It’s no secret that the automotive sector has long been dominated by men, and despite efforts to address diversity and inclusion, women remain underrepresented in key roles. While progress has been made in recent years, the journey toward gender equality is far from over.
In recent months, Keyloop has been working to educate, advocate and support women in the industry as part of our women’s ERG initiative, KeyShift. As we celebrate with a busy week of initiatives and events for International Women’s Day, we’re shining a light on gender diversity, and how the industry can come together to inspire inclusion.
A deep dive into gender diversity
Women have historically struggled to break into leadership roles within the automotive industry. As it stands, just under 20% of the sector’s workforce is female. The percentage of women in executive or C-suite roles within the automotive industry remains low. This underrepresentation in leadership roles can be attributed to various factors, including gender biases, a lack of mentorship opportunities, and preconceptions surrounding the automotive sector as a “male-dominated” field.
The gender pay gap is another persistent issue. While many organisations work hard to close the gap, we’re still seeing a 9.2% median gender pay gap in the motor manufacturing industry, for example. Meaning the sector has a way to go before achieving true gender parity.
All of this also leads to challenges in terms of recruitment. When it comes to gender diversity, the sector faces a pipeline issue. According to a recent study, conducted by Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, one in three women would never consider a career in the automotive sector.
Why representation matters
Women make up only 20 per cent of the automotive workforce in the UK, and on top of that, just 10 per cent at board level.
Naturally, these figures mean teams are really lacking equality and balance as part of their internal team. But it’s easy to underestimate how women’s representation in automotive impacts the consumer in terms of the car-buyer journey. 46 per cent of driving licence holders are women Female car buyers. That means there’s a huge disparity between women’s representation in internal teams and the active target audience of car buyers.
Only around 22% of automotive dealers are women. Women make purchasing decisions differently, and buy based on research, prioritising factors such as price and safety, whereas men might be swayed by style and features such as driving aids.
It’s true that many retailers are working to redress the balance. However, there’s still a general lack of female dealers welcoming customers on the forecourt, understanding their needs and speaking their language, meaning it’s likely women will continue to feel alienated from the car-buying journey.
Automotive and the importance of allyship
Women have been in the minority for a long time in the automotive sector. Statistics show that women make up only 12% of repair and maintenance roles, despite high demand for skilled labour.
The answer?
Education, engagement, and male allyship.
Commenting on the topic, Keyloop’s Director of OEM Strategy, Jacqui Barker said: “Often with these initiatives it feels very much centred around women supporting women. But generally, the people in the top jobs are men. Sadly, due to industry preconceptions and challenges like the confidence gap, it still feels like women need to get permission to put themselves forward. It’s essential that men encourage their women colleagues and support them in unlocking their potential.
The data shows us that if organisations unlock the potential of all of their people, the business will inevitably perform better.”
We also spoke to Sarah Noble, founder of Women at the Wheel, a Deloitte organisation focused on gender parity in the automotive sector, who added:
“The importance of male allies is often underestimated. The reality is, we need everyone to be working together to see actual change happen within individual organisations and, ultimately across the industry. It’s really critical for male allies to stamp out when they see something that shouldn’t be happen, whether that be language or behaviour, but also proactively think about how they could sponsor and support women in their careers.”
Breaking Barriers: Keyloop’s KeyShift Initiative
Addressing these disparities and empowering women in automotive is crucial to creating more diverse, innovative, and successful organisations. Through the recent launch of our KeyShift programme, Keyloop has committed to supporting the advancement of gender parity in the automotive industry. By creating more opportunities for women to succeed and supporting gender-inclusive leadership, we’ve made a pledged to drive long-lasting change in the industry.
Keyloop’s mission with KeyShift is to tackle the challenges women face in automotive by providing platforms for mentorship, leadership development, and networking. The initiative is centred on empowering women and fostering a more inclusive workplace culture.
The KeyShift initiative also aims to attract more women into the automotive industry by focusing on education and recruitment. By offering specialised training programmes, resources, mentorship opportunities, and coaching, Keyloop hopes to create a more gender-balanced talent pool and address the underrepresentation of women in automotive.
The initiative also aims to address the systemic challenges that women face when trying to break into leadership positions. By focusing on mentorship and career development, Keyloop is working to level the playing field and ensure that women have the tools and resources they need to thrive at all levels of the organisation.
Putting gender parity into practice
As we look ahead, it’s clear that more organisations must start to create a level playing field. This in turn will not only benefit women but will also drive innovation, improve company performance, and pave the way for future generations of women in automotive and broader STEM industries.
The challenges women face in both the tech and automotive industries are clear. From pay disparity to a lack of representation in leadership roles, women continue to face barriers that hinder their career progression. This, in turn, means businesses aren’t making the most of their own talent or the diversity of their own workforce.
By providing women with the mentorship, training, and support they need to succeed, the industry should work together to break down barriers and foster a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the automotive industry.
