International Woman’s Day 2023

This Wednesday 8th March is International Women’s Day. The United Nations’ theme this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” As a leader in STEM recruitment, the STR Group wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of some of the female leaders in our company who work within these industries.

We caught up with Gemma Langley, Operations Director of Insignis, our engineering and technology brand, and Charlotte Kingsbury, VP of US Operations for urban whose focus lies within the architecture and interior design industry.

GEMMA’S STORY

HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN WORKING IN RECRUITMENT?

During my initial employment following my university studies, I was given the responsibility of building and developing a team, which led to my first experience and use of a recruitment agency. It became apparent that fostering a close relationship with the recruitment agency, helping them understand what I needed in order to build a successful team, was crucial in ensuring that they fully understood my hiring needs in order to provide a good calibre of candidate.

As a result of our effective collaboration, the relationship between the recruiter and I developed to the point where we became friends. The recruiter knew I was looking for my next career move and suggested that I transition to recruitment, recognising my talent for building strong relationships and understanding the importance of hiring the right talent.

Following this suggestion, an interview was arranged, and I successfully transitioned to the recruitment industry, which lead me here today.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A WOMAN WORKING AT DIRECTOR LEVEL IN RECRUITMENT?

It can be challenging at times, of course, but I think any director role in any industry sector would be challenging, especially if you care about your role and have a passion for what you do. I’m a mum, therefore I have to create a balance inside and outside of work; STR creates an environment where I can do this and the group fully supports all of its employees in having a flexible work pattern. This enables me to drop off and pick up my little one from nursery 3 days a week, one of which I work from home, creating a good balance between being a mum and a mum who wants to have a successful career.

Since commencing my career in recruitment in 2008, I have come to appreciate the importance of effectively communicating my thoughts and opinions in a constructive manner. It is imperative that colleagues, teams, and senior management can understand and envision anyone’s insights that add value. In any given environment, delivery plays a critical role, particularly in addressing gender-specific perspectives, as male and female mindsets may interpret things differently. Encouraging a cohesive thought process is essential for promoting innovation, which can only be achieved through support from colleagues and leadership. For a business to remain successful, it must continuously evolve and adapt. The challenge is to lead the journey and encourage others to embrace change by implementing, adapting, and leading.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RATIO OF WOMEN IN RECRUITMENT TODAY?

The recruitment industry has traditionally been male-dominated, but over the years, more and more women are entering the field. According to a report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, the number of women in recruitment has increased from 39% in 2008 to 49% in 2017. However, women are still underrepresented in senior leadership positions within the industry, with men occupying the majority of director and executive-level roles. Efforts are being made by many organisations to increase gender diversity and create more opportunities for women to advance in the recruitment industry. Some organisations, like STR, are taking active steps to address this disparity by implementing policies to promote gender diversity and inclusivity including diversity training, mentorship programmess, and flexible working arrangements.

HOW DID YOU WORK TOWARDS YOUR PROMOTION? WHAT SUPPORT DID YOU RECEIVE?

My prior experience proved invaluable when joining the STR Group. During my initial conversations with the Group Operations Director, I expressed my ambition to advance into a more strategic role, should the opportunity arise, and my eagerness to succeed. The Group Operations Director promised to keep this in mind and remained true to their word when the chance to manage an existing team, merge another team, and rebrand to form a larger division presented itself. In addition, I requested the opportunity to undertake an MBA Level 7 in Strategic Leadership. The organisation supported this aspiration wholeheartedly, which I believed would greatly benefit my role, enable divisional growth, and improve my leadership skills on our journey towards excellence. My aim is to become one of the first female Board members in the company, using my skills and knowledge coupled with my MBA, which I believe is well within reach.

WHAT SKILLS DO YOU THINK HAVE HELPED YOU TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROMOTION?

Tenacity, drive, and a desire to succeed are integral to my approach to leadership, not only for my own personal goals, but for the success of my team and peers as well. While we all work to support ourselves and our families, achieving success requires dedication and hard work. As a leader, I strive to lead by example, to motivate and inspire my team to succeed alongside and with me. Maintaining a positive mindset and a forward-thinking approach is critical, always looking towards the future and setting goals to work towards.

In recruitment, resilience is a vital characteristic. The fast-paced and ever-changing environment can be challenging, but it’s important to remain focused and continuously bounce back from setbacks. I maintain a set of core beliefs that I live and breathe, and I continually work to develop and improve my skill set. Through various methods such as training courses, mentors, reading, podcasts, audiobooks, and a continuous desire to learn and grow, I remain dedicated to enhancing my abilities and delivering value to my employer and team. I am committed to ongoing development and believe that strong leadership is not innate, but rather something that is developed through hard work, dedication, and a continuous desire to improve.

HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN CONTINUE TO BREAK DOWN THE STEREOTYPES OF RECRUITMENT AND IMPROVE EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY IN THE INDUSTRY?

Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive impact of having a more diverse management team on businesses. A diverse leadership team can improve efficiency, effectiveness, and inclusivity by bringing together a range of skills, experience, and emotional intelligence to make well-informed decisions. Beyond just broadening the talent pool, a diverse Board signals a commitment to developing women as leaders and recognises the importance of diversity for business success. The principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are centred around listening and including different ideas, perspectives, and viewpoints from diverse teams and leaders. By implementing these principles, businesses can demonstrate their openness and willingness to consider all ideas, and can create a robust culture that prioritises and supports the future success and growth of the organisation. As we move forward, it is crucial that we continue to focus on developing and promoting EDI in the workplace.

CHARLOTTE’S STORY

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY?

I worked within the fitness industry for 5 years and always enjoyed a challenge as well as having an active lifestyle. However, I knew the fitness industry was not a long-term career for me due to the low wage and lack of career progression opportunities. I trained clients who taught me about recruitment, how challenging the job is but how sweet the rewards are not only financially but for a long-term career. At this stage, I totally bought into the idea of being a recruitment consultant and began my search for a local recruitment company that would give me a chance. Here started my career with Stride, now urban, at the STR Group.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A WOMAN WORKING AT DIRECTOR LEVEL IN RECRUITMENT?

During my search for a role in recruitment, I noticed that 90% of the managers interviewing me were men. At this stage, I didn’t know how much I would love being a recruitment consultant, let alone becoming a manager and growing a successful team.

The STR promotional criteria create a career path for professionals to progress through each level to achieve promotions based on individual and team performance. There is no reason why a woman cannot achieve this. As much as it was disheartening to see a limited amount of women leaders within recruitment, this did not stop me from pursuing my own career aspirations to prove women can become Directors in this industry, and I’m hopeful that women who attend interviews with the STR Group can visualise their own career paths through my experience.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RATIO OF WOMEN IN RECRUITMENT TODAY?

I believe as a firm we encourage anyone to interview or try recruitment if they feel they have the right skills to work within a sales role. I believe the ratio of women who are in trainee or mid-level positions is almost equal to men, however, the industry still seems to have a high ratio of men within leadership positions.

I am aware changes cannot be achieved overnight, however as a member of STR’s EDI Board, we are making changes ourselves to be a more diverse and inclusive organisation through positive action, which can only add value to employees at our firm.

HOW DID YOU WORK TOWARDS YOUR PROMOTION? WHAT SUPPORT DID YOU RECEIVE?

During my first 2 years at the STR Group, I progressed through 4 promotions to gain the title of Lead Consultant. At this point in my career, I had the opportunity to start managing and growing my own team. From 2018 to 2020, I started our US division with my first hire, Kevin Bailey, and I continued to grow a successful New York team. To become an Operations Manager, I was required to have a reasonably sized team and take on management responsibilities as well as my team billing $500,000 within 1 year. I’m pleased to confirm we achieved this together by the end of 2019.

In January 2020, I began my new role as an Operations Manager and prepared to follow the career path to become urban’s first female Operations Director. March 2020 hit and the pandemic not only paused recruitment but saw a high turnover of staff, leaving both myself and Kevin the only 2 members of the New York team again.

2021 was the year of rebuilding, future-proofing and succession planning for our US team. We hired a number of new graduate trainees as well as an experienced hire and expert within the interior design industry, Naomi Gregory. We were highly equipped to make a success of the market and the path to Operations Director became more achievable. I was required to have a certain amount of direct reports and for my team to achieve 1 million within 12 rolling months. We achieved this in June 2021 and I am proudly now the first female Operations Director for urban and VP of Operations for urban USA.

WHAT SKILLS DO YOU THINK HAVE HELPED YOU TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROMOTIONS?

The main skills that have helped me during my career as a recruitment consultant are resilience, determination and persistence to achieve financial targets.

The skills I have gained that I believe have helped me achieve my recent promotion include patience, which has been fundamental when training our graduate recruitment consultants. I take the time to understand each team member’s learning style and make sure I am an approachable and supportive manager to everybody.

In 2019, the STR Group enrolled me in a 2-year CMI Chartered Management course, which allowed me to gain a huge amount of knowledge and skills to complement my role as an Operations Manager. The course also prepared me for understanding more about the day-to-day running of our business including finance, project management, internal recruitment, personal development and information-based decision-making. This helped me develop and mature in my management role and prepared me for my next step up to Operations Director.

HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN CONTINUE TO BREAK DOWN THE STEREOTYPES OF RECRUITMENT AND IMPROVE EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY IN THE INDUSTRY?

I believe the STR Group is already taking positive action through the establishment of the EDI Board last year and supporting women such as myself into management roles. The organisation has also hired Helen Harvey, an exceptional mentor and consultant, to work with all current and future leaders within the business and create individual personal development plans. Helen has been extremely helpful in assisting me in my own development as a woman in leadership.

START YOUR NEXT CHAPTER WITH STR

Are you motivated or inspired by Gemma’s and Charlotte’s stories? Come and work for a company that values equally what everyone brings to the table, encourages ambition and will support you all the way! Contact our Talent team today to find out more about the opportunities available with STR Group.