Engineering faces a serious gender-based retention problem. Despite all the efforts encouraging women to study engineering, over 40% of highly skilled women who enter the field end up leaving. Much has been written about why women in the field leave, but we wanted to better understand what encourages some women to stay.
What Managers Can Do to Keep Women in Engineering
Offer stretch assignments, personalized feedback, and an inclusive environment.
June 12, 2018
Summary.
Engineering faces a serious gender-based retention problem. Despite all the efforts encouraging women to study engineering, over 40% of highly skilled women who enter the field end up leaving. Much has been written about why women in the field leave, but researchers wanted to better understand what encourages women to stay. In-depth, one-on-one interviews with 34 women engineers in two UK firms found that certain forms of support, such as stretch assignments, personalized feedback, and an inclusive environment, made it easier for these women to succeed in the field.
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HBR Learning
Developing Employees Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Developing Employees. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Support and challenge your direct reports to help them reach their potential.