May 2025 Volume 7

OPERATIONS & MANAGEMENT

BRINGING EXPERIENCES TO LIGHT THROUGH A SURVEY OF WOMEN IN

FORGING By Katie Dzierwa

the response options of “all the time”, “often”, “sometimes”, “rarely” and “never”. There were other questions that let participants select all answers that they believed applied, for example “what support programs are most beneficial for women?”, had selections such as “improved workplace flexibility programs”, “more job-specific training”, “external mentoring programs”, etc. All questions were listed as optional to answer, in case participants did not want to provide responses to any question. It was distributed to members of the WIF group. They were encouraged to both complete the survey themselves and pass it along to their coworkers and colleagues. In total, there were 31 responses submitted and collected by the WIF team. Participants varied in department, age, experience and more. The findings of the survey led to several

Figure 1: One of the most important results from the survey was the accumulation of advice from members of the forging industry that was directed at women who are working hard every day to improve themselves and the manufacturing world.

T he FIA Women in Forging (WIF) group strives to networking and mentoring relationships, and providing a space for women to come together with their unique ideas and experiences, for the betterment of the forging industry. It is with this goal in mind that this survey was created. The survey and article aim to bring to light some key experiences that women have in the forging industry. This is accomplished by recognizing different company policies and cultural practices that help to improve daily life for all employees. Additionally, the survey was built with the intention of reminding women in the industry that they are not alone. Assembling the Survey A survey of 48 questions was assembled to cover the following topics: demographics, work-life balance, company policies and culture, and workplace experiences. The survey results were anonymous and designed with a combination of multiple choice and short response questions. Many of the multiple choice questions were given a range of answers to choose from. For example, “how often do you feel imposter syndrome?”, had expand opportunities for women who are in the forging industry by providing educational opportunities, growing

main discussion points regarding shared experiences, mentorship and opportunities for connectedness, company policies and culture, and thoughtful advice. A Nod to the Past Many of the survey participants acknowledged the improved workplace conditions and experiences of women in the forging industry today, compared to those of the past. Although the responses from people who have been in the industry for more than 20 years were limited to only four participants, a promising find for the future of our industry was the quantity of 16 participants who have been in the industry for 6-15 years. Additionally, about half of the participants were 40 years old or younger. There is hope that women are staying in the industry for longer periods of time, with future generations continuing to grow. Still, many participants noted that there is room for improvement regarding the representation of women in the workplace. As overall percentages of women in the industry continue to grow, there were comments encouraging the push for women to join in technical roles and manufacturing/labor positions.

FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2025 56