Female role models at the very top of the recruitment industry and how they make a difference to gender equality.

By Charlotte Smith, Consultant at Griffin Recruitment

"I want little girls to believe they can be CEOs.” – Payal Kadakia, CEO of ClassPass

Women’s History Month celebrates the achievements of women throughout history.  It is an opportunity for organisations to celebrate the contribution that the women in their workforce have made and to promote diversity and inclusion initiatives.  As I start my career in recruitment, I see endless opportunities ahead. International Women’s Day is an opportunity to appreciate the struggles that women before me went through to create a gender-equal society, from the right to vote to the ability to work as equals within the corporate world.  I am thankful to the women who lit the way and “paid it forward” to create the better world that I now enjoy.

I work within R2R, placing recruiters who specialise within professional services markets.  I have interviewed several women in leadership positions within this part of the recruitment industry to find out their insights and experiences.

Sarah Ingwersen, Partner and Global Head of In-House Legal at Taylor Root described how much awareness of gender equality there was previously within recruitment “Very little! I started my career in recruitment 25 years ago and gender equality was not even a consideration.”

Amy Hambleton, Founding Director of Red Law Recruitment and two-time consecutive winner of the ‘Best Permanent Recruiter’ award described how, when she first started out in recruitment in 2006, she interviewed at a number of recruitment agencies and all of the interviewees were men, except for one agency.

Nicky Acuna Ocana, Regional Managing Director, UK, Europe & US of Ambition said, “I think change has been led by an increase in female leaders as role models... Technology has definitely helped with people able to work from anywhere, put the kids to bed and log on to finish a piece of work if needed and not having to stay in the office until late into the evening. People’s mindsets have also changed. The mentality of being in the office 8am to 8pm, once a right of passage in recruitment has definitely changed with people having a focus on their health and well-being. We have seen our industry ‘grow up’. What was once classed as a ‘young’ industry with people wanting to work and play hard has adapted as people working in recruitment have developed their careers and have matured.”  There are now a lot more female leaders at the top of our industry who are role models for those starting their careers.  This was noticeably missing in the past.

Sarah Ingwersen described how “I have had some amazing female bosses that were the original trailblazers for gender equality without even realising it and instilled a confidence in me that if you performed well and worked hard, you could achieve career progression, regardless of gender.”  In the past, prior to there being so many established role models within the industry.

Sarah Ford, Managing Partner of Ford Search Partners described how “There was a predisposition already established within the industry of a man’s capability and knowledge being significantly higher than a woman’s for no apparent reason. Striving to work to overcome a system that is already running against you is difficult and often demotivating. Moonlighting to be an exceptional, stand-out force just to be recognised and respected at the same level as your average male colleague isn’t for the weak. The level of resilience, persistence and tenacity I had to develop are pillars of strength that will be useful for me life-long.”  Hard work has always been a key ingredient of success within a recruitment career and various people described how it was necessary to work even harder to gain the same recognition.

“I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.” – Estee Lauder, businesswoman

It is clear to see that so much has now changed.  I am thrilled to work in an industry where there are now so many successful female leaders who I can consider role models such as Amy, Sarah, Nicky and Sarah. This catalyst for change will inspire the next generation within the industry.

Despite such evidential change, there remains a way to go. A recent survey found that women in the recruitment sector earn 24% less than men. As Sarah Ford stated “Change is often slow and rarely linear. I think the key lies in encouraging everyone to reach their full potential and taking the responsibility to provide an environment which will help them do so”.

“Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou, novelist.

Many recruitment firms have implemented formal diversity and inclusion programmes aimed at promoting gender equality in hiring. Another initiative is flexible working arrangements; helping support women’s participation in the workforce and mitigate barriers to advancement. By accommodating such things, it allows for a greater retention of female talent fostering a culture of gender equality.

I also found the comparison between the recruitment sector and other professional services sectors such as the legal sector especially interesting.  When speaking with Amy, she highlighted that there is still an issue with the promotion of female solicitors within law firms even though there are lots more female lawyers qualifying and working within them. To address this, law firms have now placed gender equality high on their agenda and often offer attractive packages for female lawyers, such as flexible working arrangements and good maternity packages.

Sarah Ford describes how “Many employers within our industry are actively seeking women within their higher positions – within leadership and partnership roles. A candidate’s first question used to be, “What is the salary looking like?”, whereas these days, more often than not, it’s, “Whilst money is an important factor, I am also interested to know of any steps the firm takes to ensure diversity within their teams. I want to join an environment that aligns with my values.”

I would like to thank Amy, Sarah, Nicky and Sarah for their contributions as well as the other women in leadership positions who have contributed to this without being quoted.  It has been truly insightful learning about their experiences.  I would also like to thank them for being the role models that will shape a more equal corporate world.

“Gender equality is a human fight, not just a female fight.” – Freida Pinto, actress