Why can't engineers fix the leaky pipeline?

Last night, I read the book, "Rosie Revere, Engineer" to my niece and my son at bedtime and had a hard time fighting back tears as I read. It's a sweet story about a young girl with a passion for engineering who questions her ability to become an engineer because of the way society perceives engineers (though it isn't stated outright, we are led to believe that this perception is male). She hides her engineering projects beneath her bed until her aunt encourages her to embrace that passion and identity as an engineer. It's a happy ending of an important book.

It's important because American society still largely envisions a man when asked to picture an engineer. It's important because every single woman who has pursued engineering, whether in their youth or as an adult, can relate to the feeling of questioning their ability to succeed based largely on the perception that "girls don't make good engineers". Research by SWE found that, even in circumstances where girls believed they were better at math than their male counterparts, they were less likely to pursue careers in engineering.

Unfortunately, the problem is not solved at commencement when these girls receive their engineering degrees, as many of us assumed it would. The sense of "not belonging" transcends academia and into the workplace, where the leaky pipeline comes in. Ironic, isn't it, that a field that specializes in pipes can't seem to fix one of the most important pipelines that exists? This week, I polled a group of individuals who identify as "engineer" and "mother": 65% of them responded that they had considered leaving their job within the last year.

What a startling realization, and something that any leader of an organization reading this article should pay attention to, to learn that only 35% of the women in your workplace are satisfied in their work. How do we achieve greater gender balance in STEM when women are spinning their wheels in an attempt to find fulfillment in their roles? How much time and productivity is lost? How much opportunity is lost?

It's the driving force behind Milton Coaching Collective and Just Lennis: fixing our pipeline problem. Many assume that the driving reason is work/family conflict, and while it is certainly a factor that needs to be addressed, to reduce the issue to only one root cause would be downright lazy. In fact, studies done by SWE in 2016 found that work/family conflict was NOT the driving factor for women to leave their engineering roles. The 2021 SWE State of Women In Engineering report found multiple contributing factors that each require focus and solutions, both systemically and locally, within our engineering organizations.

Four Primary Reasons Women Leave Engineering (According to studies)

1) Underrealized Goals

Respondents noted a desire to leave their roles because they found themselves working in environments that tolerated persistent obstacles to their organizational and career goals.

2) The Specter of Motherhood

Respondents described a “specter of motherhood” in which motherhood was constructed in opposition to professional legitimacy, as something to fear. Female students and faculty (but not men) felt compelled to conceal motherhood and to choose between motherhood and career.

3) Culture and Values Misalignment

Many respondents noted their experience of the masculine culture of engineering, and their unwillingness to adapt to it, as a reason for their departure. Often, recruitment for engineering roles leans heavily into the "fraternity culture" of an organization, which may inadvertently turn female prospects away.

4) Gender stereotyping and bias

Studies of New England students found that their experiences in internships and team projects already involved gender stereotyping that affected their enthusiasm for engineering careers. That is to say that these experiences generally increased enthusiasm for male participants and decreased enthusiasm for their female counterparts. Whether it's a lack of support, double-standards for characteristics and traits of success, or discrepancies in role expectations between genders (i.e. female engineers are asked to throw office parties more often than male employees are asked), women are left wondering how to succeed and the organizations in the world of STEM are losing out on significant opportunity.

In this week's episode of Take A Break with Caroline & Lennis Perez ???? , we dive into the topic of inclusion and retention in engineering with engineer, professor and researcher, Rebecca K. Andersen . In 2021, Rebecca launched the Berkeley Leadership Development Program for Gender Equity in STEM careers. In her work, she's focused specifically on solving issues of retention for all those underrepresented in the world of STEM and supplementing much of what is missed when preparing girls for careers in these fields.

In the episode, Rebecca shares key actions that the leader can take to make their teams, business units, and companies more approachable for women - you know, so they don't become that 35% statistic I shared earlier. From navigating hidden politics of the office, to knocking down double-standards, to advocating for yourself successfully, she has a plan of action for how individuals and organizations can begin to work toward gender equity, better business, and a brighter future.

I believe that future is possible, but it won't take the efforts of few - we need YOU.

As is tradition, we close the episode with sharing a habit that helps prioritize energy and wellbeing and we've invited Rebecca to give us a glimpse into what keeps her balanced. Share with us a wellness habit you've been focusing on by commenting on this article or the video!

Listen to this week's episode here.

If you have specific questions about burnout prevention, either in organization or individually, please email us at [email protected].

Learn more about Caroline?here.

Learn more about Lennis?here.