International Women's Day | How do we support women to build the careers they deserve?

This International Women's Day, we talked to Robyn Riddle, our Meaningful Work & Inclusion Manager, on the barriers women continue to face in today’s job market and, importantly, what we can do to help remove them.

What’s one barrier women still face in today’s job market?

Structural flexibility bias. Not just access to flexible work, but the persistent perception that flexibility equals lower commitment, lower ambition, or lower leadership potential. Even in 2026, flexibility is still too often seen as being at odds with progression.

In Australia, this bias shows up in several ways:

Women are more likely to take career breaks or work part‑time due to caring responsibilities
Senior leadership roles remain designed around full‑time, always‑available models
Pay progression and superannuation accumulation are disproportionately impacted by reduced hours
Hiring managers may unconsciously view part‑time work or career gaps as a risk

The result? A compounding impact on women’s career growth and progression — clearly reflected in the WGEA Gender Pay Gap report.

So how do we remove this barrier?

Redesign roles, not just policies
Shift from “flexible on request” to “flexible by design.” Senior roles can be structured around outcomes, not hours.

Normalise visible flexible leadership
When men and senior leaders openly work flexibly, take parental leave, or compress hours, stigma reduces and culture shifts.

Measure output, not hours
Performance frameworks should prioritise delivery, impact, and contribution over time spent at a desk.

Protect superannuation and progression
Encourage salary packaging into super during part‑time periods and ensure development opportunities are maintained during leave.

How do we support women to build the careers they deserve?

At Beaumont People, we act as strategic partners — not just recruiters — and we’re proud to be led by women in a women‑empowered work environment.

Deep career conversations
Our consultants go beyond transactional placements, taking the time to understand goals, strengths, priorities, and constraints. This ensures women step into roles aligned with long‑term aspirations.

Advocating for flexibility by design
We work with clients to reframe roles around outcomes, flexibility, and inclusive design. This opens more pathways for women seeking part‑time, hybrid, or non‑traditional career models without sacrificing progression.

Building confidence and capability narratives
Through coaching, interview preparation, and personal brand support, we help women articulate their value, navigate transitions, and negotiate fair remuneration.

Educating clients on inclusive hiring
We partner with organisations to reduce bias in job design, interviews, and progression frameworks — creating environments where women’s full experience is recognised as an asset.

Championing equitable outcomes
From transparent salary guidance to advocating for parental leave and return‑to‑work support, we focus on fair pathways, not just placements.

Ongoing partnership and support
Our relationship doesn’t end at placement. We stay connected, offering market insights, career planning and strategic guidance to support long‑term progression.

In essence: Beaumont People supports women through a blend of personalised career strategy and systemic change in hiring and role design — helping women build the careers they deserve, and helping organisations build stronger, more diverse leadership pipelines. Internally, we demonstrate this commitment through hybrid work structures, 4‑day work week option, and flexibility initiatives that support staff wellbeing and long‑term career sustainability.

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(By Alma Raheem) One of the things I value most about working in executive search is the chance to spend time with leaders outside of a live recruitment process. More often than not, we meet CEOs at very specific moments, whether that’s appointing a new executive, navigating a period of change, or thinking about succession. Those conversations are important, but they’re usually quite focused on a particular outcome. What we don’t always get the opportunity to do is step back and have a broader conversation about leadership itself. As part of our Leadership Conversations series, I recently sat down with Susanne Legena, CEO of Plan International Australia. Susanne is widely respected in the global social change space, with deep experience across climate justice, gender equality and international development. Alongside her CEO role, she is Chair of the Emergency Action Alliance, a Board Director at CommUnity Plus, and has recently joined the board of the Australian Conservation Foundation. I asked Susanne five questions about leadership, executive readiness and where the for-purpose sector is heading. We covered a lot of ground, from AI through to feedback, but what stayed with me most was how often the conversation came back to the same idea: leadership really starts with how you lead yourself. As we spoke, I found myself reflecting on how much of this applies more broadly, so I’ve included a few questions throughout for anyone who wants to pause and consider their own leadership along the way.