Three HR leaders and experts in manufacturing will host an online global chat to celebrate the power of women and help bridge the gender gap that currently exists in the manufacturing industry.  Together, the three will deliver insights that help manufacturers even the hiring playing field, retain and promote female talent and ways to #BreaktheBias on Wednesday, March 16 @12 noon (Pacific) on LinkedInLive. The event, sponsored by TeamSense, is designed for everyone from those starting their careers to today’s HR leaders and CEOs who care about supporting opportunities for women to grow and lead. They will discuss keys to manufacturing’s workforce crisis, why women are critical to its future and represent one of its largest untapped talent pools.

The virtual fireside chat will be moderated by an alumni of Whirlpool and General Motors, Sheila Stafford, now CEO of Fortive-owned TeamSense, the text-based HR tech that is revolutionizing communications between hourly workers and HR pros in manufacturing. Stafford is the author of “The Gender Gap in Manufacturing And What to Do About It” for Forbes. Her guests will be CHRO, talent leader, chief member and management consultant, Kincentric’s Partner, Americas , HR & Talent Advisory Practice Leader, Jill Kissack, who will discuss on how she #BreaksTheBias for her Fortune 500 clients.  Carol Latham, author of “A Chip Off the Silicon Block,” who developed one of the first heat-gating technologies for microchips, will provide a valuable history on hiring and talent management changes she’s seen over the past 30 years.   

“Manufacturers have come to see that diversity boosts the bottom line, fosters a more dynamic and creative environment, and improves employee morale and retention,” says Sheila Stafford, CEO TeamSense and host of the discussion. “This has led to a concerted effort to draw women into the manufacturing sector, but requires an early education that empowers them to believe that anyone can succeed in these careers. Slowly, opinions about manufacturing are changing, with more and more women seeing a place for themselves in this exciting and challenging industry.” 

According to a white paper released by Deloitte titled “Celebrating Women in Manufacturing: Stories of Some of our Most Successful Female Leaders,” attitudes among women in sectors from industrial products to construction, are changing and the manufacturing industry is seeing the inherent value of an integrated and inclusive workplace where a diversity of viewpoints and ideas are represented.