JLL

Rachael Sherratt, Associate in the Bristol office and Women in Property South West Chairman 2020/21

At JLL, support for all our staff is really important and this is a key message from our CEO and the rest of the UK board. All our offices participate in various network events through their regional Diversity & Inclusion groups, Women’s Networks and Working Parents groups. At management level, we have been focusing on increasing female hires at Associate level and above – and last year recruitment at this level grew by 65%. We host Women’s Network events including the annual Honor Chapman Memorial Lecture as well as Career Journey breakfasts with our senior leaders and key clients delivering inspiring talks about their experiences. We also hold courses for new & expectant parents to help with the transition into parenthood and to promote shared parental leave. So far, feedback from both male and female attendees is positive with many saying it gives them confidence to balance work with family commitments. All these events are broadcast live to all JLL offices and typically also recorded so staff who remote work can also watch at a time to suit them.

We promote a culture of agile and flexible working – and as someone who personally benefits from this to fit a busy career around family life, I can honestly say it is a culture which is genuinely supported by everyone I work with. This goes for clients as well as fellow members of staff – I think clients can see that you are more committed and enthusiastic if you are supported in your working environment and happy with your work life balance. And ultimately, employing dedicated and committed people returns the best results for everyone, so as well as the right thing to do morally and ethically, it also makes good business sense.