Giving support to gender equality in motor retailing

In this February issue of Motor Trader now online we identified those individuals who have influenced the motor retail sector over the past year and are set to make their presence felt in 2019.

The Top 50 Movers & Shakers charted the personalities who are innovating and setting the pace in a fast-changing business.

Our listings include profile ratings and Motor Trader Top 200 positions for franchised dealer groups. As you would expect, many of the big dealer groups and top carmakers are represented.

The survey highlighted something that most dealers know already: there are too few women operating at the highest level in the motor sector compared to men.

Last year the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) called on motor retailers to back gender equality in the workplace.

Change is afoot, with a number of the biggest dealer groups joining the UK Automotive 30% Club with a view to have women to represent at least 30% of senior jobs in the motor sector.

The latest to join is JCT600. It joins other dealer group members, including Burrows Motor Company, Group 1 Auto, Imperial Commercials, Inchcape, Jardine Motors, Lookers, Thurlow Nunn, TrustFord, Vertu and Marshall.

The gender issue is not the only big challenge facing motor retailers. The other is the acute shortage of technicians in the sector a problem for the majority of dealer groups.

Of course dealers are pushing hard with their apprentice recruitment schemes, like TrustFord for example, but it is an uphill battle.

The biggest challenge groups face is holding onto their best people who are tempted away with higher salaries. This can be partly addressed by providing employees with long term benefits and incentives to stay.

And finally, and sticking with the people theme, the Motor Trader Awards website is now live with details of all the awards, criteria to be met and how to enter.

Go to MotorTrader.com and click on awards or search for Motor Trader Awards 2019.