Women in Recruitment: Empowering Women to Achieve their Full Potential

Yesterday evening, we attended a Women in Recruitment (WIR) event in Manchester. WIR aims to support women in the recruitment sector to achieve their full potential and assist recruitment firms in making the most of the female talent in their businesses. Founded by David Head, Director, Recruitment International, WIR has joined forces with APSCo (The Association of Professional Staffing Companies) and is sponsored by Barclays and Squire Patton Boggs. Natasha Clarke (Managing Partner at SThree), Ann Swain (CEO, APSCo), Julie Bowen (Member Services Manager, APSCo) and Nicola Mullarkey (Director at Smart Source Solutions) are all part of the Executive Committee for WIR, steering its direction and overseeing all practices. A last night’s event, Westminster Business School presented findings from academic research they had conducted to find out why talented women leave careers in recruitment before achieving their full potential and what factors would encourage them to stay. 518 women in recruitment roles responded to the online survey. So what were the results?  When asked what negatively impacts on talented women’s promotion and career prospects:66% said family/caring responsibilities41% said they lack confidence36% said it’s not clear what needs to be done to be promoted 35% said they had difficult in achieving a work/life balance When asked what would encourage talented women to stay in the recruitment profession: 66% agreed mentors had a significant impact63% said more flexible working opportunities57% said the opportunity to participate in a career development programme56% said more recognition for their contribution  To support these findings, WIR are launching a Professional Development Programme for members alongside a mentoring programme. Further details are to be announced about service offerings but this progression in the industry will undoubtedly have a positive impact on women in recruitment. To find out more information about WIR, or to get involved,  contact: [email protected] ​