Marie Claire: Three Industry Leaders On Turning Problems Into Postive Business Outcomes
Marie Claire magazine interviewed three industry leaders on turning problems into positive business outcomes, including Anna Stockley Davidson, COO at Brosa. Read the extract from Anna below, or click here to view the full article.
The Challenge: Retaining Top Talent
The Solution: Anna Stockley Davidson, COO at Brosa furniture
As the old business adage goes, people are a company’s greatest asset. It’s a maxim that’s served Anna Stockley Davidson well in her career and one that sums up her leadership approach at furniture start-up Brosa. Since launching in 2014, the company has grown to have 75 team members across Australia, China, India and the Philippines. Of those, 70 per cent are women and 85 per cent are aged under 40. In a society where 43 per cent* of highly qualified women with children are leaving careers, keeping parents in the workforce is a challenge for many businesses. “Turnover in key roles is costly, so retaining talented employees is a high priority,” says Stockley Davidson, who recently introduced 16-weeks’ paid leave to all new parents as a way of addressing the issue. “We’re particularly proud that the policy is for both primary and secondary caregivers and that it can be taken any time during the child’s first 12 months.”
Stockley Davidson’s people-first modus operandi extends beyond paternity leave. “Eighty per cent of our executive team are parents, so we understand the challenges that come with being a working parent,” she says. “We know that if parents don’t have flexible working conditions, they’ll go elsewhere, so being able to work from home or leave early for a doctor’s appointment is supported."
While offering paternity leave can be costly for a business, Stockley Davidson prefers to see it as a win-win opportunity: “We truly believe this investment in our people will benefit us in the long run.”