From a historical perspective, the print industry is male-dominated. Likewise, women working in technology are still in the minority.
At Datagraphic, we cross the boundaries of both industries. So you might make an assumption about the makeup of our teams and how our teams are structured.
However, if you’ve ever interacted with our colleagues, you’ll know that we like to do things differently.
Our people work in our industry because they are challenged, appreciated and good at their jobs. We don’t recruit for stereotypes; we hire for fit and the value an employee brings to the table.
That’s why you’ll find people working in roles who might not follow the trend.
Girls Who Print
As part of Women’s Print HERstory Month 2023, we wanted to highlight how female colleagues within Datagraphic motivate women to join the trade.
Read on to learn more about women in the print industry at our organisation.
On the factory floor
We’ve actively encouraged female employees to learn and lead on projects to build a more diverse workforce. Across the sector, however, only 31% of workers in the print industry are female.
A key member of our team, helping us to print almost 113 million pieces of paper each year for clients, is Lucy Giles.
Lucy joined us after leaving university and has worked at our Rugby site for ten years. She is now a team leader in our production department.
Over the decade, Lucy has enjoyed a variety of roles. As a result, she could learn all areas and all departments.
When she joined initially, there was no colour printer. We added the Xerox Trivor printer; therefore, she had to learn how to use the new technology. To do so, she spent a week in Casis, France, where she learned how it works and how to set it up. Today, most client print jobs use that equipment, so she’s been instrumental in passing on her knowledge to support in training other team members.
Lucy says, “I enjoy my job because I have to use my initiative, look for errors, deal with queries and interact with the engineers. By becoming the team leader, I feel valued and appreciated, and the role gives me a shift pattern that works around my childcare and co-parenting commitments.”
She adds, “There has always been a good mix of women in the print room”.
In the wider team
Female employees don’t leave their influence down on the shop floor.
Datagraphic has created an environment to empower women throughout the organisation at both Rugby and Chesterfield sites.
From print to programming, sales, client services, implementation, and service delivery, right through to senior management roles, female colleagues continue to bring specialist knowledge and a customer-centric approach to our ever-evolving industry.
Sarah Butler, general manager at Datagraphic, says, “As a female leader at Datagraphic, I want to encourage equal career progression. I am committed to nurturing talent to encourage more women in the print industry.”
Datagraphic is proud to say that the business is an equal opportunities employer. Meet our team.
Find out more about #PrintHERstoryMonth from GirlsWhoPrint.net.
