Posted on: 8th March 2022, by Magrathea
To celebrate International Womens Day, we asked our Business Development Manager Alison to share her experience of working at Magrathea. Here’s what she had to say.
In celebration of IWD I would like to share my experience of working at Magrathea; a company which I think embodies the campaign theme #breakthebias.
I have been part of the business / working world in one way or another since 1985, which by the way, was the year when the first ever mobile call was made in the UK. I have held different positions of responsibility and have experienced and witnessed discrimination through application of outdated attitudes in management and HR strategies alongside the stereotyping of women.
I joined Magrathea in 2018 and the overwhelming thing that struck me is the proportionately high number of females working in the business, especially at senior and director positions. I believe there are two key reasons for that: we have strong female role models in our founding members and everyone, regardless of gender or any other protected characteristic, is valued for themselves. We all have the same access to training, support, and on-going feedback needed to succeed. In the short time I have been at Magrathea I have worked in different types of roles and have been actively encouraged to learn and develop, using my talents to support the business.
I also know that efforts are being made in other telecoms businesses to encourage more women into the industry. At recent events I had great conversations about the growing numbers of females in the industry at senior levels, as well as acknowledgement it still needs to improve. I heard how there is a genuine desire to employ a more diverse workforce but female recruits are in short supply. I think our schools, colleges and universities have a critical role in encouraging girls to not only try STEM subjects but go on to be successful at them. Our directors look for opportunities to reach out to local education providers and we’ve recently recruited a graduate, providing an important first step into the business world.
As I reflect on the changes in society and my workplace from when I first started in 1985, I applaud the on-going IWD message about equality for women. I also think IWD is a great reason to celebrate everyone’s individual diversity and the strengths that can bring to every team, every workplace, every day. I will be crossing my arms when I see any bias and discrimination – are you in?