Auto makers and suppliers need to embrace filling in gaps in gender equity and inclusion in their work forces in order to better retain employees, especially women, industry leaders said during Automotive News' Leading Women Conference last week.
Those leaders—several of whom are heading up diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at their companies—highlighted that need during a pair of panel discussions titled "Building and Keeping Your Best Teams."
Last year, Ford Motor Co. conducted a third-party audit to see how it could boost its female talent pipeline for leadership positions, said Rekha Wunnava, who is championing a culture transformation within Ford's automotive design and build IT division.
Fundamentally, for me, (building teams) comes down to two things," said Wunnava, the division's global director. "One is to create awareness. And second is listening and creating that psychological safety for employees to be able to share the challenges that they face every single day."
It's crucial for industry leaders to take a hard look at their teams' composition to determine whether they reflect what the business and its customers represent, Wunnava said.
Panelists agreed that companies should also be willing to learn how implementing DE&I initiatives can lead to healthier work environments and employee retention.
For example, women may thrive if their companies institute a male allyship program with a goal of cutting out misogyny or a mentorship program for high-potential women who can get advice from other employees who share their career tracks, panelists said.
"I think it's very important for these young women to know that they have a sounding board and unbiased support as they navigate a career in the automotive industry," said Sharon Wacker, managing director at Deloitte.
Advancing business resource groups is key, according to Yvette Hunsicker, vice president of corporate social responsibility and the Office of Inclusion and Diversity at American Honda Motor Co.
"In addition to that, it's actually looking at the culture in your organization and ensuring it's an inclusive culture for females to grow and thrive," Hunsicker said. "When you talk about hiring, we look at every level of the organization, specifically focused on that entry-level talent."
Other panelists pointed out how DE&I initiatives have functioned during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a portion of the work force—including many women—to quit their jobs in order to find more desirable ones or to focus on child care and personal health.
Kavitha Prabhakar, chief DE&I officer at Deloitte, said a survey her company conducted found 70 percent of U.S. women are concerned that COVID-19 pandemic disruptions will hinder their career growth.
"The good news, though, is that many organizations are taking very, very deliberate, intentional steps to provide some relief," Prabhakar said. "Think about virtual work enhancements, dependent care support, well-being resources—and the biggest discussion in hybrid (work environments), especially, is the dialogue around flexibility."
Paul Walser, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, said the pandemic opened dealers' eyes to new discussions about employee flexibility.
"This has been a tragic series of events, but you do learn from these things," Walser said. "We've come to understand the importance of flexibility and doing initiatives like allowing the employees to bring their kids to work when they're running into very difficult circumstances."