To celebrate International Women’s Day this March, we’ve interviewed V7’s first female director, Natalie Wood, on her experience in Recruitment as a woman, the challenges she’s faced and advice on the industry!
How did you get into recruitment?
I fell into the industry as I think most people do. I didn’t go to university but I had sales experience and I was just looking for a role where I could earn a lot of money and progress.
Do you think the industry has changed for women since you started in comparison to today?
Absolutely. I started in 2010 when I was 21 and joined an office that was all males in the sales team. The industry in general was very male dominated and there wasn’t much access to female role models in senior positions. Now though, it’s much more balanced and in fact, at V7 we’ve gone the other way and we are currently at 57% females across our workforce and 60% females in management positions.
Do you have a career defining moment you’re most proud of?
Probably my promotion to Director in 2021. It was something I had been working towards for a long time and I was the first person to be promoted to this level in the company.
What are some of the best workplace initiatives at V7 you think help promote gender equality?
Providing an inclusive environment for our team is really important to me as I believe it will have a positive impact on the performance and productivity.
We offer flexible working hours for the Mothers and Fathers in our team who have childcare commitments but I would say the biggest factor that helps gender equality for us is our culture of meritocracy. We focus on the results and not the individual so everyone has the same advancement opportunities, training and development and earning potential available to them.
What advice do you have for women looking at progressing in male dominated sectors?
Don’t underestimate yourself, you absolutely can do just as good a job, if not better than any males doing the same role. Its really key that you understand and believe in the value that you bring to the organisation. I find that woman tend to have high levels of emotional intelligence and are generally effective communicators and these skills are so valuable in the workplace, especially in management positions. So, don’t be afraid to be assertive, be clear on your goals and really go for what you want.
Find out more about the fantastic women who work with us at V7 here. As always if you’re looking for a new career with a fantastic culture, get in touch today!
