudible] well that will random out actual skill where I D and spends, um, uh, let's just say a focus on cure for CSNYC B also commercial focus. So always know wherever you are and we'll tell your chain, uh, what does the affiliate, when you create for, uh, by your company or by OT for where you stay coolers, uh, we're gonna substitute give to those in the whole value chain. Right. And, and I think that's a very good skill to have, uh, really think commercially, uh, within the supply chain, the connecting the, those, so connecting the different silos and[inaudible] of your stakeholders internally, like look human benefit[inaudible] sites, we can understand the impacts[inaudible] and also be creative in a way that a creativity in supply chain that sounds, uh, think out of the box. That's what we know.
Speaker 1:Hmm. Any weekend.
Speaker 2:And those were really cool skins and that sort of thing about supply chain. Here's what's called something called that rating creative. That'd be creative by finding a solution to communicate. I would create apps. You do need to lock your numbers to a score piece
Speaker 1:[inaudible]
Speaker 3:in the space as well.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And more and more important. I mean I'm, um, we're actually working on, on several assignments now, which is deeply rooted into analytics. Data science is becoming more and more important, uh, being able to pull that, the vast big data and the best noggin information and making sense a bit is, is, is crucial to getting accurate data closely as is for the more, okay.
Speaker 3:I don't know very much what you said about getting into that commercial space. I think too few women go through the P and L side of the business, which is potentially as just putting the dots together actually while you're talking, which is also one of those roadblocks to getting to senior management levels because you've just got to have had that, that commercial and P and L exposure to be incredible in senior business leadership positions. So I think that is, and loving your numbers is very much there. In terms of the point on what, in involved in the transformation? I think it's people like us taking active time to coach young women through the business. And it is that one-on-one and the role modeling and talking to them about, um, where they see, um, their challenges. I have 11 that I spend time on and they're all people that have reached out just randomly and said, look, you know, could you spend some time with me? Um, there's one male and the rest are the rest are women and I'm quite equal. I'll spend my time anywhere as people want it. Um, but what's quite interesting is the topics that they ask for help on it is, or authority in presentation making. How do I have more presence? How do I lead with authenticity so that I'm not trying to be something that are not, how can I be comfortable in that space. And then the conversation I had with a young woman who's coming through our business at the moment, uh, yesterday was actually around group dynamics. And she was explaining what is happening in a room and what she can get a sense of. And how does she then work with that to be able to do something with it. So Hey, there's really, it was really good and it reminds me a lot of things that you've learned over the years that you sort of don't use every day, but it is that active, um, that active pulling the next generation through and then and showing them what's, what's possible. And I think equally for, for from a true diversity point of view, it's not easy for anyone. And I think it is recognizing that, that those years in getting to a senior management position, that part, there is no easy way. It is simply hard, right? You have to do your numbers, you have to get out there, you do do long hours and you have to travel. And that there is no easy way around that. I know in my company what I love very much is, is then the ability to make your work life balance. You're alone. So if you've had to travel back over a Saturday, then do what you need to on a Monday. But work from home, you know, you get this, this balance that I feel I have ownership over and that's quite empowering and feeling comfortable in my position and feeling that, you know, I can balance my family's needs with, with mine. And I think, you know, that is very much the question for people as they come through. How do I handle all of this? But again, I think if we can give people peer now really meaningful P and L roles as, as women and if we can then coach the women as senior leaders coming through and make them aware it's possible, but they have to be also prepared to dig in, not get their, just miss a woman home or of a nationality or whatever it is that we're looking for in diversity.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I mean the typically in life a hard work is part of the part of the package and the matter what you do, it's a, it's a, it's a prerequisite. Um, and indeed did the, having that kind of support, the context around it and uh, and a sporting organization around these is also critical. And maybe that, that we can see a lot more, uh, in today's context in future[inaudible]
Speaker 3:because that's where I think[inaudible] why TSA still a big deal in this part of the world. And
Speaker 4:we want to bring and also move towns from the local countries to and bring into the management teams, the little Austin environments and stuff and[inaudible] dependencies. Even the social hopes. Yes.[inaudible] way to go where those, I've been to countries where was also talking about to[inaudible] Google women there in the[inaudible] quite a goods as spreads in different levels.[inaudible] for them to be fostered, certificates to be shootouts and still where to go. And so that's where it's getting helped. And maybe it's when she also mentions there's no scale on the coaching and mentoring where they learn the tools and the tricks that can help them to grow
Speaker 2:and authenticity in their environment. I think that's fair.[inaudible]
Speaker 4:Oh, I'm supposed to did the whole meal, the little signs you need to be Chinese. I mean[inaudible] in ACN is still the way to go.
Speaker 1:And, and if I can ask, uh, cause it would be good maybe to the point where, uh, how, what have you seen and how can organizations groom future female leaders? I mean have you, have you seen some good case studies? Have you seen some or some organizations that do this well? Um, maybe it's, it's a good time to go the, the sharing session in terms of what the, what is happening on the market and what are some good examples in the media if you want to start also from the startup scene.
Speaker 2:Um, so I've worked for a number of larger companies and I think those started companies that are waiting, putting in effort on diversity and inclusion and have like four lots programs and even like four minutes mentoring programs. My timing meet Pete or were like female groups and like, uh, we have in here an age on like women in oil and gas type of gathering groups. And actually it's more guys joining those groups as well cause there seems to be a little drinks going on. Um, so, but that sort of, which the topic and awareness to the topic and she started also approaching it in, in a, in a very diverse rate, which I think is really great. Um, you done, should've moved down into sort of an arena where I'm now more revolting in a little startup scene or still a little, um, that's still very much dominated by, by, uh, by meals and probably also because they're so a little bit less risk averse sort of taking those bolder steps and um, to, to venture out. Um, I, there's a lot of technology underpinning a lot of startups and technology is very much driven by an engineering group who starts a tech guys and that's not a diverse community in itself or sort of if you just look at numbers and um, so that's a sort of not necessarily bringing that level of diversity and innovation that you would expect, like massive opportunity[inaudible] yeah, definitely. And especially because we're talking about start those, the pollution degree with you and getting the tables right, then you have to come up with a new solution. Yeah. So that's good.
Speaker 3:I'm so close to home within dunker. I think what's quite interesting, I think we're relatively mature. So if I look around at the regional CEOs, three out of four are actually female and there's a lot of different nationalities to try and who is out and me as COO is, I'm Vietnamese working in a um, middle Eastern environment. Christine who is American heads up in Europe, COO community. Um, I was here so I think as an Australian, so I think we have a good balance and it's even in the next levels down. And that was something that I was relatively conscious, so about areas, CEO's three are female and three amount and that wasn't deliberate, that was actually that the right people for the job and people were given a lot of equal consideration. Um, our country head in China, which is a really big part of our business is that is a Chinese woman and she's fantastic. Same in Indonesia. We've got an innovation woman and she was deliberately walkthrough as a success of Canada and had probably development programs around preparing her to take that role from her. Former predecessor was a German man. So just to give an idea on, on how that works. There are other companies like Telstra, which I'm familiar with because of recent events and they have programs where 50% of all candidates for roles must be female. And I know we were looking at doing this and wholesome, but with a probably not as much, I think obvious success where one in three should be. And if you didn't have that candidate, then what was the reason why and how did you then actively build a pipeline so you could bring people through things like your background and get with process engineering and so on. But I think it has to be a very deliberate, conscious choice to at least get a mix of diversity at the recruitment, um, candidate level so that you're making a judgment of equal consideration. And I think that's where you start to get a seismic shift then in who can come through the business. And the conversation that I heard over and over again is the stretch assignment is somebody ready. And I know that there's been much said about this, you know, from some people like Sheryl Sandberg about, you know, the, the, some, some people will just go, yeah, I'm ready for that development. And other people go, Oh, is she ready? Can she, can she do that? And my advice, barriers of gift gives the person the go but back them up, give them the chance of success by providing a coach in the business and by providing clarity around expectations so that people do have an opportunity to come in and show what they can do rather than going with a conservative of, you know, somebody, you know, which I think does, doesn't often happen. So it's, um, it is around those two, those two things. But I can say there is movement, but again, it starts at the top and it's really that, that conscious decision making and that you said it from a board level to say, well actually this is important to us. We do recognize the benefits and they're well spoken about. And I think just just to end on a on a question, it frustrates me that we're still having awareness discussions at this point in time when this has been a topic for 10 years. So what decisions are our boards making really? And, um, Uber's my most frustrating example but a way where you bring out the Turk and female at the end, but you know, the sky's boiling down to that. But it's really that discussion around, um, how do we make active decisions and actively set people out so they've got a chance with during one?
Speaker 1:Yeah. Oh, I'd say excellent points in the, um, indeed, I mean it's a, it's a real difficult to put it on the table. It's still, if you look at most companies at the board level, most mostly still the same act, the more references that's not very gender balanced. Uh, it takes time. That is not even available on stairs. Um, it takes time. Like everyday everything takes a, it takes a long time cause it's, it's more mindset than perception and I don't know what people were used to, I guess. Um, yeah. In a, in a, in a, in certain industries it, it definitely, and depending on the companies may, maybe sometimes it's associated with the more the companies in of the press, the more than it's also, you know, show that they're doing all the right things. It's kind of like the politically correct, but there's also setting a good trend. There are companies, uh, there's one of our clients, they actually have a, and I think you mentioned this with it, 50[inaudible]. They also have a certain, they enforce a certain GPA, a certain measurement to make sure that everybody is given an equal chance of as much equal chance, which also maybe it's a bit forced but also is good because it makes people do that. So, um, yeah, there's some, there's some good data sharing in your, do have some, some,
Speaker 4:yeah, just based on the experience. Like an ACL brochure or director level on the Gulf for about six people and they're also 50 fifties. It's, I would say own agenda. So it's about that. That's why expense[inaudible] industry. Also the difference in the role or general management levels. There's cardic which granted eaters, female leaders stepping up without any orientation in[inaudible] place. I know in the first company I started out the year 2012, I get their incentives given to the general manager. So even the operational patient will need two females to get in there.[inaudible] in the morning, their management team. And I was so lucky[inaudible] was female[inaudible] who came for the bone. And so this, the cannon did come to me and um, but I think it's about in the, in kettle she has a channel, bye. The funeral investments, what else? Therapy times she was tested to bring historical ads. Uh,[inaudible] uh, of fair, we will discuss openly all kinds of topics. Where are we going to, boots to fall fulfills, been able to look requirements on all the different levels. And there's also an open internet community to, to network and, and, and like they speakers, I have two questions but also Katie to some horses. So, uh, it defines like the kind of toolkit for, and even if people would set out to take a sabbatical or an equal opportunity when together place set out for four, five months, like people are just thinking about the world, but then you get out of your apartment, the police sirens, pity to fulfill that in school. So follow therefore equally so out, uh, and all these type of events that were discussed and we've taken them by and under management, regional measurements, Spotify,[inaudible] someone will see it, KPIs and we agreed that their time with HR is always 50% people lead us in every leader. Shit. Of course that will be in the open section. So sometimes you know your answer and then 50% female participation[inaudible] force[inaudible] it from suspension definitely is like the first day. Let's just say arrogance.[inaudible] you want us to have the best candidates no matter what you say, but you want to build the first affectional the society. And so make sure that you, uh, try Bennett as a coping this[inaudible] well purpose, but then finding the rights[inaudible] at least 50% of the interface should be, uh, a[inaudible] based on gender. So you could make a selection, but definitely ways to do this. This whole aisle HR or the digital patient score[inaudible][inaudible] endorsement brings it into the culture. Yeah. So there's definitely want to think about this when you at school setting and it's also about
Speaker 2:reflecting the door because I mean if it's an open door up to have any sort of females in your work force and so many folks caught up in your interview process and it still looks awful and that's a problem. As part of this whole recruitment process, you have to have these, that three out of four candidates increased their hiring rate with 60 steps. People will get jobs mess-ups are kept upset, the 5% ultimately interview candidate pool to be, um, sort of with a, to increase the chance of the hiring to 67%. And that's, these are the search down on that space as well cause it's not a part of the door I am and that that's where sort of things go and then if it skews like even if you set those that you really need to set and start setting those targets, there's an increased number of having that diversity to start changing that more. I started challenging it. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Um, and then the, the, the what was being said in, um, I was doing forces, the idea that it is, it really comes from the top and the top management and the board sets the message and direction. I mean it's not just being lip service. If you, if you really endorse, if you are, if you create different programs, very different the KPI's and you back it up and you show your support on of our clients on the one board that they are always reinforcing and reinforcing, reinforcing. It sets a very strong message across the organization and outside the organization. Because what also, what is happening in with the generation Y and generation don't know. They're called the millennials. Then they're saying that they really want to belong to an organization that is diverse. And one, one that once you recently told me that, um, they went to a career fair and they presented the company and they were all males and then one of the students was females. Ask them, so do you have any, do most on your word what's happening? And then he realized, wow, and she was, she was 20, 22 but there's a strong expectation and message from the younger population around those lights and I think they'd will also
Speaker 3:school. You have to be able to see yourself in that future. And I remember a company I worked for before there was a African American, um, gay men who worked with us, who was fantastic, but we were working in Switzerland and he said, I don't think this is my company. I cannot see myself represented anywhere, you know? And it was a very homogenous leadership panel that, you know, he said, yeah, I don't think this is for me. And he went and joined another company where as he said he was, he was much more reflected in the DNA of the company and how to really, and has had actually a stellar career since since doing that. And I thought it always stayed with me when he said that and I thought it was absolutely. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And then you know, back to the point where a, it is, it makes in this case that is in this, there's research being done. It makes business sense for diversity. Diversity is better for businesses, better for the client. And we have a long way to go still. But
Speaker 4:that's a fantastic news for the young professionals that are eager to learn and to expose themselves. Testicle opportunities. Like let's talk a chat now. If you are young, ambitious female on supply chain, you can, you can call them a little pipe. Yeah. If you were to, well I have a full[inaudible] pupil. They have high success rates. They have to go niche. No, on gender or diversity. They give you a preference compared to if you're equal to what you are. No meal participants. They[inaudible] April, let's consider a person. And then simulation
Speaker 3:what I actually about. It just made me think we're actually about to start trialing into the new year and new approach because it is that maternity leave age gap to where it's difficult sometimes for people to come back. And then also the business has been question marks on how do we fill that role while the person's not there. So we've looked at our shared service center in India and we're going to start assigning people from India into our operations business, uh, to fill the maternity leave time that somebody needs to take off so that we've got the cross training for interest and they're getting development growth and exposure into the broader business. And then the person who's taking maternity leave has, has it somebody already equipped with the skills who can come and feel that role for the duration that they're out. So it also helps to leverage, cause we're a multinational sort of style businesses helps leverage the network. And, um, that idea actually came out of our India business and it fits a deliberate business need, but it supports so many other parts of how the business can grow and develop and benefit from it. So I think that's quite an exciting. Yeah. So we had our first call on it on Monday night, so I'm quite keen to see how that develops.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Excellent exam. And I think there's more and more, I think more, more noise would be created. The more of this things would become the norm and then slow everything a change in perception as if the is on the way to being changed with individually as always. It takes a little bit of time. Um, great. So thank you very much for the sharing with the for the good case. That is for the good examples for the good day. For the good. Yeah. Direction. Appreciate your time. Thank you for, for being with the, with us today. As I scan Amica in yet and uh, hopefully with a, you know, we're continuing to see much more, uh, diversity coming up.
Speaker 5:Thank you for listening to our podcast. If you liked what you heard, be sure to follow us on Rapala mario.com/podcast for all the show notes, links, and extra tips covered in the interview. Make sure also to subscribe to our emailing list to get the news in the Nick of time. If you're listening through a streaming platform like iTunes or Stitcher and you like what we do, please kindly review and give us five stars so we can keep the energy flowing it get more people to find out about our podcast. I, I'm most active on LinkedIn, so do feel free to follow me to stay tuned for our latest articles as well as future guests for the podcast. And if you have any suggestions or any other idea, please feel free to write to me. I respond to all and also please make sure not to miss our next episode where we will be having a few other C level and top leaders in supply chain joining us. Stay tuned.