As I walk into Willis Towers Watson reception in London on my first day back at work following over a year on maternity leave, my first thought is wow! The building looks great, I feel happy and excited to be back and genuinely feel proud to work here.

Having spoken with many new parents (both in my personal life and with candidates as part of my role) I know that I am very lucky to have had such an incredibly positive experience. My line manager has been very supportive of my flexible working application, which has been significant in enabling me to effectively manage my job and family life. It can be a daunting experience those first few weeks back. What has changed? Will I remember everything? How will I balance my work with a hectic family life? As well as having the great support of my line manager, I spoke with my mentor at Willis Towers Watson who made themselves available to me within those first couple of weeks. I felt I gained advice and reassurance when I most needed it.

I feel valued at Willis Towers Watson and know, with the support of the company, I can still have a successful career while also leading a fulfilling life as a parent.

Learn more about the Willis Towers Watson values and benefits here or take a look at our current roles here.

How has your life been affected by COVID-19?

Due to government protocols in the Philippines to manage COVID-19, my family and I have been quarantined at home together since March 16.

Working from home now has made me rethink how I can blend my full-time work and my full-time fatherhood. Often, I have an hour-long meeting with adults then followed by playtime with kids. It feels like a dream that I can do both and still have time left in the day to live a balanced life. I feel trusted by my managers that I can continue to deliver quality work and, more importantly, I feel loved by my kids when we greet each other ‘good morning’ every day and kiss goodnight every night.

What does ‘flexible work’ at Willis Towers Waton mean to you?

To me, flexible working is #adulting. I am trusted by the organization to deliver quality work, on-time while balancing other personal responsibilities. I’m thankful to the organization for having a progressive mindset and entrusting us to be productive colleagues, whether we’re physically together in the office or at home.

How has Willis Towers Watson made flexible working easy for you?

I appreciate the communication provided by local leaders and Global Operating Committee that working from home is the preferred approach at this time. The organization has been flexible to the reasonable needs of colleagues as well as our clients where possible.

As part of the local HR team, I have learned to appreciate the consistent message of care and warmth from our leaders during this pandemic and I’ve seen this translate to sustained excellent work from our colleagues.

What tips/tools would you recommend to others working from home at this time?

Mental resilience is important. I have typically seen my house as a place to rest and unwind. It’s been a journey of mental resilience to understand that things have changed now.

Compartmentalizing has also really helped me. Having a dedicated place to work made me more aware when it is time to work vs time to rest. Recently, I decided to wear the same clothes, scent, and watch as I would normally in the office, and change into more relaxed clothes when I’m done with work.

Seeking help is critical. At certain times during our local community quarantine, I had to ask for the help of my family members to keep our house clean, bathe the kids, and of course taking out the trash. I certainly do not mind doing these things, but it has been humbling to admit that I could not do it all by myself (at work and at home).  Now, with even my 5-year old daughter and 9-year old son pitching in at home, I’m thankful that we’re all doing our fair share!

Seek help and be thankful.

What have you learned from this ‘new normal’ so far?

Looking at this new normal with a glass-half-full mindset, I can certainly see how to be a better colleague and father at the same time.

Learn more about our different roles and business areas here.

You recently participated in a panel event as part of this year’s ‘Dive In Festival’ (the festival for Diversity and Inclusion in Insurance) – what topics did you cover?

I was invited to discuss Willis Towers Watson’s approach to Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) in Germany, particularly on the topic of equal and fair pay from the following teams’ perspectives:

• Human Resources
• Leadership
• I&D Council
• International governance, which provide cross-organizational guidelines to embed fair pay best practice
• Works Council, which oversee that fair pay best practice is carried out throughout Willis Towers Watson in Germany

The discussion also focused on the 2017 fair pay law that was introduced in Germany and how the companies that participated in the panel had to adapt in order to comply with the guidelines of this law.

Why was it important to you personally to participate in the panel?

My role as the HR Services and Recruitment Lead for the DACH region requires me to be the liaison between the teams and stakeholders mentioned above, that’s why I’m involved in fair and equal pay conversations on a regular basis. However, this topic is not new for me. Throughout my professional career I’ve fought to close pay gaps that might exist between men and women, so I’ve been able to see the evolution that global companies have had in this area, particularly in Germany. For me, this panel represented an opportunity to share my insights on the evolution of equal and fair pay, especially regarding gender but of course also, race, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.

What makes you proud to work at Willis Towers Watson?

One of the things that makes me a proud Willis Towers Watson colleague is our unwavering commitment to I&D and how teams globally go above and beyond to action this commitment. For example, in Germany we implemented an infrastructure that includes processes and tools that help us focus on embedding fair pay best practice throughout the organization and across all professional levels.

How do you champion Willis Towers Watson’s values?

By always upholding Willis Towers Watson’s I&D commitment in all my HR functions and responsibilities. This has made me live our values to the fullest with a focus on:

• Promoting teamwork
• Being a client-focused colleague; HR and the business have the same overall goals
• Strengthening our reputation as an equitable employer of choice
• Respecting other colleagues’ ideas, contributions and personality

What are your hopes/aspirations regarding the panel topic for the future?

My hope is that we continue to discuss how closing the pay gap is part of creating an inclusive, fair and diverse work culture and environment and take steps to address this. Willis Towers Watson is globally committed to I&D. This also includes raising awareness about any potential pay gaps between men and women and sharing knowledge on how to address this.

Is there anything else you want to share about the panel discussion or topics that were discussed?

The panel discussion was very valuable because we were able to share our experiences and learn from each other. The fact that the panellists were from a very diverse range of disciplines (HR professionals, works council members, consultants, freelancers, authors, etc.) helped to introduce a myriad of insights, perspectives and pain points that otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to identify and discuss.

I believe that the most important takeaways from this panel discussion were:

1. Fair pay creates value: while some leaders might think that embedding fair pay best practice may negatively impact an organization’s financial performance, the result is the contrary. Fair pay means that your workforce is motivated and committed towards the growth of the company.
2. Sharing knowledge helps to close the pay gap: openly discussing the challenges on the topic of fair pay in events like Dive In create great opportunities for companies and thought leaders to share knowledge on how to close the pay gap globally and throughout the industry.

We must focus on creating more opportunities to exchange ideas, insights and approaches to make fair pay the common practice!

Learn more about our different roles and business areas here.

This year, the HR Rising Star Award recipient is Talent Advisor for Talent & Rewards, Anna Stonelake. Anna shares her experience on finding out that she had won and her insights on working at Willis Towers Watson.

What was your initial reaction to hearing you were nominated for and won the award?

It was a very surreal moment and one I will never forget! Our Chief Administrative Officer and Head of HR, Anne Bodnar, invited me to an online meeting to share the great news. I wasn’t aware I had been nominated (as this is the process for the HR Rising Star Award) so it took a few minutes to sink in. I felt very overwhelmed, humbled and honored that I had been recognized by my fellow colleagues. Since winning the award I’ve learned from different teams across Willis Towers Watson what a positive and inspiring impact Gail had on the colleagues she worked with, I am so glad her memory and legacy continues to be honored through this yearly award.

What are your interests or hobbies outside of work? Have you developed any new hobbies or interests since the onset of COVID-19?

I have two young children (four and six years-old) so they keep me very busy, but when I am not running around trying to keep them out of mischief, I enjoy renovating our house. It was built in 1903 and it hadn’t been touched for 30-40 years when we bought it six years ago. It has been a labor of love (and stress) ever since, but we are nearly there, just the garden to finish now!

Since the onset of COVID-19, I have a newfound appreciation for the outdoors. My family and I are lucky to live in a village with lots of countryside on our doorstep. My local gym has been shut on and off for most of 2020, and to counter this I now enjoy running three times a week and walking in the local woods at the weekend with the family. It’s surprising how sticks, mud, bikes and puddles can keep children entertained for hours, and fresh air really does help to clear your mind.

How has Willis Towers Watson supported you in unlocking potential in your career and development?

Since I joined Willis Towers Watson just over two years ago, I have been given opportunities to get involved in lots of different projects and initiatives across HR. I feel lucky to have such supportive colleagues to bounce ideas off, discuss challenges with and ask for advice. I have always been encouraged to try and improve the way we add value to the businesses we support and believe having this freedom and encouragement to think creatively has really helped me grow as a professional.

Gail E. McKee impacted the lives of many colleagues. Is there someone who has had an impact on your career, and can you describe how they have influenced your career growth?

It is very difficult to choose one colleague, within our HR function there are lots of strong female leaders based all around the world that inspire me. I have noticed over time that all have very similar leadership values: a strong work ethic, compassion, pragmatism, fairness and a positive energy which is very compelling.

If I had to choose one colleague, it would be our Global Talent Business Leader for Talent & Rewards and member of the Willis Towers Watson Global Inclusion & Diversity council, Suzanne McAndrew. Suzanne is a very inspiring leader and colleague. Her leadership style is open, positive, creative and direct, and through our interactions and partnership she inspires me to be a better version of myself professionally. I am always thankful for her feedback and insight.

I am also a strong believer that your support system outside of work impacts how you perform professionally. To that degree I think my husband has been amazing at supporting me to focus on my career and in helping me balance my personal and family commitments, especially in the past six months.

What do you think it takes to succeed in Human Resources at Willis Towers Watson?

Willis Towers Watson offers fantastic HR career opportunities if you have a positive attitude, strong work ethic, curiosity to learn, confidence and energy to question/challenge the status quo constructively. You also need to be a strong team player; in my experience you will not be successful if you try to do everything yourself, particularly when there are so many HR colleagues with a wealth of experience that you can reach out to for help and advice. The support network within Willis Towers Watson’s HR teams is fantastic, but you need to put the effort in to build your own network and always be willing to help one another out.

Learn more about our different roles and business areas here.

Can you tell us about your career journey at Willis Towers Watson?

I first joined Willis Towers Watson in 2010 as a contractor working three days per week, a year after having my first child. The company had just completed a merger and I was responsible for integrating Human Resource (HR) policies across Europe. When my contract was almost up, a maternity cover opportunity arose within the HR Business Partner team and I was fortunate to remain with the company longer. Not long after, I then fell pregnant unexpectedly with my second child. During my maternity leave I kept in close contact with Willis Towers Watson, before returning four days per week as a contractor on an HR Operations project. My career took off from there as I then became a permanent colleague and established the Willis Towers Watson Global Recruitment Operations team. This opportunity provided me with a building block to think more strategically about recruitment, build global frameworks and governance, and to look for continuous improvement opportunities. I worked on some incredible global projects, including another merger and some large system implementations. Now, as Global Head of Talent Acquisition for Willis Towers Watson, I am very inspired to further shape the future talent goals within the company.

How do you meet the diverse hiring needs of the company?

Willis Towers Watson decided to re-establish its Talent Acquisition function as a global Center of Expertise, so I am working to build the company’s recruitment function to meet the diverse hiring needs of the organization. Alongside this, Willis Towers Watson is expanding its entry level programs, investing in more recruitment tools and technology, and redefining its operating model which includes better articulation of the hiring manager and recruiter responsibilities throughout the hiring process. Willis Towers Watson never stops striving to be a more inclusive employer. We acknowledge that we operate in some industries that are not as diverse as we would like, but that does not stop our ambition to diversify our workforce. In many cases, if diverse talent is not available at the senior leadership level, then we look at how we can bring diverse talent in at the entry level to train and develop our future leaders. In addition, we have a whole host of inclusion networks around the world and many incredible initiatives that those groups have pioneered. One of our most successful initiatives is a return-to-work program.

How important is employee engagement?

Willis Towers Watson is incredibly supportive, caring, and respectful of its colleagues’ needs. Of course, pay and benefits are important, but wellbeing and care programs can be a major differentiator between employers, and I believe this certainly positions Willis Towers Watson as a magnet for talent. An organization can use all the tools in the book to position their brand with buzzwords and on-trend terminology, but to make a real difference the most successful brands are those that are described by the employees. I think authentic stories about what it is really like to work for an organization make the most impact and resonate with prospective hires. At Willis Towers Watson, we have an incredibly flexible, supportive, and agile approach to work. There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing a self-shot video by a colleague showcasing their working day and being real about how they balance their deliverables with their home life.

What is Willis Towers Watson’s stance on work flexibility?

Willis Towers Watson has been a long-term advocate for flexible, agile working and many of its employees are used to flexing their working patterns pre-Covid. Willis Towers Watson’s flexible working culture has continued post the pandemic with various options to support working from home, hot desking in an office environment, or blend an alternative form of working.

In what ways has Willis Towers Watson demonstrated its support for its employees?

What has really humbled me is the vaccination programs that Willis Towers Watson has supported and rolled out across countries that have not had access to sufficient medical care. In addition, there are dependent care programs, employee helplines and a wide variety of wellbeing resources and support on place for our employees. I believe this exemplifies the organization as more than solely an employer, but truly demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting and treating the individual needs of its employees. Attraction and hiring are two of our key levers for change and this is where my team can really influence others and make a difference. For example, Willis Towers Watson provides more than just the typical maternity or parental policies. There is real support for parents, care givers, and women who return-to-work, take for example our mentor schemes and impressive return-to-work help and resources. Alongside that support, there is a strong desire from the company to ensure that women are supported in their career aspirations, regardless of their career breaks.
I speak from personal experience; It would be very challenging to undertake the global scope of my role if I wasn’t able to flex my work around my family life and further responsibilities. Over the years, I have been fortunate to work with colleagues who respect my situation, many of whom have not had young families to juggle. At the same time, I can actively support my team members. For example, one of my team is part of a ‘SHE Leads’ program that provides timely career coaching to aspiring female leaders.

What can you say is Willis Towers Watson’s stance on pay equity?

As part of its practices at Willis Towers Watson, there is a consistent focus on pay equity and transparency. Even when the UK Government suspended mandatory employer reporting on the 2019 gender pay gap due to the pandemic, Willis Towers Watson actively chose to submit their UK gender pay gap report. Employer policies, procedures, resources, and support are extensive at this highly progressive company.

What do you like to do in your free time?

When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and taking our dog, a very energetic Hungarian Vizsla, for long walks on the countryside. I also enjoy cooking for friends and family, especially a Sunday roast. During the pandemic, I discovered the Peloton exercise bike and I’m now truly hooked, so I try to squeeze in a ride between my meetings. Additionally, when I get an opportunity on the weekend, I enjoy going to Tottenham Hotspur matches with my husband and children.

Tell us about your current role at WTW.

I have recently taken on the newly-created role of Global Program Manager for Inclusive Recruitment at WTW. The purpose of the role is to fully imbed our existing Inclusive Recruitment strategy and to come up with new initiatives and ideas to attract and hire more diverse talent.

Tell us about the WTW journey to develop a role dedicated to inclusivity and diversity and the purpose of the role.

WTW has always had a very strong focus on the importance of I&D within the business and has identified that, in order to continue delivering our commitments in this space, a role has been created within our recruitment function which is dedicated to I&D. For me, it shows just how serious WTW are about I&D and ensuring that all colleagues are supported and are able to bring their full selves to work every day.

Do you think companies are starting to evolve in their thinking?

Absolutely. Having worked in the insurance industry for the last 20 years, I have seen changes being made, although we still have a long way to go. What was once and environment which was severely lacking in diversity has become much more inclusive and this can only be a positive thing. I for one don’t want to work somewhere where everyone is the same and has similar ideas and outlooks. By having more diverse colleagues, we are fostering a much more exciting, creative, and productive business.

What challenges do you face in this recruitment space of inclusion and diversity and how can we overcome them?

As I’ve already said, as an industry, we have come a long way, however there is so much more we can do to create inclusive working environments. Education and training are huge factors here and the more we are able to talk openly and honestly about the challenges which we still face, the easier they will be to overcome. I also think that businesses can do a lot to work together and create a more inclusive industry as a whole.

Can you share why WTW is participating in the returner program?

WTW recognises the wealth of talent there is amongst returners and the huge benefit they can bring to the business. Returners can bring extremely valuable skill sets and different perspectives to a team and contribute massively to their success.

What did you do during your career break?

I took a career break of around 9 months in 2019 in order to reassess what I wanted to do and where I wanted my career to go. I felt as though I has sat in the ‘comfy seat’ for too long and needed a new challenge. During my break I had a much-needed rest and also spent time focussing on myself and my priorities – Pilates and running also played a very big part in this! It also enabled me to have a bit of breathing space and spend some really valuable time with friends and family.

How did you return to work and into which role?

When I started thinking about returning to work, I knew it had to be at the right time for me. Finding the right role was also crucial – I didn’t want to undo all of the good work I had done! One of my priorities was to work more locally and not to have such a long commute as I had previously. I also wanted to work in an environment where I would be supported and could develop my career. The role I returned to was as an Underwriter (something I had done for many years) but in a different area to my previous role. This enabled me to use my skills but also do something which wasn’t identical to what I had done before.  

Do you have any advice for others looking to return to work?

Don’t be concerned about what other people think about having taken a career break. I was very nervous about how others would perceive me taking time out, however it was only ever viewed positively. Whatever the reason for the break it should never be an issue and if you come across an employer who thinks it is, they aren’t the right fit for you! Returning to work is never easy, however I found it to be an extremely positive experience and has enabled me to take my career in a completely different direction and find a role which I love!