Curo News

Celebrating International Women’s Day (1)

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 09:00:00 Z

We talk to Jane Smith, Curo’s Chief People Officer, whose passion for helping others learn has taken her across the world.

Jane Smith, Curo’s Chief People Officer

What made you embark on a career in people?

I actually started out working in finance. I was responsible for introducing computer-based training in a retailer, and it brought out my passion for helping people learn. I realised that with a career in people management, I could create opportunities for others to fulfil their potential.

Learning can change the hand that people are dealt. This is especially important in the different parts of the world where I’ve worked, for example, India and Thailand. Access to education and training, when combined with the determination of the individual, can mould a different future.

When I worked in India, the importance of education was really driven home. Through my work at Tesco, I gave colleagues access to education through technology. That gave them a real advantage in an employment market where there are many more people than there are jobs.

What was your first role?

At the age of ten, I helped my parents set up a market stall, selling socks and underwear. I learned so much, not only about the basics of business but also how to stand up for myself, be independent and mix with people from all kinds of backgrounds.

What have been the biggest achievements of your career?

I’m most proud of being able to help others accomplish their goals. For example, I supported a job share in one of my teams. This flexible way of working meant that the colleagues could work fewer hours at a senior level, enabling them to look after their children when they were young. Taking a career break can be one of the reasons for the gender pension and pay gaps. The longer you are away from work, the more daunting it can be to return. So flexible options are important to give opportunities for women to progress at work. It’s about understanding the benefits to the manager, individuals and the business. And it works - 15 years later, one of the women has now set up a business partnership and the other is a strategic advisor to a FTSE-10 company.

Tell me a bit about your time working with Tesco in South Korea and what you learned from your experiences there…

Tesco had 56 directors in South Korea: 54 were Korean, 55 were male and 55 were aged over 50. Then there was me. I stood out in terms of my nationality, gender and age. It’s a hierarchical culture, and the direction I wanted to take was sometimes in conflict with that. For example, older, more senior people would get rewards unrelated to their performance. I remember a colleague telling me he was getting a car just because he was turning a certain age. That’s not what I believe in, and so there was conflict when I tried to change things like that. I had to learn how to argue as a lot of the decision-making was based around that. But my biggest lesson was around communication. I couldn’t speak the language, so I learned how to read a room without the spoken word. I lived that for years, and it has heightened my skills of perception.

You recently made the switch from working at large, blue-chip companies to charities. What was behind that move?

I wanted to do something that felt more purposeful than working in a sales environment. I’m about the collective rather than the individual. In terms of Curo’s purpose, Homes for Good, I’ve lived in communities where not everyone has a home. Education and training can be a foundation to get a roof over your head, so there’s a link there.

Can you describe a moment in your career when you faced a barrier because you are a woman?

There have been loads. Throughout my career, people have made assumptions about my abilities based on how I look. I’ve done big jobs since my twenties, and I’m a smiley person, so people assume that I’m not capable. I’ve worked in male-dominated sectors, such as retail, where men were in all the big jobs. The workforces were balanced in terms of gender, but there wasn’t equity in terms of career progression. I’ve experienced sexual harassment and bullying – behaviour that wouldn’t be accepted now. I grew up in it. But I was brought up to be independent. My career doesn’t belong to anyone else.

Which women in the public eye inspire you and why?

As someone with a background in retail and fashion, I find Coco Chanel an inspirational pioneer. I like her quote: “A woman should be two things: who and what she wants.” It emphasises self-determination and authenticity and must have been a revolutionary thing to say at the time.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

I’ll always remember when a 19-year-old man at a town hall meeting of colleagues at Tesco in India stood up in front of the audience and said: “Take every opportunity to gain more skills, and the rewards will come.” He showed real maturity in recognising that pay and rewards follow once you’ve learned and delivered. That’s good advice for anyone.

What tips would you give to women starting out in their careers who are ambitious to move into a senior role?

The big roles require understanding systems and technology, so study science and computers. The world of work is shifting, and there’s a gender imbalance in terms of tech jobs – but there’s no reason for this. We need more women to design the systems of the future to avoid inherent bias being built into them.

Celebrating International Women’s Day

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 14:49:41 Z

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we asked Julie Evans, Curo’s Executive Director of Property Services, what it’s like to be a female leader in housing.

What made you embark on a career in housing?

It was never my ambition to work in housing, simply because I never thought of it as a career. I was in my second year studying English Literature at Swansea University when, by chance, I went to a talk given by the local council’s head of housing. I thought, “This is a way I can make a difference.” Thirty-five years later, I’m still working in the sector.

I think I was attracted to it because I’d lived in a council house in Cardiff as a child. So I instinctively knew that stable, good-quality homes are the foundation of thriving communities.

A family friend worked in housing and her husband was a manager at a housing association in Chelsea and Kensington in London. I did some job shadowing with him while still at uni and instantly loved it.

What was your first role?

After I left college I became a trainee housing manager at Newport Borough Council. I got experience of the different services, working in lettings and the housing advice centre. At the same time, I studied for a post-graduate Diploma in Housing Studies, which covered the history of housing.

The work was so varied – you never knew what you’d be dealing with. There was the lovely stuff like giving people the keys to their first home, or helping older people move into homes that better met their needs. Then there were the more challenging things, like dealing with rent arrears. But I found helping people to work through their problems very satisfying.

The work fulfilled my passion for helping to change people’s lives. For example, it was great to be able to provide survivors of domestic abuse with a springboard to move on with their lives.

What have been the biggest achievements of your career?

When I worked at Cardiff Community Housing Association, I got the local authority to sign up to a city-wide disabled register. This meant that, rather than having to wait on a general housing list, anyone who was disabled could be matched with properties that suited their needs as soon as they came up. If someone needed a stairlift, we could match them with a home that had one.

At Curo, I’m proud of Passport to Housing, which prepares residents for their tenancies. We had lots of back and forth with the council as they thought the scheme meant we would cherry-pick people for tenancies. We did a pilot and used the data to convince them otherwise. They could see that, far from stopping people getting a home, the scheme was helping residents to succeed with their tenancies for the long term.

Can you describe a moment in your career when you faced a barrier because you are a woman?

It might be surprising to say, but I’ve never personally faced one because I’m a woman. Perhaps the housing sector is more egalitarian than others. But I would like to address the lack of women in trades roles. Out of around 100 trades colleagues at Curo, only four are women.

Only eight of the top 25 housing associations in the UK are headed by women. Why is that and how can we change it?

We have to look at the way housing associations are governed. In the past there’s been a predominance of white, middle-aged men on boards. This is changing but a certain amount of catching up must be done.

I also think it’s true that woman look at a job advert and think, “I can only do six out of 10 of those things – I won’t apply.” Whereas a man will think, “I can do three – I’ll go for it.”

Women can suffer from imposter syndrome. When I joined Curo 17 years ago, it was my first director role. I felt like I was putting on my ‘director’s cloak’ and that I had to be someone else. But with maturity you get to the point where the fear goes away. You get more wins under your belt and gain more confidence as you get older. And I’ve always been open to feedback, good and bad, so that I can grow.

In 2019, I became an Executive Director at Curo, joining a small team alongside three very confident men. Women are brought up to be polite. It’s our social conditioning. But in a leadership team, if you waited to be asked to speak, you’d be waiting a long time. I’m lucky, however, that the team are all welcoming, accepting and live Curo’s values of caring, respectful, open, fair and trusting.

Which women inspire you?

The courage of the Suffragettes is inspiring. As a small group of women, they were willing to give up their lives so that women could vote. Voting is a priceless gift which we should never take for granted.

I also hugely admire Rosa Parks, the Black woman who refused to give up her bus seat for a white passenger in 1950s Alabama. She was determined to stand up against injustice. Her brave actions paved the way for huge changes in the civil rights of Black people in the US.

My favourite female political figure is Betty Boothroyd. She was the first and only female speaker of the House of Commons – and one of the best. Politicians across the spectrum respected her.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

I always come back to a quote by Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Whether you’re working in trades, development or customer accounts, always treat the customer as an individual, not a number, not bricks and mortar. You could change their life.

What tips would you give to women starting out in their housing careers?

Aspire to be the best you can be. Break through the glass ceiling. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t – you can.