The HealthSec Blog

Workforce diversity is becoming an increasingly important topic in the healthcare industry, as it has been shown to have a positive impact on patient outcomes and employee satisfaction. Project management, in particular, is an area where workforce diversity can bring unique perspectives and experiences that lead to more successful projects.

According to a study by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a global professional association for project managers, diversity and inclusion in project teams can lead to increased innovation, better decision-making, and improved project outcomes. However, the study also found that many organizations struggle with creating diverse project teams, and that there is a lack of diversity in project management leadership positions. Less that one third (29%) of organizations included in the study reported having a diversity and inclusion strategy for their project management teams.

In the healthcare industry specifically, there are a few key factors that contribute to the lack of diversity in project management.

• Firstly, healthcare has historically been a male-dominated field, with women making up a smaller percentage of leadership positions. A 2021 study by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company found that women make up 65% of the healthcare workforce but only 30% of C-suite positions in healthcare organizations.
• Secondly, there is a lack of diversity in the pool of candidates for project management roles, as many project managers come from technical or engineering backgrounds, which also tend to be less diverse fields. According to a report by the National Society of Black Engineers, only 5.4% of bachelor's degrees in engineering were awarded to Black students in the United States in 2019, and only 14.2% were awarded to women. Similarly, a report by the American Society for Engineering Education found that only 10% of engineering bachelor's degrees were awarded to Hispanic/Latino students in 2019.

To address this issue, healthcare organizations can take several steps to promote diversity and inclusion in project management. One strategy is to actively recruit diverse candidates for project management roles, including candidates from non-technical backgrounds. Another strategy is to provide diversity and inclusion training for project managers, which can help them better understand and address the unique perspectives and experiences of diverse team members.

Additionally, healthcare organizations can create employee resource groups (ERGs) for underrepresented groups, such as women and minorities, to provide support and networking opportunities for employees in project management roles. These ERGs can also serve as a platform for identifying and addressing systemic issues that may be contributing to the lack of diversity in project management.

Workforce diversity is an important factor in project management success in the healthcare industry. While there are challenges to creating diverse project teams, healthcare organizations can take proactive steps to promote diversity and inclusion in project management, which will ultimately lead to better patient outcomes and employee satisfaction.