Fixed Ops Journal - August 2022 - F10

FIXED OPS JOURNAL
CHERYL WHITE
W
hen Cheryl White started working in the sales
department at Rally Subaru in Canada in
2002, she was the only female employee.
" I was a woman in a man's world, " she says.
She outsold her male colleagues at the Edmonton,
Alberta, dealership, but " there would just be this innuendo
that I was being favored, that I didn't really sell that many
cars, that they were being handed to me, " White says.
Th at type of blatant sexism led her to the service department
in 2007, where she also was the only female employee. When
the service director saw the need for an active manager at the
store, White was hired as service manager in 2010.
" I have a natural ability to work together with people, " she
says.
But sexism was pervasive there as well. Information, such as
the basics of fi nancial documents, wasn't forthcoming.
" My learning really came from just having to ask questions all
the time, " she says. " I didn't get any formal training. "
White says she has succeeded in transforming the service department
into a place that's appealing for women to work.
All of her front-line staff - an assistant service manager, two
advisers, a warranty person and an appointment coordinator -
are women. All of the technicians are men. But there is mutual
respect between the two groups.
" I've put a lot of time and eff ort into building that family environment, "
White says. " We look after each other. "
She created a department where the women feel comfortable
going into the shop and asking questions about how things
work, " and the technicians are more than happy to teach and to
share what they know, " White says.
But even now , she still faces hurdles such as not being invited
to important dealership meetings.
" After all this time and the success that I've had, I do not attend
the managers meeting, which is very frustrating, " she says.
She never made it a mission to actively recruit women , but
employing a lot of women and having a reputation as a great
place to work helps. More than half of the applicants for the
open service adviser job were women; her service director encouraged
her to hire a man to begin balancing things out. White
hired a woman.
" Th e lady is always the best candidate, " she says.
Women tend to be more receptive to learning what they don't
know, White says. Th ey're more considerate and caring with
customers. Th ey have more empathy.
" Th ey have characteristics that build trust with customers, "
greeting them by name and remembering details of their lives,
White says.
White says sometimes employers put up barriers to women
applying when they indicate particular hours the employee
needs to be available.
" Companies need to take into consideration a person's diff erent
family life and try to accommodate that as best as they possibly
can, " she says.
White says she always treats people the way she wants to be
treated and believes that's the best way to attract and retain female
employees.
" Show that you care, " she says, " and it comes back to you. "
- Julie Halpert
PAGE 10 AUGUST 2022
"
" Companies need to take into
consideration a person's different
family life and try to accommodate that
as best as they possibly can. "
"
Fixed Ops Journal - August 2022

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