The relative lack of female representation in the semiconductor sector is a problem that is increasingly being discussed. In fact, the gender gap for women in technical roles is significant, with only 52 women being promoted to manager for every 100 men, according to McKinsey's Women in the Workplace 2021 report. Lam Research, a US-based supplier of wafer fabrication equipment to the semiconductor industry, is keen to change this narrative and has introduced many initiatives to encourage female participation in its workforce. The company opened its largest manufacturing plant in Penang last year.

"There was an important study a couple of years ago by the International Labour Organization that surveyed 2,000 companies across 70 countries. It found that the majority of respondents knew objectively that once they had over 30% female representation in management, they would naturally see an improvement in company results and the ability to hire talent," says Mike Snell, corporate vice-president of manufacturing at Lam Research.

Improving diversity is a core value of the company, as is fostering inclusion. This will also contribute to making the company more appealing, support the expansion of its talent pool and increase company productivity and employee engagement.

As part of its effort to foster inclusion and diversity, Lam Research has been offering online courses and coaching sessions to its employees on cross-cultural work practices to promote respect for diversity and inclusion.

"Getting the right talent and assembling a good team is of critical importance to our success. Therefore, we want to make sure that we amass all the talents that we can find. We also recognise that one untapped group of talent is the female workforce," says Soon Kuek, managing director of Lam Research International Sdn Bhd (LRI).

"Some people would think that because we are a major equipment company, our work in the factory would be more suitable for males. But that is not true and that is the bias we have to break. We spend a lot of time correcting that by emphasising and making sure our workplace is gender-friendly."

In Malaysia, the company currently has women in 50% of its leadership positions. Overall, women make up 27% of its workforce, which is above the market average of 10% for large product assembly sites. LRI has set a stretch goal of 30%.

Getting women to join the tech manufacturing industry is a challenge. It is common to see relatively high female enrolment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programmes in schools or universities, but this number drops in the workforce.

"That tells us that even after they've received the training and obtained relevant academic qualification, they would somehow choose not to participate in the technology field," says Soon.

To address that, Lam Research wants to create a supportive environment for women. This starts with training students before they enter university or the workforce. In Penang, it has partnered with a local training organisation to train secondary school graduates.

"When they complete their training and if they pass the required certification or tests, they may choose to work for us if they so desire. If they choose not to work for us, they still receive the training. This is something that will help them continue to pursue a career in the technology field," says Soon.

For university graduates, the company provides an internship programme where candidates get first-hand experience of working at a technology company. "I'm happy to report that many of them have chosen to stay [with us after the programme]. This eases them into the field. After that, we provide them with other types of support," she adds.

For women who have already joined the workforce, various support systems are provided. This includes resource groups and mentorship programmes. Even the workplace is adjusted for the female workforce.

"These are heavy equipment that we assemble and test in our factory. We are very conscious about making sure [they are] size- and gender-friendly," says Soon.

So, the company is customising its processes and installing equipment for the local population. "Lam takes a holistic approach to inclusion, not only in its processes but in the environment and incentives as well," she adds.

For instance, the company adjusted the height of its working space to fit local requirements. It also provides 26 weeks of maternity leave for mothers and 16 weeks of paternity leave for fathers. "That shows you our commitment to supporting families and work-life balance," says Soon.

Ultimately, having an inclusive and diverse workforce is good business as well. Lam Research's achievements on these fronts are transparently reported annually.

"We annually survey our employees on engagement and their satisfaction working at Lam. We take the comments very seriously," says Snell.

"There is a lot of empirical data at this point that shows that as companies become more diverse, operational results improve. We get more talent, [and we can] improve the breadth of experience, personalities and styles. The company gets better results."