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In celebration of #InternationalWomensDay we've taken a moment to talk with Laura Allen, Tanya Ashby and Sian Hammer who all work within senior positions at Audley.
Over recent years there has been significant progress, but it is important to share the challenges that women can still face in the workplace.
Sian Hammer, Group Sales Director
How have you seen a woman’s role within the workplace evolve during your lifetime?
There is still quite some way to go to see equal representation of men and women in boardrooms but there is material improvement to women having a valued and meaningful voice creating effective and efficient business practices. In my opinion, the expertise of women is essential to organisational growth and sustainability.
What challenges have you faced in the work due to being a woman?
There is one moment that stays with me. Having told my male boss I was pregnant, his response was ‘oh dear’ quickly followed by a ‘congratulations'. His intention was not to offend, and we had a great professional relationship, but his immediate reaction was that the situation caused a barrier to achieving significant growth that year and with new investors, clearly me being pregnant was not part of the business plan!
Tanya Ashby, General Manager
What changes have you seen throughout your career in the workplace to support women?
There have been many changes during my time at Audley that I have identified that support women, this includes training opportunities and initiatives such as Menopause Awareness sessions and the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Committee
Biggest female influence?
Beyoncé Knowles – despite being an entertainer she has an inspirational skill set and mind set. She demonstrates how as a woman you can be a leader, an inspiration, a success while also having the choice to also be a mother, daughter and/or wife.
What piece of advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?
Be brave, be courageous and follow in the footsteps of all the amazing females that have paved the way for us.
Laura Allen, Senior Marketing Manager
What changes have you seen throughout your career in the workplace to support women?
The introduction of companies reporting their gender pay gap was a step in the right direction, but now we need to see more action to address the discrepancies.
What piece of advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?
Stand up for yourself and say what you think. It took a while for me to feel confident enough to express my opinions, now my team can’t shut me up!
What challenges have you faced in the work due to being a woman?
It sounds like a small thing, but I’d love to see more male team members taking meeting notes. It’s so often women, regardless of who’s running and attending the meeting. I’m organised and will ensure actions are circulated but it doesn’t mean I should be the default note taker.
