Celebrating International Women’s Day

NP Group is proud to champion International Women’s Day 2022 and promote the on-going growth in diversity across the Technology and Recruitment sectors. We ask Marie Greiss, HR & Operations Director at NP Group a few questions on her experience achieving success in the profession and what advice she has for women entering the workforce today.

Where did you start your career?

I started my career in France – where I completed an apprenticeship in recruitment whilst for studying my MBA in Human Resources Management. I’ve held various roles in recruitment and HR ever since, and currently I am HR & Operations Director at NP Group.

What attracted you to this sector?

I find the recruitment sector very interesting as there are so many paths you can take as a recruiter and so many specialisms you can focus on. My sweet spot has been IT recruitment up until I moved into my HR role. I’m still happily working within the recruitment sector.

What advice did you receive early in your career that has stayed with you?

I’ve received so much brilliant advice over the years but what has really stuck with me and the advice I give to our teams at NP Group is;

“Always believe in yourself, you will make mistakes along the way but that is how you learn!”

Are there challenges or opportunities in working in a male dominated, or what’s perceived to be a male dominated sector?

I think Technology and Sales/Recruitment has always been male orientated but there is a real desire across these sectors to hire more women.

We find it difficult to encourage women to go into sales and they often decide to go down the candidate delivery road. It’s a shame because it often means that senior female recruiters move into in-house roles and leave recruitment agencies. This is why it is important to train and develop women so they can enjoy all parts of the job. Flexibility is key.

True diversity is a work in progress but I believe we’ll get there!

Have you ever had a mentor?

I briefly had an HR mentor but I’ve mostly learnt from my managers over the years I have been working at NP Group. They all had different backgrounds whether in recruitment or in finance. I’ve also learnt a lot from my colleagues across all levels of the business.

How important is Diversity and Inclusion to NP Group?

Very important! We have people from all backgrounds and we believe that it makes us better! We are hoping to attract more women in the next few years, obviously it’s a challenge as the industry is male-dominated, but we will get there!

Also, we started an apprenticeship scheme so we can attract young people into recruitment, including women, and it has been a great success so far!

On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers or is there anything else you’d like to share?

When you finish school, it is difficult to figure out what you’re going to do for the rest of your life! So don’t put too much pressure on yourself – you’re allowed to try different jobs before you decide.

Always remember that failing isn’t always a bad thing, it means that we have to try again and think about what we can do better or differently. As for women in particular, there are amazing female leaders around the world who show us that there is nothing stopping women from succeeding. Don’t let anything stop you from achieving your goals!