Attracting new talent is a big challenge for many distributors. Part of the problem is lack of awareness of the industry among millennials. But distributors may be unintentionally pushing away half the potential workforce by pigeonholing women into administrative roles – and not providing a path out of them, according to survey results from Texas A&M University presented in ‘Time to Act’ on Distribution Diversity.

The survey revealed fewer women in sales and senior leadership positions but an overrepresentation in accounting, human resource and marketing roles.

While administrative roles are essential for an organization, the perception is that they are “cost centers not revenue centers,” says Alicia Copeland, vice president of operations for Standard Supply and Distributing Company Inc., Dallas, TX, and co-author of the Texas A&M study. As a result, the women that hold these roles are viewed in the same light.

“Women aren’t viewed as value-add,” Copeland says. “And that’s a problem.”

As a result, the path for growth – something millennials want to be able to see for themselves – for women may be obscured.

“For men, they can start out in the warehouse, move to a counter position, then to inside sales, outside sales and so on. There’s a path for them to advance,” Copeland says. “For women who start in accounting, that’s just not a skill set that is valued in distribution. They’re not likely to become CEO. There’s no path for them to follow.”

And if there's no way to grow, they're less likely to fully invest themselves in growing the company.

Leaders need to take a long hard look at the message they're sending female workers or risk alienating much of the available talent pool in an already tight labor market.

Read more about the challenges women face in distribution and how distributors can identify and address the issues in ‘Time to Act’ on Distribution Diversity.