The role of women in our industry

Sept. 13, 2016
One area in which the industry could drastically improve is the recruitment of women.

Last month in this space we talked about a new approach to recruiting and building a strong future workforce. Let’s drill deeper and look at how to elevate the role of women in the collision repair industry.

It’s no secret that the collision repair industry needs to take a fresh look at recruiting practices. Our industry is not attracting talent the way it should. One area in which the industry could drastically improve is the recruitment of women.

Habits are hard to break. It’s tempting to keep doing what we’ve been doing for years and continue to recruit individuals from within. What’s not easy is pulling new talent into the industry — individuals that have potential but simply haven’t seen collision repair as a legitimate option for them. For a number of reasons, those individuals are often women.

Anyone interested in using their skills in the collision repair industry has a much stronger chance at being successful if they have clear direction on how to get started and the right support to keep them going. In this male-dominated industry, those crucial elements are not always available to women. When this is the case, collision repair is not fully explored as a career option and the industry effectively cuts its potential workforce in half.

Many of the women I meet in the industry did not plan to be in it, but instead found great positions that just so happened to be in collision repair. We need to keep these women in the industry by providing them with the support and growth opportunities they seek. At our company, women serve in many different roles and serve in many leadership positions. It's very rewarding to watch them grow and move up in their careers.

One thing I see demonstrated consistently through my involvement with tThe Women’s Industry Network (WIN) — where the focus is on supporting women in the collision repair industry — is the importance of mentorship. Many of the young women who have been awarded WIN scholarships have competed in SkillsUSA, and amazingly, the highest performing students are those who have a strong mentor or teacher dedicated to their success.

WIN strives to support these young women further. Along with awarding scholarships to young women in vocational programs, we pay for them to attend the WIN conference where they meet and interact with women who have achieved success in collision repair. It’s a chance for them to learn about a wide variety of different roles and companies available to them in the industry.

Starting out in any career can be challenging and intimidating, and WIN connects women at this stage with more experienced mentors who have spent time in the industry. This type of connection can be very powerful. 

Building a supportive network is what WIN is all about, but it should also be part of a broader goal that the entire industry takes on moving forward. Especially today, while we are facing a significant talent shortage in the workforce, we should be doing everything we can to help young students recognize the opportunities our industry has to offer.

Collision repair should be seen as a viable option for anyone willing to put in the work and develop their skills. It should be seen as an industry in which people can grow and raise families. We’ve done a great job promoting the industry as a strong trade with a rich history. But the reality is sometimes parents and educators do not demonstrate effectively what modern collision repair is about. It’s not the same industry it used to be. Collision repair in 2016 is an industry that demands a multitude of skill sets and proficiencies, and thrives on the ideas generated by a diverse array of perspectives.

If we are going to make progress in our efforts to attract women to this industry and retain them once they are here, we must do a better job reaching them at the middle school and high school level, steering them toward companies that have strong, supportive cultures, and building upon these values in the industry overall.

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