Retention of Women in Engineering: Implications for Public Works Teams

Research shows that thirty years into their careers, women in engineering are half as likely as the men who stayed to report that they are still working despite decades of research attempting to explain this gender gap. An evidence-based analysis (EBA) was performed to understand the factors the impact the persistence of women in engineering. EBA links the qualitative stories of engagement and retention of women in engineering with the quantitative evidence. The developed model of the causal factors and their effect sizes on the outcome indicated that engineering identification and job involvement have a statistically medium impact on career commitment, followed by job attitude and job satisfaction. The model was evaluated using a well-constructed survey based on reliable measurement scales and produced thoughtful insights. For instance, respondents indicated that being an engineer has a lot to do with how they feel about themselves and that it was important to be good at engineering and to be recognized as being a good engineer. With this awareness, engineering managers can help women on their teams develop their professional identities by creating a sense of belonging in the workplace, ackwledging that their beliefs, values, and experiences belong, which will in turn facilitate attachment and commitment to their career. I will share how I have implemented key takeaways from the research with my own team and how this can be broadly applied to all teams to impact retention.
Following the session, participants will be better able to:
– Explain the steps necessary to perform an evidence-based analysis and how linking the qualitative and quantitative data can strengthen our arsenal for solving complex problems.
– Identify the most impactful causal factors that impact women’s commitment to the field of engineering with broader implications for retention in the public works industry.
– Illuminate and apply solutions to factors like burut and engineering identity so women will stay in the workplace and remain committed to the field of engineering.