10th July 2009

Capability Jane launches working group looking into Work Placement Programmes for Women Returners

29th June 2009

Capability Jane supports the ICAEW Narrowing the Gap Event

Sara Hill was one of the lead speakers at the ICAEW event supporting returners to the accounting profession.

3rd March 2009

Capability Jane supports Cabinet Office Working Group - Fair Access to the Professions

Capability Jane was asked to contribute to the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, a panel tasked with working with the professions to identify obstacles including cultural barriers to ensure that everyone, including those on moderate and middle incomes as well as the wealthiest, has a fair chance to access careers in high-status professions. Capability Jane supported the working group in looking at Flexible professions: new opportunities for career progression. Capability Jane's leading practice insights and case studies were presented in the final report to the Cabinet.

12th December 2008
Capability Jane heads to Westminster
Sara Hill of Capability Jane took part today in a round table discussion chaired by the Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Shadow Minister for Women. The aim of the discussion, involving other organisations such as Working Families, CIPD, Prowess and Mumsnet, was to look at ways Conservative policy could support women in returning to work. The discussion covered key areas such as the barriers involved, the quality of flexible work available and the impact of the credit crunch on the decision to return to work.

Thursday 21st November
Capability Jane supports the UKRC/SET on Women returners to IT programme
Sara Hill was one of a panel of experts at the UKRC event, fielding questions around getting back to work

28th October 2008
Capability Jane encourages businesses to reduce recruitment costs by using FTE
Capability Jane has suggested a means by which businesses of all sizes can reduce their recruitment spend, and yet still attract top talent into their organisation. In today’s economic climate, most businesses are looking at ways to cut their costs where possible. Capability Jane is urging employers to help reduce their recruitment costs by using full term equivalent (FTE) rather than headcount when calculating their recruitment budgets.
Sara Hill, founder and Managing Director explains: “By using the FTE approach, businesses give themselves the flexibility to employ a number of talented individuals on a flexible basis – which in areas such as Marketing can introduce a wider set of skills and experience for the same cost as employing one person on a full time contract. For businesses with growth plans in these turbulent times it makes a lot of sense to recruit on this flexible basis.”

28th October 2008
Capability Jane Challenges Government to Review Flexible Working Incentives for Businesses.
Capability Jane today challenged the government to develop better flexible working legislation and incentives for both SMEs and Large Corporations.

The company emphasised the need to use legislation and tax incentives to support small businesses in order to both encourage practical recruitment solutions in a difficult economic climate and support the macro economic issue of getting more experienced executive women back to work after having a family.

70% of highly-qualified women do not return to their careers after having children due to the lack of flexible working options, showing that current flexible working practices are failing and that UK businesses are missing out on a pool of experienced talent; Capability Jane has found that 70% of these women would return if genuine flexible working was offered.

At present, the increased maternity and flexible working legislation goes a considerable way to addressing the drain of female talent from the workplace and encourages companies to assess flexible working options, Capability Jane believes that the government should be offering incentives to both SMEs and progressive organisations who work hard to accommodate flexible working and the recruitment and retention of female talent.

Increased legislation can cause an increase in the level of discrimination. Figures released by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation in X showed that 70%* of recruitment agencies have been asked by small businesses not to source women of childbearing age.

Founder and Managing Director Sara Hill sees a way around this:

“Recruiting staff on a flexible basis or offering flexible working opportunities to existing staff can be a great way for employers to recruit or retain highly qualified staff while minimising their financial outlay".

“For example, a really good, part-time, Finance Director may well benefit businesses more than attempting to fill an expensive post full-time, or using a cheap, inexperienced alternative. We would urge the government to look at measures aimed at supporting businesses in recruiting these women and others looking to address their work-life balance, as the economic benefits of them working flexibly benefit all parties.”

Capability Jane has received funding and business support from Finance South East (FSE), www.financesoutheast.com, which supports SMEs in the region. Finance South East’s Accelerator Fund invested the money needed to develop the company’s market position.

The Accelerator Fund invests in ambitious companies at any stage, early or established, with the potential for significant growth. Funding can be used for a wide range of business costs and generally to support growth. Areas of the business eligible for funds might include marketing, product development costs, recruitment fees and the cost of new personnel.

Finance South East’s CEO, Sally Goodsell said,

“Everyone needs to cut their cloth to suit their economic situation, and small businesses should look at ways of recruiting the best talent while minimising their employment costs wherever possible.”

Oct 15th, 2008
Opportunity Now Fit for the Future Symposium
Capability Jane today attended the Fit for the Future thought symposium, which aimed to explore what constitutes a corporate culture that is fit for the future, given the current dynamics of the workplace.

3rd October 2008
Capability Jane supports Ernst & Young’s Back To Practice programme
Capability Jane are delighted to be supporting Ernst and Young with their innovative Back to Practice programme aimed at encouraging women back into senior professional services roles. The programme is targeted specifically at those women who have taken a career break of three years or more, with a minimum of five years experience within the professional services industry, who are looking for a channel back into the their career.

Sara Hill, founder and MD said: “We are delighted to be involved in such a groundbreaking initiative. It is heart-warming to see that progressive organisations such as Ernst and Young are realising the advantages of a pro-active Gender Strategy at a senior level. The profile of candidate they are seeking is a good fit with our pool of women returners and we look forward to introducing a number of our members to the initiative.”

Sept 29th
ICAEW Narrowing The Gap Conference: Recruiting and Retaining the best female talent
On 29 September 2008, delegates including Sara Hill from Capability Jane packed Chartered Accountants’ Hall for ‘Recruiting and retaining the best female financial talent: why women mean business’, a one-day conference run by the ICAEW as part of their Narrowing the Gap programme.

Sponsored by KPMG and supported by many other organisations including Opportunity Now, Wheretowork.com, CIPD, CIPFA, Aspire and Women in the City, the conference was a forum to explore the shared challenges facing many employers in recruiting and retaining female financial talent. It was also a great networking opportunity for delegates and speakers.

18th June 2008
Capability Jane heads to Downing Street and the House of Commons
Capability Jane has attended the Mother At Work awards, held at 11 Downing Street on 18th June 2008. Hosted by Sarah Brown, the awards pay tribute to working families and progressive employers who see the value in offering flexible working practices to retain valued employees. Microsoft took away the coveted Mother At Work Employer of the Year award, whilst guest of honour, Baroness Prosser OBE, deputy chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission gave a speech hailing the beginning of the end of "19th century working practices in 21st century Britain". Later that same day, the team were invited to the House of Commons for a dinner hosted by Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, and a discussion among the likes of BT, Legal and General and Vodafone on the subjects of CSR and Diversity in the Workplace.

10th June 2008
Sara Hill scoops top local business award
Sara Hill, founder and Managing Director of Capability Jane has scooped the coveted Entrepreneur of The Year Award at this year’s Winchester Business Awards.

In accepting the award, Sara said: “It’s such a thrill to be accepting our first award barely a year after we launched. It’s a true testament to the hard work of the Capability Jane team and acknowledgement that we are actively providing a welcome solution to the twin issues of the SME skills gap and career break returners.”

“We are engaging with companies of all sizes that enjoy the access we can provide to top quality senior executives on a cost-effective basis. On a personal level, I am particularly delighted to be able to help so many of our members to achieve the ideal work life balance.”

30th May 2008
Capability Jane features in Flexible Working supplement in The Times

Click here to read article

13th May 2008
Capability Jane features in Personnel Today article on Interim Management

Click here to read article.

30th April: Flexible working conference
Measuring Up: The Impact of Flexible Working Practices on Performance In Association with Cranfield School of Management
Capability Jane attended this conference which provided an opportunity to hear the findings of a two-year study undertaken by Cranfield School of Management in collaboration with Working Families.

This significant new research examined the effect that flexible working practices have on the individual performance of employees and offered valuable lessons to all employers.

April 2008
Capability Jane supports Towry Law with progressive Women Returners Programme
Capability Jane has been approached by market leading wealth management firm Towry Law, who are looking to attract senior executive females to retrain as wealth advisers. The firm has established a Return to Work initiative within the business that looks to change the male-dominated field of financial services.

Founder and MD Sara Hill said:

“It’s always a breath of fresh air to see progressive companies such as Towry Law looking to address gender diversity at a senior level, and we are delighted to be supporting them in this groundbreaking initiative. With the company keen to kick-start the first phase of the programme, we have been able, from our extensive network, to source, screen and place a number of high level candidates within two weeks, and are already looking forward to helping to source candidates for the next intake.”