Working towards a gender diverse workforce
In an industry that is historically a male dominated environment, Murray Group are proud to be actively working towards becoming a truly equal workforce in terms of gender balance.
It has been well documented over the years that the automotive sector is one in which women are notoriously underrepresented and whilst 68% of women feel that they have seen a positive change in the industry's attitude towards female employees (Deloitte 2020), the road ahead is still long and winding.
The same survey found that a massive 90% of women feel underrepresented in leadership positions in the sector - which is hardly surprising given that, industry wide, less than 10% of executive roles are filled by women.
In a world in which there are evidently still considerable barriers for women to face on the road to career success, Murray Group are working hard to break them down. We have more women involved in roles of all types across our 244 strong workforce than most comparable small businesses in the industry. In addition to this, women make up a substantial proportion of our senior management team, in key roles such as HR, Finance, Marketing, Aftersales and Parts.
Group HR Manager Keri Brisley says she has received "incredible support" throughout her 18 year career with the Murray Group, explaining:
Another of our female managers; Alison Alexander, who heads up TPS, joined Murray Group in 2019 but has spent 40 years working within the industry. Over that time, Alison concurs that she has seen lost of positive changes in the sector, although she concedes that it has been a slow change.
With 57% of women in the industry reportedly unable to see a clear career path to secure the roles they want, Alison is a fantastic role model. She has seemingly bucked the trend by forging a four decade long career in the trade. However, she admits that it has not been without its challenges. She remains pragmatic, however and states that without the barriers she has faced during her career; she may not have developed as much resilience or determination to succeed.
When asked what challenges she thinks women face in the automotive world, she says:
This seems particularly prevalent in areas of the sector that are traditionally perceived as 'male' - such as technical and managerial roles. Something that Murray Group is addressing by encouraging women into jobs across our business capabilities. We currently have strong female representation across our sales teams; technician roles; administrative support and management team.
Of our recruitment ethos, Managing Director Kevin Murray explains:
Building a diverse workforce that is fully reflective of society is an ongoing task for any business but it is a goal that we are determined to achieve. We will continue to strive to ensure that people of all gender identities are represented across our business functions.