IGD: How we can build stronger talent pipelines

Our friends at IGD have taken a closer look at findings from Meat Business Women’s latest Gender Representation Report, exploring what they mean for one of the biggest challenges facing the food industry: building a resilient future workforce.

In a joint article from Michael Freedman, Head of Economic and Consumer Insight at IGD, and Laura Ryan, Founder & Global Chair of Meat Business Women, they explore why attracting people into our industry is only part of the picture.

With food and drink businesses facing ongoing labour and skills pressures, IGD is working across the industry to help strengthen future talent pipelines through its wider workforce programme and Feeding Britain’s Future campaign.

And our research points to an important part of that conversation: what happens to talented people once they join our industry?

Women currently represent 34% of the global food manufacturing workforce, but representation falls to 27% at first-line manager level, 25% at high executive level and just 6% at CEO level.

That first step into management matters. If talented women are being lost or stalled early in their careers, the pool of people available to progress into senior leadership becomes smaller.

But the research also shows that change is possible. Leading organisations have achieved 46% female representation, compared with 26% among lagging organisations – demonstrating the impact businesses can have when they focus on progression, retention and creating the right conditions for people to build their careers.

As a signatory to the Food Business Charter, IGD is supporting our shared ambition to reach 40% female representation across the food industry by 2035.

The message from the article is a simple one: building the future food workforce isn’t just about getting more people through the door. It’s about creating an industry where talented people can stay, develop and progress.

Read the full article from IGD: Building stronger talent pipelines