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Retail Car Industry Needs to Attract More Women
In my nearly three decades in the car industry, I have seen many positive changes take place that have helped our competitiveness. One of those changes has been the advancement of women within the retail car sector.
A generation ago, you would be hard-pressed to find many of them working in sales, service or management positions. At that time, women worked mostly in clerical and administrative positions. Today, I?m pleased that women work in all departments and play a vital role in the success of hundreds of new car dealerships across Canada.
However, compared to other industries that were once dominated by men such as construction, agriculture, engineering, and finance, we still lag far behind in attracting female employees to our exciting sector. According to Statistics Canada (2004), in the manufacturing industry, women represent 39.73 per cent of the total workforce. In the construction sector, it?s 13.1 per cent; in agriculture, 42.38 per cent; and among professional, scientific and technical services, women account for 73.67 per cent of the workforce. Wow!
From my point of view, it would be a dream to have gender equality in our environment. Although women hold many prestigious jobs in the retail car sector such as dealer principal, sales manager, marketing coordinator, service advisor and parts manager, equal representation is years away from happening. The reality, today, is that women represent less than 10 per cent of our total workforce
Why aren?t more women employed in our industry? This is a question that we, as new car dealers, have struggled with for a long time. I think part of the problem lies with the perception of the retail car industry. Despite the advancements of women, many still view our industry as ?male? oriented and difficult to break into.
Truth is, women do exceptionally well in all areas of a dealership, particularly in car sales and other positions, so they shouldn?t be afraid to apply when they find an opportunity. When you figure that up to 80 per cent of all car buying decisions are influenced by women, it makes sense that women sales reps would have a natural sensibility and insight to what customers want.
Women have talents that are well-suited to any retail environment. For instance, they possess great communications, problem-solving and interpersonal abilities. They know how to build lasting relationships with colleagues and customers ? skills that are highly valued in our business. In my experience, if a woman demonstrates a commitment and dedication to her job, she will receive ongoing support and encouragement from management and colleagues. This could help her career soar.
Women sometimes assume that they have to be mechanically inclined in order to work at a new car dealership. Not so. There are many skill sets that are in high demand at dealerships, but a thorough understanding of what?s under the hood isn?t one of them.
Some customers assume that women salespeople aren?t that interested in cars or don?t know enough about cars. That?s nonsense. Women take the same training courses and they are just as passionate about their jobs as their male counterparts. When customers have an opportunity to work with a woman in purchasing a vehicle, they soon realize how competent and professional she is.
Today, there are excellent opportunities for women in sales, service, management and accounting. Women can acquire the skills for specific careers by attending colleges and universities that offer programs that are designed for the retail automotive sector. Or, they can start out in entry-level positions and earn their stripes on the job.
Socio and economic changes have made it possible for women to pursue fulfilling careers in many industries. Men are picking up the slack and pitching in more on the home-front, allowing women the flexibility to pursue careers that aren?t typically 9-5 jobs.
If you are a female seeking a challenging career, or a career change, the retail automotive industry is a wide open field; many career positions and very well-paying positions exist at all levels.
Over the years, I have known dozens of women who have succeeded in our industry. Some of these women may have been hesitant about pursuing a career in the traditionally male dominant car industry, at first, but they gave the business a chance. In time, they gained the confidence and experience needed to achieve their goals, and they have no regrets about doing so.
I would encourage any woman who is seeking an exciting career to research the retail automotive sector. Talk with successful women in our field about the day-to-day realities and what to expect. You?ll discover many success stories.
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Paul Stern is President of the Toronto Automobile Dealers Association and is a new-car dealer in Toronto. E-mail comments to president@tada.ca
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