Happy International Women’s Day.
Thank you to all of the women of Integra People, today we celebrate you and the work you have achieved.
At Integra People, we have the most amazing powerhouse women in every department and seniority level, we are proud to have 50/50 men and women in director roles for the business.
Carole is one of our Regional Sales Directors who began working for Integra People in 2017 as a Regional Sales Manager and is now one of 6 directors of the business.
She started working in sales after leaving school. Carole saw a position for a recruitment consultant in the local paper, applied and never looked back – she is now in her 19th year in recruitment.
“In recruitment, you meet people from all walks of life and its proven that people buy from people, you have to be able to relate to them and understand their circumstances, I think women are good at listening, relating to people and situations and are very methodical in the way they work.
Multi-tasking is definitely a skill that is needed in the industry and we all know women are better than men at this.”
Integra People provide temporary workers to clients in the UK across a variety of sectors and industries. Recruitment can be a tough industry with long hours high pressure, however, Carole takes that in her stride. “20 years ago, when I joined the industry and it was very much a job for the boys. It was said that women, especially women with young children, couldn’t commit to the job, hours or pressure of the job.
Different sectors didn’t have female consultants and you definitely got some strange looks turning up at a client’s warehouse in a high vis vest and safety boots, but once you sat down with them and they understood or appreciated your knowledge and experience the trust was gained.”
As a recruitment consultancy, hiring a diverse workforce that reflects on talent and skill and not gender, sexuality or background is important to Integra People and every recruiter within the business. “I think we are very diverse and recruit on ability and experience. What age, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation does not come into account, if you can do the job that’s all that matters.
“I am lucky to work for a company that recognises hard work and commitment and rewards and promotes on this. There are unfortunately businesses still out there that think women aren’t ‘strong enough’ to do the job without letting emotions get involved or that children and family life will always distract you away from doing your job.”
Having women like Carole in a leadership role at Integra People has encouraged others to follow in her steps in developing their careers in recruitment at Integra People, she has given this advice to those who want to start a career in recruitment and become a strong leader: “Work hard, learn your industry / sector and enjoy! You don’t have to choose either a career or family, you can do both. You should always lead by example. I think being able to manage by experience is a great help, if you have been there and done the job or role yourself you can not only train and develop effectively but advise and empathise with your staff.”
Equality and diversity at Integra People has been achieved thanks to the men and women who work tirelessly to develop and improve the business over the years. We can’t wait to see what the women of Integra People bring to the table in 2020 and in future years to come.
