Leading Midlands recruitment agency Encore Personnel is tackling the societal stigma around women in logistics head on and in less than 12 months, the business, headquartered in Leicester with six driving divisions across the UK, has quadrupled the amount of female HGV drivers on its books.
Cara Frayling, senior consultant and leading member of the Driving Division at Encore Personnel joined the team in 2020 and quickly noticed a lack of female drivers applying for roles. The creation of the company’s own internal and external ‘Women in Logistics’ campaign followed, as she noticed continual issues females faced within the logistics industry.
Encore – an award-winning recruitment agency which has recently been acquired by Gi Group, one of the world’s largest multinational staffing companies – prides itself on its strong reputation for matching the right people with the right roles. Cara’s focus on growing the opportunities for women in the logistics sector sits firmly within this ethos, given the fact that many driving roles can fit perfectly with the requirements of busy modern life for both men and women.
“I think it has been difficult in the past to identify any factors attracting women into the logistics industry, but here at Encore we are working to change that,” said Cara. “We have been inspired by the national organisation, Women in Logistics, who work to break this stigma and encourage women into this traditionally male dominated industry. We believe in hiring the right person for the job, regardless of the challenges within that sector. Which is why, for example, we have expanded our marketing efforts to include varied imagery and inclusive messaging.
“Creating and investing in a diverse workforce only further enhances the potential for success within any business,” she adds. “We are focused on hiring the right person for the job no matter the challenges within that sector, so Encore is here to prove that the logistics industry can provide the ideal work-life balance for a variety of applicants, no matter their gender.”
Encore’s emphasis on enhancing the appeal of HGV work across the board is clearly working. At the start of 2022, it had recruited 12 female drivers across its six driving divisions in the business. As the year ended, that number more than quadrupled – with 53 female drivers now available to work for Encore customers.
Further supporting the need for Encore’s initiative, Ed Vigars, Operations Director at Encore Personnel, attended Tomorrows Warehouse Event in 2022 which highlighted the struggles of women in the logistics sector.
Spearheading this industry-wide initiative is the national organisation Women in Logistics, which works to attract women into the industry. In October 2022, Cara and her team attended the Women in Logistics conference, supporting their networking and knowledge of the topic as the company constantly looks for improvements and progression.
Pete Taylor, managing director at Encore Personnel, said: “We are focused on people and ability, not gender, which is why we are working to show that jobs within the logistics industry are not only for men.”
Research has found that within the road and transport logistics industry women are heavily underrepresented, as they make up just 20 per cent of transport sector staff and 1 per cent-3 per cent of HGV drivers.
Cara added: “I have worked within the logistics industry for four years and it has always been a male-dominated sector. But we are here to change that and prove that logistics has the right roles available for everyone. So far, we have had positive feedback across our team, as we are already experiencing great success throughout our campaign.
“The whole Encore team are on board, and I am so proud to see how the campaign has taken off. I can’t wait to continue this work and see where it can take us. I hope we can continue to attend Women in Logistics conferences, in order to broaden our understanding and position on the topic.”
If you are interested in finding out more about Encore’s work, visit their website www.encorepersonnel.co.uk for more information.
