MotherBoard Ambassador Spotlight : Tegan
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 Tegan Fenn, Senior Recruitment Consultant - Insight & Analytics at ADLIB.
Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?
I work within ADLIB’s Data team, where I focus on Insight & Analytics. I’ve worked in recruitment for over five years now, and focused the majority of my career within Data, Insight and Analytics. From working internationally to now focusing on UK hires; I’ve worked across various sectors and company sizes helping with hires from junior to head of/director level.
Most of our clients have tech/tech & data functions – and since I help to fill out the data functions – when the opportunity to become a MotherBoard ambassador opened up, I jumped at the chance. We work within an industry which is often very male-dominated, so I love being able to work with companies who are keen to hire diverse teams and can see the importance of this.
What motivated you to become a MotherBoard ambassador?
I was raised by a single Mum, who changed her career while I was young to better fit with my schedule; She had to move on from multiple roles as I went through nursery, primary and secondary, to align with pickup and drop offs etc. As I got older, she was able to pursue her dream role – she’s been there ever since.
Working to help people find their dream role – and helping businesses become more diverse with their hiring – I didn’t like seeing so many candidates on the market who had to walk away from their previous companies due to lack of support – or wanting to leave the industry altogether!
The tech industry is not as supportive of Mums, and therefore not conducive to a gender-equal environment. When I realised how many women were leaving the industry at such a young age, I didn’t want them to have to change their lives and careers due to having children, I wanted to support any small changes that could happen.
“The tech industry is not as supportive of Mums, and therefore not conducive to a gender-equal environment. When I realised how many women were leaving the industry at such a young age, I didn’t want them to have to change their lives and careers due to having children, I wanted to support any small changes that could happen. ”
What does being a MotherBoard Ambassador mean to you?
The Tech industry is growing, it should be considering the women within it and how they can support and retain them, not leave them behind and then complain about an unbalanced workforce. MotherBoard is helping to support diverse teams, raise awareness amongst leaders and help working parents to be more included and part of the conversation.
What are you most looking forward to as part of being an ambassador?
Seeing how MotherBoard can grow and the changes that can be made!
“By ensuring the tech industry is more inclusive we’re encouraging people to stay in their jobs, more people to join the company and showing the younger generation that you can have a work life and a home life that balance each other – regardless of whether you choose to have children or not. ”
Why do you think making the tech industry more inclusive of mothers and working parents is important?
How can it not be? Making the tech industry more inclusive of working parents – especially working mothers – is so important. Working parents are champions, why wouldn’t you want them within your team?
By ensuring the tech industry is more inclusive we’re encouraging people to stay in their jobs, more people to join the company and showing the younger generation that you can have a work life and a home life that balance each other – regardless of whether you choose to have children or not. It opens up more options, allows people not to have to choose between their careers and being a parent - and supports those who have already become parents.
What do you think the priority should be for creating tangible change for working mums in tech?
Awareness is a big one. I think a lot of people don’t think about this, don’t consider how important it is. Now that it’s being talked about more, I think they don’t have a choice to not consider being more inclusive.
MotherBoard is a Business Charter, Community & Event Series, driving tangible change for mums working in the tech industry.
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