Nearly one-quarter (23%) of women surveyed cited a poor perception of the alcoholic beverage industry as a reason not to apply for a job in the business, according to Heineken USA’s “Behind the Label” report.
Only 16% of men offered the same reason not to apply, and men are interested in industry jobs at a higher rate than women, Heineken USA found. More than three-quarters of men (76%) – compared to 65% of women – said they would be interested in applying to work in the bev-alc industry.
“While this is a mostly positive picture, the differences in their responses to questions about the industry’s image, the applicability of their skillsets, and the inclusiveness of the environment indicate that women still have hesitations about whether they would ‘belong’ in the industry,” the company wrote.
Heineken USA tapped Wakefield Research to survey more than 1,000 legal-drinking-age (LDA) adults in October 2023.
About a quarter (24%) of women said they “believe there are no jobs for someone with their skillset in the industry,” while only 16% of men reported the same.
Both genders believe industry jobs lean more blue collar than white collar, with 77% of women holding that notion, compared to 66% of men.
White respondents and men told Heineken they see the industry as more diverse than women and respondents of color. More than one-third (34%) of women view the bev-alc industry as “less diverse and inclusive” than other industries, compared to 28% of men.
Nearly half (46%) of Black respondents “perceive the industry as less diverse than others,” compared to 30% of white respondents and 25% of Hispanic respondents.
“These statistics indicate an uneven experience across demographic groups with the industry, which may also explain why only 23% say they associate the term ‘inclusive’ with the field,” Heineken USA wrote. “Even with the improvements that the industry has made over the years, it’s clear that there is an opportunity to do more to foster a strong sense of belonging across all groups.”
Along those same racial and ethnic lines, white (69%) and Hispanic respondents (61%) viewed the industry as more innovative than Black respondents (56%).
Similar gaps play out across generations. Nearly two-fifths (39%) of Generation X respondents said they see the bev-alc industry as forward-thinking, compared to 36% of millennials and 26% of Generation Z respondents.
“Innovative” (39%) was the most commonly selected descriptor for the industry, followed by “forward thinking” (32%), “exciting” (27%), “old-fashioned” (26%), “trustworthy” (25%), “inclusive” (23%), “dynamic” (22%) and “boring” (9%).
People outside the industry often do not comprehend the business in its totality. The most common work environment respondents cited was bar/restaurant (38%), followed by production facility (24%), retail store (16%), research lab (6%), office/remote work (6%), farm/ranch (5%), and transportation hub (5%).
Asked what jobs they least expected bev-alc companies to offer, respondents most frequently named biologists (39%), lawyers (36%) and IT support (30%) – all jobs that exist within the industry.
Heineken offered three tactics to combat public misconceptions about the industry:
- “Focus on representation,” by “investing time and resources into creating opportunities for our colleagues to feel seen and heard;”
- “Educate talent earlier,” by “working with colleges to connect with students above the legal drinking age across a variety of fields, well before they start looking for a job;”
- And “intentionally showcase work,” by showing “that the work here is as interesting and nuanced as the projects they can find in tech, finance and more.”
“I believe we work in the greatest industry in the world, but we need to do a better job of communicating the strength and opportunities that lie in the alcoholic beverage industry. If we expect to get the best people – across gender, race, and age demographics – to join and advance our industry, we have to do a better job of showcasing the field,” CEO Maggie Timoney said in the report. “We must demonstrate how the industry provides meaningful opportunities for all – that people with diverse backgrounds and skillsets can grow and thrive here, all while building more successful and versatile organizations.”