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There’s no point pussyfooting around it. The fact that many women need to take time out to make babies is a challenge for business, and the old way of dealing with it was to invest much (MUCH) more heavily in men.
For a place that lives and dies on its creative thinking, adland Aus was stubbornly narrow-minded when it came to hiring, let alone giving women what they wanted. The rare woman who got what she wanted was clearly, “a ball-breaker”.
Adland’s attitudes to everything have been prised open for reassessment in the last few years. That has been quite good for women. And while everyone needs a brave heart to negotiate what he or she wants, women shouldn’t need to put on war paint to do that any more. These women didn’t…
Sasha Firth, executive director, Y&R Group
Working four days a week was my starting position for coming into Y&R Group. Like many other working parents, I feel pulled in opposing directions between family and career. The reality is some weeks it’s 3.5 days and some weeks it’s 4.5 – kids get sick, pitches happen – but in principle, I’m committed to giving 80% of my time, and Y&R supports the flexibility I need to make it work.
My advice, be clear upfront about your requirements - and where you are, or aren’t, flexible. Like any negotiation, be prepared for a bit of give and take but if the conversation is started early, the company’s ability to respond to an employee’s needs is greatly improved.
Senior women, in particular, are underrepresented in our industry despite the contributions we make in terms of experience and insight. Flexible businesses will win over, and hold on to, highly qualified team members. And in return, employees are empowered to focus when working, not stressed by unmet family commitments.
Sharon Lewis, executive producer, M&C Saatchi.
Not only am I working for Australia’s 2nd most innovative company, but I work with some of the world’s most talented people and leading brands. The type of work we do is diverse and ever-evolving, which keeps me constantly challenged and stimulated. I’ve had exposure to some incredible programs such as Hyper Island and The Marketing Academy, and really love the amount of face time I have in this role - whether it’s building relationships, collaborating, or mentoring
I’m a strong believer in being authentic, a hard worker, being respected and trusted, leading from the front and truly understanding the importance of people and culture. For the past five years, I’ve built really strong relationships both internally and externally, continued to lean in and listen to feedback. I realised the importance (and became best friends with) finance and not only understood, but helped drive business goals and vision.
One of my key strengths is reading people. So as much as their functional skills are important, the soft skills are key during the hiring process such as cultural fit, authenticity, genuine hunger, and passion. Depending on the level I’m hiring for, I need the right balance of functional and soft skills.
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