MotherBoard Ambassador Spotlight : Aaron
MotherBoard is powered by ADLIB, a BCorp certified recruitment agency with a purpose. In 2023, we set up the ADLIB x MotherBoard Ambassador scheme for employees wanting to volunteer their time and join our mission of creating a more gender-fair and inclusive tech industry. As part of a series showcasing our amazing volunteers and ambassadors, we caught up with Aaron Drury, eCommerce & Digital Agency Recruitment Manager at ADLIB.
Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?
Hi, I’m Aaron and I help eCommerce and digital businesses grow through hiring the right talent. I’m a manager within ADLIB Recruitment and have been part of the team for over 5 years.
What motivated you to become a MotherBoard ambassador?
I’ve worked in the tech industry for over a decade now, and experienced thousands of accounts from men and women of unfair and sexist cultures. In a recruitment capacity I’ve helped candidates find better cultures and advised clients of better working practices, but I’ve always felt I lacked the authority and education to stand up and make a real difference as a champion of women and mums in tech. Becoming a MotherBoard Ambassador offered me the education and guidance to be more hands-on as an advocate, and officially be part of a community creating positive change through tackling hard issues head on.
“Under 27% of the tech workforce are women, and 50% of women leave the tech industry by the age of 35...these statistics don’t sit right with me and being a MotherBoard Ambassador means that whilst my personal impact may be small, it’s contributing to something much more powerful and important.”
What does being a MotherBoard Ambassador mean to you?
I think it raises the bar of social and professional expectations, hopefully to a point where gender equality is ‘the norm’. When I learned that under 27% of the tech workforce are women, and 50% of women leave the tech industry by the age of 35, I was shocked. Roughly 65% of the candidates I’ve placed into roles within the eCommerce & digital space in the last 5 years are women – are half of these wonderful people going to leave the tech industry for good by age 35? My wife is a superstar in the tech space, when we have children is that the end of her career?
These statistics don’t sit right with me and being a MotherBoard Ambassador means that whilst my personal impact may be small, it’s contributing to something much more powerful and important.
“the priority is being able to provide essential flexibility, autonomy and trust for returners so they can handle the day-to-day challenges with childcare when they arise.”
Why do you think making the tech industry more inclusive of mothers and working parents is important?
Well firstly it’s the right thing to do morally. Also, most businesses will contribute their success to their people, so if a company’s employees are so intrinsic with success, then surely providing mothers and working parents flexibility to balance their responsibilities effectively will contribute to increased productivity, higher morale, lower staff turnover and continuity of overall performance.
However you look at it, it’s the right thing to do.
What do you think the priority should be for creating tangible change for working mums in tech?
Off the top of my head there are so many issues that need addressing it’s quite frightening, so sadly I can’t choose just one.
The resolution to the overall gender pay gap seems far away, but the cost of childcare in this country is staggering and is a clear blocker to mothers and parents returning to work. So, the priority is being able to provide essential flexibility, autonomy and trust for returners so they can handle the day-to-day challenges with childcare when they arise.
MotherBoard is a Business Charter, Community & Event Series, driving tangible change for mums working in the tech industry.
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