More women finding roles in logistics industry
PLG co-founder says perception that logistics is only about warehouses and transportation is waning
When a logistics company was tasked to ship an electric bus, the customer doubted the ability of Mrs Rebecca Lim, who would handle the demands.
But as Mrs Lim - who with her husband founded Pacific Logistics Group (PLG) - had gone through the details with her team, the business development director proved she had the requisite knowledge, like the complex technical details of the bus, to ensure a smooth delivery and convinced the customer she was more than capable of delivering.
Speaking to The New Paper recently, she recounted the incident where she felt discriminated against because she was a woman.
A study by organisational development company Novosensus in September revealed that women in the logistics industry feel about 10 per cent less recognised than their male counterparts in the workplace.
Also, only 13 per cent of senior leadership positions in the logistics industry are held by women.
Mrs Lim, 42, suggested that this stems from a longstanding misconception that the logistics field is a man's playground.
"Logistics is associated only with warehouses and transportation. Therefore there is a perception that it is labour-intensive and that strength and fitness is necessary," she said.
CHANGING TREND
Mrs Lim has noticed a changing trend in recent years, though, with an understanding that there are diverse roles within the logistics ecosystem such as customer service, sales and accounts.
PLG has seen an increasing number of women joining the company in such roles. It has 61 woman employees out of 191. Twenty-two were employed over the last 10 months.
Mrs Lim said: "Due to Covid-19, more women are considering alternative jobs, and they are going into areas they never thought they would look at - like logistics."
Eleven women are in senior management positions in PLG, while others assume leadership positions in other areas, like customer service supervisor Lew Hui Juan.
Miss Lew, 26, leads a team of seven who come to her when they face issues with the customers they are handling.
She said: "I am happy that promotions and other leadership opportunities are given equally to both men and women in the company."
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