Year13’s Post

Today, I read something that really struck a chord with me. A recruiter expressed surprise at hiring a woman in her 50s who excelled at her job, including working with computers (???) As someone who recently moved to a new country, started over and secured a good job at 50, this made me pause. Age should never be a barrier to opportunity or success. Experience brings valuable knowledge and perspective that benefits any team. Older workers often combine years of expertise with a willingness to learn new skills. At the same time, younger generations bring fresh ideas, energy and new approaches. We should celebrate teams that value people regardless of age. Everyone has something to contribute, and together we can create more inclusive and successful workplaces. #AgeIsJustANumber #EmbraceExperience #DiversityAndInclusion #LifelongLearning

Do the women you know feel happy and fulfilled at work? Are there reasons why women might have a different level of fulfilment when compared with men? A LinkedIn poll on the topic led Job Search Strategist Sue Parker to quiz 65 women on the drivers that led to work satisfaction. She found those who loved their jobs valued making an impact and learning and development opportunities. Those who were unhappy ranked money and security as well as management and colleagues as the aspects they most disliked. Parker tells Women's Agenda, "One respondent wrote that, 'Careers have highs and lows and it’s important to remember during the lows that this too shall pass'. A wise mantra that when coupled with the right career motivators, life balance, awareness and courage can help us feel happier and more fulfilled." https://lnkd.in/gmjYrzhc What aspects of your job do you like the most? Are you willing to share what you dislike, also? Let us know in the comments below. By Cayla Dengate

Years ago, I encountered a situation that’s stayed with me. A talented, pregnant consultant was being given "space to take it easy" and was removed from project opportunities she could not see through to the end due to her condition. The intention was to support her, but the impact was far-reaching—she was sidelined, and her career progression was compromised. It’s a stark reminder of how, even with the best intentions for both the individual and the client, we can unintentionally put women in the backseat of their careers. Though often well-meaning, these decisions reinforce barriers and biases that hold talented professionals back. As we look to build more inclusive workplaces, it's time to question practices that may be unintentionally disempowering. What do you think? Have you experienced or witnessed similar situations in your workplace? Comment below 👇

Really interesting article and something leaders should be aware of and seek to understand and address.

Why can’t women be career-oriented? This isn’t a post about personal growth or well-being. Today, I want to use this platform to talk about something equally important -> respecting women’s choices on careers. There is an expectation to prioritise home and family over her career. But what if a woman wants to pursue her career and balance other personal responsibilities as well? Why can’t both coexist? I agree, men and women need to share equal responsibilities at home, especially post-marriage or after having kids. But the career journey isn’t the same for both. Women often face societal pressure to put dreams on hold, justify her career choices and prove she can do it all. Of course there are lot of practical solutions like sharing responsibilities, looking for external support, time management, workforce flexibility and list goes on. But, beyond all these practical solutions, what we need most is a - shift in mindset. Let women be supported for their choices. Because every woman deserves the freedom to define her own path - without guilt - without judgement - without compromise #RespectHerChoice #WomenInWorkforce #WorkLifeBalance #Empathy #Women #WomenInWork #Careers #Motivation #WomenInTech 

In Canada, at least, it isn't permitted to even ask this question. Justin makes the point that other jurisdictions need to reconsider these kinds of practices in hiring...no matter how well-intended.

'Re-Generation' is a term coined by Dan Lynch "𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 #𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨/𝘴𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦". Context: #LinkedInNewsEurope is asking for input on 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞? The basis of their question stems from a recent BBC article link you can find in the comments below. A quote from the article "𝘔𝘪𝘥-𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘈 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 80% 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 40 𝘢𝘯𝘥 65 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬." It's a topic I've become passionate about since late 2019. Not through personal experience, as I've been self-employed for 40 years. But through the experiences of so many of my friends and acquaintances. So what can employers do? Various strategies include: It starts with an 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, respecting and valuing the unique contributions of each generation. How? Through DEIB training programs, ERGs bringing together employees from different backgrounds & generations, and policies promoting equality and combating ageism. Take a good look at your recruiters and the 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬.  Ask what their perceptions are of job candidates in different age brackets. In a Nov 21 McKinsey article (link in comments as well), "𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 15 𝘵𝘰 18 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 45-𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 (𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴) 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨". This while "87 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘪𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴". Encourage 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 on projects and initiatives. This leverages diverse perspectives and skills of a multigenerational workforce, leading to innovative solutions and a more cohesive team environment. Establish 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 pair younger employees with more experienced ones. This facilitates knowledge transfer, skill development, and a deeper understanding of the company culture across generations. 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 support career growth at every stage, cater to the aspirations of younger employees, and also enable older employees to stay updated with the latest skills and technologies. Last but not least, STOP Generational Labelling! Stay curious to each & every person you employee or work with. #livingfrommyheart

Fewer women than men in the United States would choose the same career path if they started over, according to new research from Perceptyx’s Center for Workforce Transformation. The study, which surveyed 8,423 workers across the U.S. and Europe, found that 62 per cent of American men would pick the same career again, while only 56 per cent of women said the same. Researchers linked this difference to a set of ten attributes that make a career fulfilling, including career pride, identity, career-life integration, stability, purpose, value alignment, autonomy, connectedness, growth and development, and organizational satisfaction. “Achieving real career fulfillment isn’t about excelling in just one area,” said Emily Killham, senior director and head of the Center for Workforce Transformation at Perceptyx. “It requires alignment across personal, professional, and organizational dimensions. In short, you need a little bit of a lot of things to feel fulfilled by your career.” Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/gyHr9V7E #HR #GenderDifferences #CareerChange #HumanResources

We firmly believe that diversity and inclusion are not just corporate ideals but essential building blocks of a thriving and equitable workplace. Among our many initiatives, empowering women remains a central focus, driving our efforts to create a more balanced and progressive professional environment. 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 We recognise that a woman’s career path is not always linear. From starting fresh in the professional world to restarting after life’s unavoidable pauses, we understand the unique challenges women face. Whether it’s balancing personal commitments, embracing motherhood, or overcoming societal expectations, we are committed to providing women with the platform, opportunities, and support they need to thrive. 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 Every woman who embarks on a professional journey or makes a courageous return after a career break brings with her a wealth of life experience, resilience, and strength. At KAnalysis, we celebrate these qualities. By offering a nurturing environment, we enable talented individuals to realise their potential and make meaningful contributions to the legal profession. One such example is Geetika, who recently joined KAnalysis after a 10-year career break. Geetika had taken a pause to focus on her family, but her determination to return to the workforce and contribute meaningfully to her profession inspired us all. Her story is a powerful reminder that it is never too late to restart, rebuild, and thrive in one’s career. We are proud to provide her with a platform to reignite her professional journey and look forward to the incredible impact she will make as part of our team. 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 We have designed policies and initiatives that actively encourage the recruitment, retention, and growth of women across all levels. These include: * Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance. * Mentorship programmes to guide and inspire women professionals. * Leadership development initiatives that empower women to take on influential roles within the firm. * Dedicated efforts to re-integrate women returning to work after career breaks, ensuring they feel supported, valued, and empowered. KAnalysis is more than just a workplace; it is a community that believes in building careers while respecting individual life choices. If you are a woman looking to start or restart your career, we encourage you to reach out to us. Send us your CV, and let us help you rediscover your professional aspirations. Together, we can create an ecosystem where women are celebrated for their talents, supported in their aspirations, and empowered to shape their futures. #WomenEmpowerment #CareerRestart #DiversityAndInclusion #KAnalysis #OpportunitiesForAll

Part of taking charge of your career path is understanding when your work is not good for you anymore. If there is nothing you can change about that reality, and it is not something you can accept for yourself, know that it is more than okay to leave and start again. This is often a scary but necessary step you should take as it will help you work towards the role that will make you happy. Here are some corporate "red flags" to be aware of: - Unhealthy competition between coworkers: friendly competition keeps a role challenging and helps employees grow. Toxic competition, however, can impact the relationship between teams and create a negative corporate culture and environment.  - High turnover rates: this usually entails that employees do not feel good or fulfilled in their position (obviously not a good sign)  - No growth opportunities (this one is pretty straightforward)  - No DEI policies: this lack of diversity equality and inclusion makes employees feel unappreciated and undervalued, and perpetuates current career gaps.  - Lack of empathy: again, you don't want to work with people who do not try to understand your perspectives and input.  - Employees are stressed and unhappy (usually as a result of other unhealthy corporate traits) What are other "warning signs" for you? Feel free to share! Are you ready to create the dream career you deserve? Bring your Klapstoel to the table 🪑 #klapstoelacademy #corporatepractices #diversity #equality #inclusion #women #career #womenempowerment