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In honor of March being Women’s History month and March 8 being International Women’s Day, we wanted to ask the women of Circa their advice for other women in the workforce, what their perspectives are on being a woman in a leadership position, and what we can do to empower other women in the workplace.

Roselle Rogers

Roselle is an accomplished HR executive, with 30+ years of practical application. She joined in 2006 and has been instrumental in the company’s growth from local job board provider to the launch of its OFCCP compliance and diversity products. Roselle leads Circa’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and thought leadership as well as the company’s OFCCP compliance and community partner relations.

She holds senior professional certifications with HR Certification Institute and SHRM and is a Director of the UP Alumni Association of Wisconsin. She has a Bachelor of Arts, Economics, from the University of the Philippines and a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources Development from Ateneo de Manila University. Roselle is an avid traveler and enjoys being on the water scuba diving, jet skiing, boating and kayaking, and spending time with her family and their dog, Bear.

 

1. What are the benefits to having women in leadership?

Women bring unique talents, views, perspectives, and lived experiences to the workplace and to the boardroom. When you bring complementary views and diverse approaches to solving problems, better decisions are made. Having women in leadership have also had a positive impact on workplace policies – pay equity, equal access to advancement opportunities, and other policies that have benefited all employees regardless of identity.

2. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Find your voice. Your ability to contribute, solve problems, and lead others, never was, and never will be, dictated by your gender. Over the course of your career, you will meet people – managers, co-workers, business associates – who believe in you. Keep them close and develop strong relationships with them, no matter if they are near or far. Seek to be mentored and coached, and pay it forward.

3. As a leader, how do you stay mindful of who’s at the table and who’s missing?

By being an empathetic leader. As a leader of an organization or work group, we are a leader to all, and it’s our responsibility to think of all employees, whether they are visible or not.

4. How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?

I had very strong women role models growing up. It was never a question of whether I was just as good as other genders. For me, it was more a question of, coming from a small provincial town, can I compete with the best? I set high goals and got into a top college. I was driven and never let lack of knowledge or experience get in the way. I worked hard and I was a voracious learner. When I felt inadequate, I read, researched, and asked questions to shore up my knowledge. Investing that time and effort never failed me. Setting high goals and achieving them is a great confidence booster. I believed in myself and what I could do. Before long, others did, too.

5. Have you ever felt the imposter syndrome, and if so how did you navigate your way through it?

Yes, I did. The first time during college, and the second time, early in my career. I didn’t go to some fancy prep school and here I was, in the same class with daughters and grandsons of senators, scions of businesses, and kids who graduated from top high schools. It made me wonder if my education prepared me well enough to compete at that level. I studied hard and worked hard, and was able to prove to myself and to others that I earned my spot. The other time, I was supporting a Program Manager for our disaster relief operation when he stepped out. I was thrust into the role, and was panic stricken because while I had branch operations experience, I didn’t have disaster management experience. My boss, who was a big believer in me, gave me a talking to. I remember his words; “Management is management. You have operations background, and this is operations. You are now in charge.” He was willing to coach me, and I absorbed it like a sponge. But it also required eliminating the self-doubt, which was my biggest detractor at that time.

 

This March we encourage other companies to take the time to acknowledge and celebrate women in the workplace and reflect on how best to support them with their future success.

If you need help with ideas for how to properly celebrate and recognize these important holidays, then Circa’s Advancing Belonging and Inclusion (ABI) can provide communication, content, and more that will help you be proactive and develop a DEI strategy.

Author

ana farsalas
Ana Farsalas
ana farsalas

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