According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Despite the prominence of leadership roles, women hold about 25 percent of jobs in the motor vehicle and parts industry as of late 2015.” And according to a late Equal Opportunity Commission report, “Women made up just under 21% of employees in auto manufacturing in the United States, and 16% of executives and senior management.”
In sales, the figure for sales positions is considerable lower, as a high percentage of the few women that are in this industry work are in fact in service, clerical, and finance positions, and not in customer-facing positions. Considering that women influence 85% of all automotive purchases, the fact is that we should be jumping all over this obvious in-our-face opportunity.
We simply need to learn how to Attract and employ more women.
If you have been following the developing trends in automotive business, you have been noticing that auto organizations which make a concentrated effort to attract and employ women to the ranks are excited in their realization of considerable returns in both increased business and ROI.
Profit margins have gradually slimmed over the past years, much as a result of intelligent and increased access by consumers to actual tire costs. There are a growing number of consumer organizations that also promote direct information access to these actual costs. As a result, these reduced margins have made it imperative to seek out new opportunities for business that will bring accompanying income and profit.
One of most obvious opportunities for this lies in the process of recruitment and placement of women into the industry.
As much as we desperately need more women in this highly volatile and necessary industry, we are simply are not doing a good job in recruiting women.
This might seem overwhelming. But it isn’t. It may seem like a lot to overcome, but we can overcome all these considerations easily. Just one step at a time.
So. How do we make this all happen? Here are the most obvious solutions:
- Employ marketing individuals and groups that have expertise in marketing to the women’s market, and visit women’s websites that implement helpful and inspiration women’s topics. Google topics having to do with women in the auto industry.
- Re-examine the positions in your company that can effectively interest and challenge women and encourage not only their entry into the industry, as well as their interest in making it a career.
- Re-examine your compensation incentives and adjust them to take into consideration the primary needs of women as permanent, long-term employees.
- Encourage and push our educational institutions to provide realistic training at all levels for the auto industry, including manufacturing and design, executive and regional management, marketing and sales, service, and inner business participation.
Women in business and personal life are time constrained, practical, money conscious, realistic, and into efficient communication with high natural marketing skills. They are efficient in effective communication within their own groups and friends, and understand meeting needs. They make exceptional mentors, instructors, and bosses.
We just can’t wait any longer. Let’s get professional women into place. And let’s make that place in our industry in sales, parts, service, marketing, administrative and executive positions.
We are speaking at DIGITAL DEALER 21 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, August 8-10, 2016. Catch our session, “Creating a Culture to Win with Women – Make More Money Than Ever Before Hiring Great Employees and Target-Marketing the Most Powerful Consumer Decision-Makers (85%+ of All Major Purchase Decisions)!“