{"id":7879,"date":"2025-03-06T07:39:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T13:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/?p=7879"},"modified":"2025-03-06T06:57:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T12:57:12","slug":"the-supply-chain-workforce-of-the-future-is-more-diverse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/06\/the-supply-chain-workforce-of-the-future-is-more-diverse\/","title":{"rendered":"The Supply Chain Workforce of the Future is More Diverse"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Here are five strategies to help employees of different generations, races, ethnicities, genders and more work together successfully.<\/h4>\n
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BY SARA PEARSON SPECTER<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"theISTOCK.COM<\/a>\/MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES<\/span><\/h6>\n

N<\/span>o matter how you slice it, the supply chain workforce of the future will be vastly more diverse than ever before. Although supply chains have traditionally been white male\u2011dominated, the status quo is quickly changing due to multiple factors. Among them are the growing racial and ethnic diversity among successively younger generations, the increasing number of women entering the field and the larger number of older people remaining in the workforce longer.<\/p>\n

Another reason? Supply chains have shown an increasing dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, said Dana Stiffler, distinguished VP of research at Gartner.<\/p>\n

She found that, in 2023, 47% of supply chain organizations had formal DEI goals\u2014a 50% increase over 2022. Additionally, those organizations expanded their focus beyond gender and race to include strategies to cultivate other diversity factors, including age, nationality, physical ability, cognitive ability and LGBTQ+. The survey also found hiring increases of up to four times more employees of races and ethnicities historically underrepresented in the field.<\/p>\n

Stiffler attributed supply chains\u2019 striking expansion of DEI initiatives and improved diversity within supply chains to ongoing labor market challenges.<\/p>\n

“Leaders need to cast as wide a net as possible in order to attract the talent they need to run a high\u2011performing, competitive supply chain,” she explained, noting companies that prioritize diversity and inclusion have been shown to outperform those that don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

According to McKinsey\u2019s most recent Diversity Matters report, companies committed to diversity are 39% more likely to outperform those that are not. Organizations staffed 30% or more by women are much more likely to achieve higher financial performance than those with fewer than 30%. Companies with the highest levels of ethnic diversity have an average 27% financial advantage over others. Conversely, organizations with limited gender and ethnic diversity are 66% less likely to outperform financially on average.<\/p>\n

Numbers like that are just one reason why workforce diversity issues are already top\u2011of\u2011mind for CEOs, said Stiffler, who pointed to the 2023 Gartner CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey.<\/p>\n

“After technology\u2011related changes, CEOs were most concerned about workforce issues. Of those, generational workplace diversity was among the most significant changes facing their businesses in the next three years,” she observed.<\/p>\n

That applies to supply chains in particular, added Stiffler, who noted that four distinct generations currently work in today\u2019s supply chains. Gartner breaks it out as follows:<\/p>\n