Rajwinder Bhatoe

How and why do you think companies will benefit by having more women at the top?

Having more women at the top of companies has been shown in studies to make them more profitable, more socially responsible and able to provide safer higher quality customer experiences (Harvard Business Review). I think that companies should aim to reflect the society that they are part of to best serve it. Having more women and diversity of thought gives more opportunity to innovate and push companies forward. Furthermore, I think having more women in senior positions enables women in other part of a company to be empowered to also purse these leadership positions as they have someone like them already there.

What advice would you give the up and coming generation of female leaders?

Some advice I would give to the up and coming generation of female leaders is to not shy away for talking about their achievements as they should be proud of their what they accomplish. I think that they should try the things they want to try whether you can be good straight away and not to be afraid of making mistakes or getting things wrong. Finally, I would like emerging female leaders to be able to freely be themselves and know you can be taken serious with stereotypically feminine leadership qualities.

How do you take care of yourself and your mental health?

I take care of myself and my mental health by trying to create a good work life balance. I try to have boundaries so that I can completely switch off after my workday has ended. I also like to have hobbies in which I can improve in outside of work so that I can challenge myself in a non-work environment, so I don't rely on self-improvement at work.

How should women support other women in the workplace?

Women should support other women by empowering each other whether that be championing their ideas at work, celebrating each other's achievements or being able to speak candidly about the struggles they are facing. As well as challenging the double standard that can occur in a workplace which women are penalised for e.g. women having to be "likable" to be respected. I also think it is important for women to mentor and guide other women to pass on knowledge and advocate for them.