Education is still needed around inclusivity
Although progress has been made — such as more interracial couples in advertisements — it’s “still very much a guy’s place.
The muscle cars, the trucks, the voiceovers, the rugged individuals,” said Hamlin Grange, president of the Toronto-based consulting agency DiversiPro. But this is where it gets tricky.
“Maybe they know their market and they’re selling to a specific audience — is that unconscious bias or is that good marketing?”
Ultimately, however, consumers who don’t fit the normative default might relate to a certain advertising campaign, but find it doesn’t translate over when they enter a dealership.
Bias in dealerships and auto body shops
There’s a need for more education and accountability for inclusive sales practices that don’t rely on, or perpetuate, stereotypes, said Saska.
That might mean not jumping to the conclusion that a woman would prefer a minivan to a sports car, or that certain racialized groups have bad credit, will try to haggle down the price or are less knowledgeable about cars.
Greater transparency around pricing and financing could also help to reveal some of these subjective biases so salespeople aren’t perpetuating inequities, such as offering higher interest rates or financing options to non-dominant groups.
In other cases, certain groups feel intimidated by the “bro” culture at some dealerships and auto body shops.
For example, some members of the LGBTQ community fear they will face harassment, discrimination and exclusion in mechanic environments, said Saska.
As a result, we’re seeing the emergence of LGBTQ-owned mechanic shops like Repair Revolution, Stargazer Garage and Mechanic Shop Femme, which seek to provide a more inclusive experience to those who don’t fit the normative default.
Looking ahead
In many cases, unconscious biases are unintentional, said Grange. People tend to seek similarities — say, their love of a particular vehicle — rather than explore their differences. The automotive industry could look to bridge these differences as part of the business model.
“(Dealerships) train their people how to sell their vehicles, how to close the deal,” said Grange, “but what training are they giving them about how to make sense of cultural differences, especially in a market that has a great deal of cultural diversity?”
Automotive workplaces also need more diversity to help mitigate the bias, exclusion and power dynamics found in homogenous environments, said Saska.
The non-profit Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion and Advancement is attempting to do just that by offering workshops, training and certification on diversity and inclusion — with a goal of doubling the number of leaders from marginalized and under-represented groups in the industry by 2030.