39,35 percent proportion of Women at Quehenberger Logistics.
THE IMAGE OF THE LOGISTICS INDUSTRY
The logistics industry seems to rank at the low end of the scale of attractive jobs for women. On the one hand, the sector frequently gets reduced to road transport, on the other hand, it is associated with hard physical work, permanent availability, and no compatibilty of family and work. There is also a lack of female role models. On the whole, however, logistics – by offering a lot of different job profiles and international fields of activity – is one of the most varied industry sectors, but this info still needs to be adequately communicated to women. In the physically demanding work areas, there is a potential for development for women, too: many workflows are made easier due to increasing automation.
In logistics, female high potentials are asked, and (generally speaking female) soft skills such as creativity, team spirit, focus on service, and commitment to innovation are
highly appreciated. Due to this attribution, however, many women, and especially those in management positions, are confronted with the prejudice of having a lack of assertiveness. There is also a need for readjustments in the general sociopolitical conditions: childcare is mainly women’s business. Consequently, there will be an increased need for working time models which are compatible with the reality of women’s lives.
ROLE MODEL EASTERN EUROPE
The high percentage of female managers in Eastern Europe is, among other things, a socialist heritage. In socialist countries, it was quite natural for women to work, and the state
offered childcare at a reasonable price. Today, women get top jobs in these countries, because in many cases they have better qualifications and skills, they manage the “double burden” of career and family, they show higher loyalty to the companies, and they do less job hopping than men. You can notice this phenomenon at some Quehenberger locations in Eastern Europe, too.
WOMEN POWER AT QUEHENBERGER
Quehenberger Logistics successfully counts on female work power, whether in blue-collar jobs, in operations management functions, or in the in-house Young Professional Program.
The women’s share amounts to almost 40 percent and it is based on a clear commitment: “A balanced gender ratio is the basis for a better working atmosphere, and it fosters a creative and lively exchange of ideas, which – in turn – results in tailor-made solutions for our customers”, CEO Christian Fürstaller explains.
