Gartner 2024 Women in Supply Chain Survey Reveals Limited Progress; Action Needed by CSCOs

The overall progress in women’s representation in supply chain roles has stalled, according to a survey conducted by Gartner in collaboration with AWESOME.

Gartner’s ninth annual Women in Supply Chain survey, conducted from February through March 2024 surveying 214 supply chain leaders, found that women represent 40% of the supply chain workforce, a one-point decrease from 2023. While gains were achieved in frontline roles, the study uncovered the need for chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) to recommit to goals, inclusive leadership and accountability to ensure gains from previous years are not erased.

We spoke with Dana Stiffler, VP and Distinguished Analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice, to discuss the 2024 findings and strategies CSCOs should undertake to improve attraction, development, promotion and retention of women in their organizations.

Members of the media who want to speak with Dana on this topic can contact Justin Lavelle.  

A: For 2024, we anticipated momentum would continue and women’s representation in supply chain would increase. We expected more ambitious commitments, stronger supply chain leadership and greater accountability.

Instead, the percentage of women in the supply chain workforce and across all levels has remained roughly the same, ticking down one percentage point to 40% since 2023. This is being driven by three primary factors:

• Lack of formal goals: While 70% of supply chain organizations have an objective or goal to increase the number of women leaders in supply chain organizations, only 29% have direct accountability for this goal on their management scorecards. This is a decrease of four percentage points from 2023.

• CSCOs aren’t leading their own initiatives: This year’s results point to a distinct shrinking of direct supply chain leadership engagement and action -- CSCOs are relying more on HR to run DEI for their organization.

• Less focus on pay equity: In the 2024 results, a lower percentage of supply chain organizations have a plan to close pay gaps, and a higher percentage of respondents said they have no plans to close their gaps. 

A: If decreased commitment continues, we expect flat or diminished progress in 2025. To move the needle, CSCOs must recommit to inclusion, equity and representation. This involves setting goals, running initiatives to achieve them, and holding themselves and their extended teams accountable for results.

To improve outcomes across levels, leaders should prioritize inclusive leader development, followed by development of women at middle and lower levels, and reduce bias in recruitment processes.

As an example, a large grocery retailer designed a scenario-based tool where actors reenact real examples of exclusive behaviors and their impacts. One scenario demonstrates how inequitable scheduling of hours may be more prevalent in warehouse and retail locations than at headquarters. As leaders reflected on these videos, they recognized behaviors they regularly witness at work and understood they are exclusive or unfair to others.

Lastly, addressing pay equity cannot be ignored. Gartner’s 2Q24 Supply Chain Talent Monitor research shows that compensation continues to be the number one attraction and attrition driver for supply chain professionals. It is also the indicator that employees are most dissatisfied with, with only 34% satisfied with their compensation.

Failure to demonstrate pay equity, combined with reduced flexibility in work policy, is degrading many companies’ employer brands, with women among the most affected. This hurts pipelines and puts supply chain performance at risk.

A: In 2023, frontline roles were identified as an area of concern, with representation of women lagging compared to roles at desk-based jobs. It’s encouraging to see progress demonstrated by companies over the past year on recruitment and retention of this workforce.

This year’s study explored scenarios that have led to better frontline recruitment and retention outcomes. General employee engagement and work flexibility emerged as most effective (38% and 37%, respectively), followed by investments in pay equity (32%), developing inclusive leaders (30%), and recruitment (31%).

Since frontline work experience is often a determining factor in promotion to senior roles, the improvements we’ve seen this year should mean that there will be more women leading manufacturing and logistics organizations in the future. Subsequently, women will rise to more CSCO and COO roles. When you see more women at every level in an organization, it indicates that the employee value proposition (EVP) is more attractive to a broader pool. It’s a litmus test for EVP competitiveness overall.

Gartner clients can read more in 2024 Gartner/AWESOME Women in Supply Chain Survey: Progress Stalls and Supply Chain Executive Report: Supply Chain Success Depends on the Frontline Employee Experience. Nonclients can learn more in Key Actions to Improve Diverse Leadership: 2024 Gartner/AWESOME Women in Supply Chain

Note for Media:
The 2024 Women in Supply Chain Survey was conducted by Gartner and AWESOME, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization focused on advancing women’s supply chain leadership. From February to March of 2024, 214 supply chain leaders with a minimum of $100 million in annual revenue were surveyed.