Now there is an easy guide to help women access employment in the auto industry that also acts as an aid for automotive businesses seeking to employ women.

Developed in response by both sides of the employment coin, the guide – ‘How to attract, recruit and retain women in the Australian Automotive industry’ – is now available from Women in Automotive (WinA), which was established in 1999 by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) to support, empower and attract women to the automotive industry.

WinA manager and VACC industry policy adviser Dr Imogen Reid said Women in Automotive was thrilled to provide a written resource on how to attract, recruit and retain women in the automotive industry.

“So often we have heard, ‘We would love to employ more women, but they just don’t apply for the roles’ or ‘I would like to employ more women, but I just don’t know where to start’,” she said.

“Well WinA has listened and done the heavy lifting. This very practical and easy-to-read handbook will explain how your business can access and retain the very best female talent available.”

The guide has chapters that take businesses through the different parts of the process, from why they should raise female participation rates and what the gender imbalance means for the bottom line.

Dr Reid said it covers off on things like “unconscious bias”, the limiting effects of an imbalance of women on business and ways to minimise it.

“It’s actually easier than you might think to get women to apply for your advertised position,” she said.

WinA said according to Deloitte data from 2018, the work environment and lack of work/life balance rank among the top reasons why women avoid careers in automotive.

This includes the combination of early starts, late finishes and the weekend work demanded by the industry. Family life, as well as other commitments and interests, make it hard for women and for many men.

In 2015, data obtained by WinA found that 89 per cent of respondents listed lack of work/life balance as the top reason to avoid considering a career in the automotive industry, with 46 per cent saying there was a lack of flexible schedule.

The second biggest issue was that women perceive the work environment as blokey – with few female role models to aspire to – and when women don’t see other women in the workplace they take this as a cue that women don’t belong.

The Deloitte data of 2018 found other contributing factors, with 39 per cent of respondents to its survey pointing to a lack of career advancement opportunities, perceived calibre of people working in the industry, and lower pay.

Tips for the recruitment process are also touched on in the guide, including the screening process, and available tools to help you along the way – most of which are free.

“Finally, this resource discusses important retention strategies – how do you ensure females don’t leave your business after the effort involved in their recruitment?” the organisation said.

Footnote: WinA is now a national organisation that supports, empowers and attracts women to the automotive industry. Its members range from apprentices to technicians, service managers, administrative staff, workshop owners, sales consultants and chief executives. Further details are available at www.womeninautomotive.com.au

By Neil Dowling