In a follow-up to a 2019 survey on women in the RV industry, the RV Women’s Alliance (RVWA) again enlisted Cairn Consulting Group to survey a wide swath of the RV industry to gauge attitudes and perception about women in the industry.
“The results of the new survey are encouraging and show there has been modest improvement in women’s representation in the industry,” said RV Women’s Alliance President Susan Carpenter. “The results also show that while those employed in the RV industry feel there has been progress, they also see a lot of room for improvement. And that is where we at RVWA come in. Our group of women and men from across the industry are dedicated to the elevation, education and promotion of women in our industry so that the RV industry is a place where women thrive. And it is clear from the results of this new survey that there is a recognition of the importance of women in our industry and acknowledgment of the work that still needs to be done.”
Key takeaways from the survey show staffing issues continue to be one of the greatest challenges within the industry and are likely impacting progress in attracting more women to the industry. Given the employment situation nationally, it is not surprising that RV industry is also realizing some issues in staffing, whether it’s finding or retaining staff, the report said.
However, it is worth noting that in general, some moderate improvement has been noted in overall representation of women in the industry (a net 16-plus percent more women compared to two years ago), which could be due at least in part to organizations who are actively seeking women applicants (66 percent versus 58 percent in 2019). This increase in actively seeking women applicants was especially strong among those in the manufacturing sector (71 percent versus 66 percent in 2019).
About one-fourth of the women respondents say that the industry is heading in the right direction when it comes to the hiring of women, though half say that the industry is static and not changing.
RVWA said it will use the results of the survey to tailor its programs and resources for its members, with the goal of continuing to move the needle in making the RV industry a place where women thrive.
