Keeping Women in Engineering 3

[mechmama]

I admit this sounds like a SWE forum topic, but we were discussing at work how many women engineers go part-time, decide to stay home, or moved to peripheral roles at their companies (like marketing) after having kids. I looked at my own company's org chart and realized that ALL the female managers are in peripheral departments, and while there are 20% female mechanical engineers on the bottom half (close to what I remember having in school), there are 10% in the top half.

Does this sound like the typical make-up at other companies?

Do you feel that many women just aren't cut out for project management or higher-level engineering? (And those that are, do stay)

Are companies losing good talent by not retaining women, or is it just natural selection?

Would women do better if they didn't have the kids' pictures on their desks, take approved time off for kids' functions, etc.? Even if the male management does the same?

I am interested to hear the honest male perspective. Obviously no one at work would say negative things to my face!

 

[ScottyUK]

Why on earth would a 'good engineer' equate to 'management material'? Some of the worst managers I've ever met were brilliant engineers, and some of the best managers were decidely average engineers. I'm fairly sure that some senior mangers are reluctant to promote their best engineers because it leaves them with a difficult hole to fill. It's easier to promote an average engineer simply because it is easier to replace an average engineer. It might also be the case that the really good technical people don't have enough of the softer skills needed in a management role, while the average ones are 'average' across the board.


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Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

 

[bvanhiel]

Roll the dice and do the math. If women were to still make up 20% of those promoted....then, either there are a great deal of slacker male engineers...or else women have some kind of advantage.

I think you've got it backwards. The OP is saying that 2 in 10 engineers are women at his company and only 1 in 10 of engineering managers are women.

I personally think the reason there's not more women in management is the baby gap. Women with children often take a break from working for a few years to have and raise children. When they return to the workforce it's often in a part-time or less responsible position. It's not just engineering, even female dominated fields have disproportionately male managers.

The danger is to over-generalize. Not all women are planning on taking time off for kids, while some men are perfectly willing to go on daddy-duty.

By the way...I'll not take offense to the bigot comment. I was only stating a very real perception, and in no way was expressing my personal views or opinions. For the record...my boss is female.

I'll take your word on it that you're more tolerant than your post made it sound. Be advised, most statements starting with "my friends think this..." are usually interpereted to reflect the poster's own thoughts.

-b

 

[Overt]

Not to say that women are discriminated against, but...been in two situations, in my very short "career", where an employer stated that they do not hire women due to the nature of the work and that their boss would never approve of hiring a women.

I've always wondered what it would be like to send out two identical, average, resumes...one with a women's name and one with a man's name at the top.

By the way, discrimination is one of the reasons women stay away from studying engineering. Duh! Who would want a life full of stress based upon irrational reasoning? Or futilely struggle to fit in?

Oh, I'm not a woman by the way. I am human.

 

[legs]

really interesting to read all the comments!
I have been in the 'business' (piping design engineering) since 1973 and have seen LOTS of changes. I am exceedingly thankful for all those women that have gone before me and made the path a little easier to tread. I was a single mother and had my hands full trying to survive; I have seen the good and the bad. Believe me when I say that I have paid my dues. I can only hope that my adventures have made it a little easier for those coming behind me.

 

[plasgears]

I don't think I have had unique experiences, but I can claim the following with pride:
- my best flight student was a woman, mother of two sons.
- my best co-op was a young lady from Kettering Inst., who was a credit to me, the company, and Kettering.
- my daughter made more money on her first engineering job than I was making at the time. She's been doing six figures for a long time.