What is it like working for SThree?

SThree is a great organisation to work for because I feel we not only talk the talk but walk the walk. We understand how important education around DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) is, so we have created bitesize learnings, tailored to our organisation.

We also have hybrid working and this flexibility allows our people to work in their own way and achieve their full potential. We appreciate that people’s experiences aren’t linear and the flexibility we offer can have a huge impact on our people in being able to bring their whole selves to work. For example, our colleagues that fast during Ramadan are able to find a working pattern that supports them best, whether that be longer breaks or later starts.

Lastly, in response to the crisis in Ukraine earlier this year we put on three emergency webinars about dealing with disruption. Our people and their wellbeing is at the heart of our business. We are proud of the diversity within our organisation and know that people could be impacted by the crisis in a variety of different ways, we don’t expect people to leave half of themselves at home so our work helps our people to feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work.

How has your organisation supported your career?

SThree has supported me in my journey by allowing me the space to develop and better myself. I am often provided with stretch assignments which are always exciting. However, I am also given the time to self-learn and the opportunity to establish myself as a subject matter expert externally. In March, I sat on the Equality Leaders Women’s Summit Panel. Not only did SThree allow me the time to prepare and sit on this panel, but it also encouraged colleagues across our business to attend and support the event.

Additionally, as a woman of colour, SThree has helped elevate my voice by consistently providing me with a platform. Consequently, I have been able to plan and host numerous global webinars for our organisation internally.

Tell us about your role and how you got into it?

I started my career at SThree as a Recruitment Consultant. Alongside this, I was an avid member of our DE&I network. I quickly realised the DE&I element of my job was my favourite, so I reached out to our Global Head of DE&I to learn more. When an opportunity arose, I interviewed for the Global DE&I Wellbeing and Engagement Coordinator role and was successful.

Following that, I moved into the DE&I team, an area where I had no professional experience other than my participation in the network. SThree allowed me to show my full potential and I seized it with both hands. I am now delivering global awareness events, designing training materials and acting as part of the project team for leadership development programmes.

What tips would you give someone looking for a career there?

Be yourself! At SThree, we know that great talent doesn’t look, think or act alike. Authentic leadership is the new must-have, so just be excited and be yourself. It feels great knowing I can be myself in my current role and that everyone is welcome at SThree.

What are the key things SThree are doing to support their Ethnic Minority colleagues?

At SThree, we are meaningful with our language and prefer to use the term ‘historically excluded’. We want it to be clear that someone is under-represented because they have been excluded in the past.

Education and awareness are also a big part of our DE&I strategy. We have three Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in the US which are dedicated to historically excluded communities. Additionally, in May we are launching our first in the UK. These groups are key in building communities and helping us to create a sense of belonging for everyone.

We have hosted a range of activities for Black History Month in the US and the UK, creating resource packs so our people can take accountability for their own learning, sharing stories and most notably our external speakers, who have had a huge impact on our people.

We also appreciate the value of data and are currently working on a data collection project which will act as a tool to allow us to do even more in the DE&I space.