To celebrate International Women’s Day, we invited three brilliant women at Blis to answer some questions and help us all #InspireInclusion this week.

Our first interview is with Group Head of Regions, Sadie Teasdale. Check it out!

1. What were the one or two most important career moves you’ve made to feel more included, and why?
   
   I can’t say that I’ve ever moved anywhere for the specific reason of feeling more included – it certainly feels like it just happens in a role rather than being expected. Most moves I’ve made were down to decisions in that company – I’ve been made redundant three times in my career, once when I was 34 weeks pregnant – so I didn’t have a choice in those moves! Companies are getting so much better at prioritising an inclusive working environment. Still, I always ensure I have a work ‘tribe’ – not necessarily people in the same situation but from whom you get unconditional support.
2. What is the most important challenge we still need to tackle to become a more inclusive industry?

   I recently saw a great quote from Tamu Thomas, author and life coach: ‘After years of trying to ‘girl boss’ like you don’t have a family and mother like you don’t have to work, you realise the game is rigged. That it’s not up to us to smash the glass ceiling… we need systematic change. It took me years to realise that you cannot outwork the patriarchy.
   And that’s what we need. We need that systematic change. We need women at the top of companies to help lower that ladder and raise the hidden talent or even shout out ‘I’m here’ talent. We need support, understanding, and the trust that we are doing our jobs brilliantly while watching our child’s nativity play, picking up from school, or caring for a relative. Unfortunately, there are still many companies where being visibly seen is the route to success, not the job output.

3. What does #InspireInclusion mean to you?

   
   To me, this means walking the walk and talking the talk. I want my team to feel included and know that their individualities help create our working environment, so I try to work with that in mind and behave in a way that inspires inclusion. I also see it happen in my leadership team — you learn the expectations from those more senior.

4. What can people and companies do to help #InspireInclusion?

   
   MEFA (Media for All) have a clear and straightforward way of looking at this challenge – three steps to increase inclusivity – recruit, retain and rise. Try to create an inclusive environment by recruiting people from all backgrounds, but don’t stop there. Ensure the support is continuous so they stay within that business / the industry – and then keep that ladder down to get them to the top. There’s been a lot of shouting about new recruitment policies to attract people with more diverse backgrounds, but the main challenge is keeping them in the industry and knowing how it can be a career for anyone.