At Excelsia College we are proud to have females in leadership roles. Did you know 57 per cent of our workforce are female and 50 per cent are involved in senior leadership? On 8 March, Excelsia College celebrated the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of females for International Women’s Day. This year’s theme was #BreakTheBias. As part of the day, we chatted to Rachel Thompson, People and Culture Manager. We found out about her work, female role models, why she considers the day important and her advice to other women wanting to progress within their careers.
Q. This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias. How does your work help to facilitate this?
A. I seek to observe gender diversity of our staff and facilitate opportunity for women through all aspects of the employee lifecycle and various employee personal life stages. This includes empowering our women on staff and women in leadership through organisational development initiatives to stretch themselves.
Q. Why do you think International Women’s Day is so important and worthy of being celebrated?
A. Womanhood is so diverse in its expression across different peoples and groups, however equality of access to opportunity is an ideal that should be encouraged, protected, and facilitated across all contexts. International Women’s Day is an opportunity to evaluate and celebrate access to opportunity.
Q. What advice would you give to women trying to progress in their careers?
A. Seek to build strategic relationships and prioritise lifelong learning.
Q. What’s a lesson that’s helped you to break the glass ceiling?
A. Demonstrate commitment to excellence in what you have been assigned and you will attract advocates, champions, and coaches who will want to empower you and see you succeed.
Q. Do you have a female role model you look up to? If so, what qualities do they possess that you admire?
A. Some of my favourite authors were women who produced works ahead of their time such as Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. These women were largely self-taught in their vocation, yet through intelligence, passion, and persistence they wrote and refined classic pieces of literature with insight that transcended their own context.
