In support of International Women’s Day on Friday 8 March, we caught up with some of our colleagues working across the business to learn more about their experiences and views on what it’s like to work in the property sector.
Louise Duffin joined us in 2001 when Fisher German was a much smaller business with only four offices, she is a rural practice surveyor and has a team of eight in our Market Harborough office. She said: “Female land agents were quite rare 20 years ago, the stigma of having a woman in this role has certainly changed. To encourage more women to work in the property sector roles must offer variety, progression, and flexibility to accommodate demands outside of work. Thankfully women are more widely accepted in surveying positions and other professional practices than they were when I joined.”
Head of Rural Property Management, Rebecca Ruck-Keene joined in 2008, she said:” There is no doubt that we are still in the minority in more senior positions, particularly in the rural sector. However, more women are entering the profession and as employers become more engaged with people taking career breaks, I hope to see more women in senior positions. There isn’t a problem getting women into the property industry, I think the issues lie around retaining them and supporting them to progress when their circumstances out of work change.”
Tiffany Radford-Hancock who also works in our rural team is a new mum trying to balance life as a rural estate manager, she said: “I feel as though there is a fairer representation of women in our industry now, however, we still come up against people who do not think women are up to the job or just don't want to deal with us full stop. Hopefully, as time moves on, we will see more women in the Partnership which will inspire our younger generation to develop and grow.”
Richard Broome, Head of Infrastructure Management & Maintenance said: “Days like International Women’s Day raise the profile of many topics. Helping women develop their careers and progress in our organisation is brilliant but we will have only done our job when we have the right balance throughout the organisation, including those at the very top.
“When recruiting it’s crucial that we always try to make sure that any role is equally attractive to everyone. When considering retention and levelling the playing field it is important to have a culture where, for example, it is accepted that men and women can agree on working patterns around caring for others and, importantly, not feel guilty for doing so.”
One of our partners, Sarah DeRenzy-Tomson, who works in our planning team, joined Fisher German ten years ago. She said: “Women are more represented than we were all those years ago, but there is still more to do in this sector, especially in the more senior roles. It is important to raise the profiles of successful women in the property sector as we need role models to support those around us wishing to progress in their careers. Having more women in more senior roles brings a diverse perspective and a different viewpoint – we tend to see the world differently which is a good thing!”
Another partner, Rachel Bridge works in energy and infrastructure and is also Chair of the Pipeline Industries Guild, the second female in 66 years. Rachel joined Fisher German in 2007 and is a mentor to females within surveying, she is a STEM Ambassador and leads our internal Fertility Awareness Group. Rachel said: “I am delighted at a graduate level our recruitment is 50:50 male and female, the challenge sets in 8-10 years into careers where retention is more challenging, we are now seeing much better flexible working policies to allow parents to work and manage their parenting responsibilities. There is still so much to do, in our sector we need diversity to manage the challenges and opportunities we are facing. Our mentoring programme is already in place and it’s fantastic to be able to support others starting and growing in their surveying career.”
Katy Moore, who works in our rural team and is in our early careers team, joined as a graduate in 2019 and went on to qualify in 2022. She said: “I went to an all-girls school and surveying was never raised as a career option, now there's an increasing number of women in the property sector which is great to see. Most property-related university courses generally have a relatively even split of male and female members which is filtering through into the wider property industry. Having more women in senior roles would help young women in the industry aspire to progress in their careers.”
Bonnie Harvey works in our infrastructure team but has always been around agriculture and lives on her family dairy farm. She said: “Growing up I always thought I'd be a farm worker, however when I finished university, I decided a consultancy role would give me more fulfilment and career prospects. I feel lucky to have entered the property industry as a young woman now rather than years ago, attitudes towards women have changed dramatically. At Fisher German, we have many strong, inspirational women who have paved the way for the rest of us. I feel the industry is progressing in the right direction and we need these women as role models to support the rest of us as we progress through our careers.”
Managing Partner, Andrew Bridge concluded: “Feeling like you belong and are being valued for who you are and what you can do within the team or across the business is so important. The property industry has suffered historically due to a lack of diversity, fewer female role models and stereotypes, which have been perpetuated. Whilst this is changing, International Women's Day provides a clear opportunity to move the dial. In my career within property over the last 30 years, I have worked with some truly inspiring and gifted women who have supported and helped me to feel as though I ‘belong’ at Fisher German. My role is to pay this forward and ensure that our business truly inspires inclusivity and opportunity for all.’
