We believe that everyone has the potential to be the best person for the job, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or disability. Which is why we have a team of Inclusion Ambassadors who are becoming subject matter experts in their special interest! They support our colleagues and our clients on Inclusion and form part of our commitment to be the UK's best inclusive recruiter.
Earlier this year, Mark Harris, joined our Inclusion Ambassador team as our Gender Equity Ambassador.
Hi Mark! Can you tell us a bit about your background and your role as Sales Director at Outsource UK?
I’ve worked in the recruitment industry for over 20 years and joined Outsource UK in 2016. As Sales Director, I work closely with our customers - both new and long-standing - to understand their challenges and deliver tailored talent solutions that help them deliver their objectives.
What I love about Outsource UK is that we’re more than just a recruitment company. We’re an inclusive talent solutions provider, which means we focus not only on finding the right people but also on ensuring recruitment is done in a way that reduces bias and builds more diverse, equitable teams.
For me, it’s about creating value for clients, shaping a workforce that better reflects society and bringing innovative ways of thinking into the process.
You’ve been Outsource UK’s Gender Equity Ambassador for about a year now. What does that role mean to you personally and professionally?
Here at Outsource UK, we have a bold purpose:
To eliminate bias, privilege and inequality in talent engagement.
This is our north star and central to how we work with colleagues, candidates and clients every day.
On a personal note, I have two daughters and I want them to grow up without the same constraints that many women have historically faced and sadly, continue to face today.
For me, gender equity is about levelling the playing field for men and women alike and making sure outdated behaviours and structures that hold women back are removed.
In your opinion, what is the importance of having male allies in the workplace, particularly when it comes to gender equity?
Male allies have a huge role to play and those with the platform and influence need to be proactive in using this to aid gender equity.
Nobody ever gets an invitation to become a ‘male ally’, so if you’re a male reading this and you want to do more to champion gender equity, the onus is on you to act. It might be doing something small, but don’t wait and kick the can down the road, start today - ‘Progress is better than Perfection’ as I’ve learnt from many people wiser than me!
Can you give us a couple example of the type of actions someone could take who is wanting to be an ally?
If someone has done a standout job, find a way to highlight it to their line manager and senior leaders. Don’t assume positive contributions always get communicated to the people that should know. Positive, unprompted feedback is powerful and can be career-changing. A genuine supporter doesn’t seek recognition for doing this - they’re willing to make a difference behind the scenes.
Taking the time to share such feedback might mean that your colleague gets approached for a bigger job or promotion that may not have come their way without your actions.
Your words may make a difference to someone’s career, without you (or them) ever knowing it - a true male ally will do the right thing, knowing that they might not get acknowledged for the role they may have played. Male allies make a difference in the shadows - not in the limelight!
It could be as simple as encouraging a female colleague to apply for an internal role that they are interested in but are perhaps questioning whether they match enough of the desired skills. Can you persuade them to focus on what they do offer, rather than what they don’t offer?
Can you share some examples of how you’ve supported equity in your own career? How do you approach challenging situations where gender inequality might be present?
It’s not for me - or any other leader - to self-appoint oneself as an ally. That’s for others to decide based on actions.
What I’ve always tried to do, particularly since moving into leadership roles, is to highlight and amplify the contributions of others, both females and males. Making sure achievements are visible is a simple but powerful way to ensure people feel valued and don’t get overlooked.
How do you plan to use your role as Gender Equity Ambassador to drive positive change? What initiatives are you most excited about?
We’ve been hosting a number of thought-leadership events with executive leaders. These sessions have led to lots of conversations around shaping bespoke solutions to help businesses build a workforce truly reflective of society.
What excites me most is moving from raising awareness to creating action. I want leaders to walk away from these conversations and resources with practical, high-impact takeaways they can implement straight away.
Lastly, if you could see one thing change over the next year, what would it be?
I’d like to see more male leaders take responsibility for driving positive change!
Too often, this is delegated to individuals who don’t have the influence or authority to shift culture. If we want change, leadership has to lead from the front.
Get in touch to continue the conversation!
Mark Harris, Sales Director & Gender Equity Ambassador
📞 07810 392994 | ✉️ MHarris@outsource-uk.co.uk | 💻 Connect with me on LinkedIn
