Working at bartlett mitchell has been such an exciting start to my career in the UK. The simple truth is that I have never worked in a business that celebrates women as much as bartlett mitchell do. It’s not lip service – they genuinely appreciate and reward the women who form part of the fabric of this great company. I’m under no illusion that this forward-thinking and inclusive approach is down to the passion and commitment of our CEO Wendy Bartlett, and her leadership team.
It’s a massive progression from when I first started out in the hospitality industry, 25 years ago. Back in those early days, promotion and reward for many women (including me) meant working twice as hard, twice as smart and twice as fast. Not that this ever put me off – after all, those who know me, know that I love a challenge. It taught me patience, tenacity and assertiveness, skills which have shaped my professional career and ultimately worked to my benefit.
Celebrating Women In Business
Over the decades, our industry has struggled with change when it comes to gender equality – but one of the reasons I love to celebrate our industry is that we can adapt, we do learn to change, and when we get it right, we do it better than all the rest. Today, I’m so pleased to work in an industry that celebrates gender diversity and inclusion far more than it ever did. Yes, I know we have some way to go with senior management roles and gender pay gaps, but we are moving rapidly towards bridging those once glacial divides, and our industry is head and shoulders above others when it comes to celebrating women in business.
Hospitality is an industry which now offers women enormous growth and development options – no more glass ceilings in sight. We’re embracing an era of female influencers, innovation champions, communication experts and financial no-nonsense gatekeepers. It’s exciting and bartlett mitchell has shown me what it means to work for a company that lives and breathes these values, every day.
Women Who Inspire Awards
In fact, just this month we are celebrating our ‘Women Who Inspire’ awards. Open to all women across the business, colleagues have nominated team members who they feel should be honoured for their ability to inspire and engage others. The programme was developed as part of a drive to recognise the role women play in hospitality, encouraging more to consider it as a career of choice and one where progression is supported. Wendy Bartlett, founder of bartlett mitchell, said: “I want women to know that, by working for bartlett mitchell, they have every opportunity to succeed on an equal footing and we will explore every avenue possible to make sure we create a working environment which enables women to develop and progress. We have fantastic and inspiring women who work across all levels of our company and we want them to know it’s appreciated. These women are vital to our development and, despite sometimes social challenges we are all aware of, they continue to deliver day in day out to makes a difference, with a smile on their face and a positive attitude.”
I’m delighted to be part of the process of change for gender equality and inclusion – it’s a legacy I hope my daughter will benefit from when she begins her professional working life. And I hope she will do the same for her generation.
Lauren Spencer
People Experience Director
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