We’re striving to become a truly inclusive place to work, where everyone feels welcome to be their true selves and bring their unique perspective to the table. We know we’ve got work to do, but we're encouraged by plenty of shining lights leading the way for change and diversifying our workforce.
Below we hear from a collective of female colleagues at Travis Perkins developing under Regional Director, Louise Lister. We wanted to hear why they think the builders’ merchant is a great place for women to start or grow their career, and why it’s important to have women in senior positions.
Our Group knows that it doesn’t start and end with hiring more female colleagues. To really see change, we need to invest in our colleagues, encourage them to take on responsibility, and give them support so they can develop future female talent. This is why we’ve put forward 10 mentees and 10 mentors for the 30% Club - an organisation that focuses on accelerating the development of women into senior leadership roles.
To paint a clearer picture of why having female leaders matters, we spoke first up to Louise, who joined the Group just over a year ago as a Regional Director for Travis Perkins.
Louise Lister
“The Group is dedicated to allowing individuals to be the best version of themselves. Our diversity mottos is, “You be you. It makes us, us”. This couldn’t be truer.”
Louise highlights that having a diverse team is key if we want the Group to grow. In her region, Louise has nurtured a growing number of women in her team, all building exciting careers for themselves.
Here are some stories from the women in Louise’s region:
Charlotte Parker
“You don't have to be a builder. I'm not a builder.”
In traditionally male-dominated industries, women can feel like they don’t have the skills they need to join the workforce. As Charlotte points out, that’s not that case at Travis Perkins. While she might not be a tradesperson, this hasn’t stopped her from enjoying success in her job and having fun.
Charlotte Bingham
“So many people have been so happy to help me and really push me to develop myself, which is something I have never experienced before. I have built such a strong network already, and they are really helping me to realise my potential.”
Ensuring our female colleagues get the leadership positions they deserve all begins with investing in their development. Since joining the Group, Charlotte has seen a huge boost in her confidence, and a lot of this is down to the colleagues that have been there to cheer her on. We’re building our pipeline of female talent and making sure they have the support they need to progress.
Kim Gleed
“My dad’s a builder. He loves me working here.”
Kim worked in the retail industry for 15 years, but she was ready for a lifestyle change and was offered a job at Travis Perkins that she couldn’t turn down. With her dad being a builder, Kim spent a lot of time in builders’ merchants from a young age. She would often feel out of place because she was female, but that wasn’t the case when she joined Travis Perkins – everyone made her feel right at home.
Samantha Nice
“Having females in positions of authority means they are in a position to be a role model for other females who are ambitious to take on more responsibility. Women bring different skills, ideas, and experiences to a team – this all leads to diversity of thought.”
Samantha has had an impressive career journey with the Group, progressing from an Apprentice to a Branch Manager. She explains that the leadership course the Group offered her and the support she received from her regional directors and two of the main reasons for her success.
Could Travis Perkins be the place for you?
If you’re looking for your next job, why not explore our opportunities? No matter whether you’re just starting out in your career, are looking to make a career change, or want a new challenge, we could have just the job for you.
And if a part-time role is what you’re after, look no further than Travis Perkins. We understand how important it is to find that balance between work and life, which is why we offer a range of part-time jobs .
View our latest branch, store and showroom jobs , driver jobs or browse our other job categories.
