Women’s History Month can be traced back over 110 years to the first International Women’s Day, which took place in 1911 and was supported by over one million people.
While International Women’s Day lives on, in 1980 the National Women’s History Alliance successfully lobbied for a Women’s History Week and, in 1987, a Women’s History Month to take place in March of each year.
In celebration of Women’s History Month 2022, I sat down with Rubicon’s Vice President of Talent and Culture, Jennifer Thompson. With more than 20 years of experience in national and international strategic human resources leadership, Jennifer and I discussed everything from Rubicon’s global talent acquisition strategies, to what it’s like being a woman in waste and recycling, to how people of any gender can take action to make the workplace more equal.
As Rubicon’s Vice President of Talent and Culture, you are responsible for developing the company’s global talent acquisition strategies. What has your experience taught you about the importance of hiring the right person for the job?
Talent acquisition is both a science and an art. It’s extremely important for the hiring manager and the candidate to take time for research, to ask the right questions, and to ensure that there is a good flow of information between both parties. These are major life decisions and should be thoroughly considered by both sides.
For the hiring managers, articulate what success looks like for the position. Transparency in how the role is defined increases the chances of attracting the right candidates. For the candidates, it’s important to get all of the information that is needed to make a good decision so the working relationship is off to a positive start. However, if over time both parties start to see red flags, it’s important to voice those concerns quickly so they can be resolved before they affect job satisfaction.
Waste and recycling has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. What do you say to other women who are thinking about moving into this field?
Women are resilient and I have had the opportunity of meeting many amazing women in our industry. To those thinking about a move into our industry, you should come take a look at Rubicon. We have women at Rubicon whose leadership, passion, and innovation are redefining what’s possible in our industry. Not just that, but over 50 percent of Rubicon employees are women; an industry high!
In what ways do you believe individuals of any gender can take action to make the workplace more equal?
To make the workplace more equal, educate yourself about any underlying biases you may have and ask others for feedback. I would encourage everyone to ask more questions and listen to each other. Build on a culture that engages and encourages discussion where people feel like they can share their input and points of view and have these inputs considered with the same weight as everyone else’s.
At Rubicon, we pride ourselves in operating in this kind of environment. Rubicon was recently certified as a Great Place to Work® for the fifth consecutive year, and sticking to this promise of being a great workplace for our employees is something that we work at every day.
Stacie Moore is Vice President of Human Resources at Rubicon. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today.
