Felicity Hassan joined Audeliss in June 2018 to head up the new U.S office which is based in New York. Here we catch up with Felicity for her views on the current search market, her vision for Audeliss in the U.S and her thoughts on the lack of diversity in the Fortune 500.
With a strong background in executive search over the last 15 years, having worked with some of the leading players in the industry, how has the search market changed in your view during that time?
Recruitment is an inherently cyclical space so you see a fluctuation from a candidate to a client-led market. Simply put this means there are periods of time where the economy is buoyant and candidates can afford to be a little more forthright in their approach to their career, and vice versa. Currently, I would say we are weighted on the candidate side. Notable changes to this cycle would be a greater number of women feeling empowered to negotiate and a genuine interest from clients to develop a more diverse workforce. I will caveat by saying that there is still a long way to go for many to appreciate the true value of diversity but conceptually we have seen bold progress in the past 10 years.
You recently took up your new role as President at Audeliss, what is your vision for the business in the U.S?
I would like the U.S arm of the business to truly embody our core principles to be: Brilliant, human and loyal. Recruitment does not have a fantastic reputation as an industry, a perception that I am sad to say is not altogether unfounded. We can probably all recall a time where we have worked with a recruiter who lacked credibility or substance. As someone who is truly passionate about this space, I would like Audeliss to start changing this perception in the US as they have done in the UK – One senior hire at a time!
The search market in the U.S is highly competitive, what difference do you think Audeliss brings to the table?
Audeliss addresses a market gap for truly inclusive search. Although we have a successful history of making diverse appointments within the U.S, now that we have an official New York office we are even better positioned to provide a solution for those corporations that are committed to creating a diverse team that reflects their customer base. Our nimble approach, our network and our passion in my experience is an extremely refreshing change for our clients.
The company has successfully partnered with some of the biggest employers in the UK and the U.S over the last 10 years to support them with their diversity and inclusion efforts. How high is it on the HR agenda with U.S employers and what needs to be done to make it so?
I can confidently say that since I moved to New York in the summer of 2008, I have seen a seismic shift in the commitment of corporate America to both build a D&I platform and have that materially feed into their talent strategy. I would confidently assume that it is a strategic priority for HR and Exec teams though suspect further education and development may be required as that messaging trickles through the hierarchy. The #metoo movement and (conversely) the current political landscape have also provided visibility and, largely, positive movement.
What we lack in the U.S is quantifiable goals in this area as historically this has been negatively associated with box-checking and tokenism. Employers need to be reminded that diverse talent should not ever represent a compromise, you should always select the best candidate for the role and when you commit to hiring the best diverse candidate, the knock on positive impact to business should speak for itself.
Helena Morrissey said in an interview that “children do not limit a woman’s ambition…”. Like Helena, you are also someone who is successfully balancing being a senior business leader with motherhood but you are, sadly, in a minority. What can be done to improve the opportunities for women at both executive and senior level?
I agree wholeheartedly that children shouldn’t limit a woman’s ambition but it is important to appreciate the reality and then present solutions that enable us to focus on our career. There are some easy wins that companies can explore to retain their top female talent: Flexibility should be a baseline offering, let’s measure output rather than facetime to dispel negative connotations; equal pay should be addressed immediately, childcare is expensive but essential if you plan to return to work; increasing partner/paternal leave allowance. The offering is becoming more prevalent but the stigma remains, as with everything in this space, education is key.
How much is the lack of diversity in boardrooms of the Fortune 500 down to a lack of understanding of what it means to be a diverse and inclusive employer, limited appetite or awareness of the steps employers can take to achieve greater parity in their teams?
I am going to be a little controversial and suggest that it is less a lack of awareness and more a lack of proactivity and drive with quantifiable goals. Business leaders tend to be more responsive to a business plan backed up with clear data. It is my view that while diversity is viewed as a social objective rather than a business imperative we are unlikely to make bold progress. This is why Audeliss is looking to take affirmative action and expedite progress, one hire at a time. We’ve only just begun on this message but watch this space.