WOMEN CONSULTANTS
Studies find
that women add a different dimension, yet remain
underrepresented in foodservice businesses
the needs of children, but also the needs of men.”
A BOOST TO PRODUCTIVITY
Tis goes for operations too. A report by Jorge Tamayo, assistant professor at Harvard Business School, looked at the management of a large Colombian fast-food chain, and concluded that women managers looked out for their employees more than men. Women managers were also
more likely to spend more time on scheduling and assigning workers their preferred shifts, which Tamayo said was consistent with female managers “being generally more aware of and responsive to workers’ scheduling constraints”. “I can see very well that
T
he foodservice industry has traditionally been male-dominated, but
experts say that having women on the team has practical benefits to the way a project is designed and planned. “In many projects I’ve
found it genuinely interesting to see that my – highly competent – male colleagues often approach planning challenges in a different way,” says Marlene Sommer FCSI, partner at DSC Consult in Germany and a specialist in inflight catering planning. “Te contrast in perspectives can be very valuable, especially when it
comes to shaping the direction early on,” she adds. Many qualities associated
with effective leadership or functioning workplaces – such as adaptability, multitasking and inclusivity – are qualities women consultants argue they frequently bring to the table. “When a woman leads on
the conception of a kitchen or the design of a restaurant, I think they are going to take more needs into account,” says Marta Cebrián López FCSI, executive director of MCL Food Consulting and vice president of FCSI Iberia. “Tey will take into account the needs of women and
when you have a team with women, there is less ego and more kindness,” says López. “Maybe we’re going to pay more attention to who is working on what, if the hours allocated are correct, if we can optimize things here and there, because we are so used to doing that in our own daily life. “I think [women] do take
the comfort of the team more into account.” After following the running
of 76 restaurants and analyzing personnel and productivity data, Tamayo’s study concluded that when women managed stores, those restaurants also performed better on their goals overall. Claire Moss FCSI,
director of UK consultancy Kre-ate, believes it is key to
have a diverse team because the hospitality industry is “fundamentally people-focused.” “Every project involves
multiple stakeholders – users, operators, owners, suppliers – with their own priorities and perspectives,” says Moss. “Understanding these needs requires patience, active listening, and clear communication, regardless of gender.” López shares an example
from her own experience working as a chef in a Michelin- starred restaurant in Belgium, where the kitchen work surfaces were set to a height of around 90 centimeters. “I’m not very tall – I
measure one meter, 60 centimeters – and it meant that all the time that I was working there, I was on my tiptoes, and it wasn’t comfortable at all,” she says. “I think a woman designing a venue might well think, maybe we should have tables that are adjustable.” Her conclusion is that a
commercial kitchen is “really built for a man’s body shape, height and strength”. A diverse team can also
be more understanding of underrepresented communities. “A focus area for me is
developing our collective skillset around hidden disabilities and cognitive or sensory differences,” says Moss. “Tese are often overlooked in commercial kitchens and hospitality design, yet they directly affect safety, efficiency, and experience for both operators and guests.”
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