Early Career Females

Get in touch Strategy Guide

Our research undertaken in 2014 concluded that there was a need to create and provide a bespoke Early Career Female Leadership programme. Our ‘Accelerate’ programme has now successfully run across multiple sectors and geographies using either an interactive or virtual approach.

‘Accelerate' encourages women to gain a greater understanding of the ‘second generation’ biases and how this can influence their behaviours and the dynamics of their interactions. We provide evidence based insights along with the neuroscience behind issues such as confidence, networking and influencing. We show the ways that women can leverage this understanding and use it to move ahead. This understanding rather than reinforcing any sense of being a ‘casualty' of the context, instead empowers them to navigate this landscape towards success.

Get in touch Strategy Guide

100% of Participants

Would recommend the Accelerate programme to their colleagues

Promotion

Over 24 Months, 69% of participants on ECC Programmes took on extra responsibilities or were promoted

 

Retention

Over 24 months, 88% of Participants on ECC programmes remained with the organisation

Who is this for?

Accelerate is designed for professional women early in their careers. This programme creates a space for reflection on the challenges women face today and a space for them to build on their strengths.

In short, Accelerate grows future female leaders.

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WE ARE ON A MISSION TO ACCELERATE EXCEPTIONAL FEMALE TALENT IN THE WORKPLACE

How it works

Interactive Workshops

Typically run as 3 full days, the programme uses a blend of group workshops and one to one coaching sessions with exercises for individual reflection, to help integrate practical actions back in the workplace. The programme can be run virtually as a good alternative to in-person interactive workshops.

Content is designed around ECC’s Career Success Model and typically features sponsor presentations, a Role Model Panel, reverse mentoring and the opportunity for participants to share their ideas with the organisation for what would help enhance female career progression.

We are known for our ability to tailor the content to each client ensuring that it is an integral part of the overall diversity and inclusion strategy.

Virtual Workshops 

As an alternative to the in-person interactive workshops. They are designed:

  • For small groups
  • To take full advantage of the technology available
  • For participant accountability
  • With mixed content and activities to keep the day refreshing

The blended approach includes:

  • Setting up a workflow group: Allows materials to be sent in real time.
  • Enables participants to complete exercises away from their screens
  • Breaks and exercises away from the screen
  • Mobile peer coaching discussions
  • ECC email hotline

Our preferred platform to use is Zoom, however we can also run the virtual workshop on different platforms.

Key Features of the Programme

Sponsor Endorsement

to share the organisation’s strategy for gender balance so that it is clear that the programme is part of a diversity initiative and not an activity focused on ‘fixing the women’.

Role Model Panel

to provide inspiring stories from colleagues, both men and women a few levels above who share their career journey and can demonstrate how they have progressed their career alongside a busy life in general.

Manager Involvement

to engage and provide support to the programme and its outputs. We help them to hold critical career conversations with their participants.

Men as Allies

to help participants to have structured conversations with male colleagues, encouraging them to engage with the gender debate and champion diversity.

An Opportunity for the Women

to share their ideas on what more the organisation could do to support the female career, helping them to have a voice and feel empowered.

Outcomes

The Accelerate programme helps aspiring female leaders to:

  • Gain increased self-awareness and resilience
  • Develop leadership style and practices that fits their personality
  • Identify personal strengths and how to play to them
  • Understand how to build a successful career network.

Our Accelerate programmes help organisations to build their pipeline of future female leaders, supporting career advancement and retaining top talent.

During the period since the introduction of Career Directions (2014-2017) at Herbert Smith Freehills London, the proportion of female attrition within the associate population has reduced from 22.6% to 13.6%. – Learning & Development Manager, Global Law Firm

    Supporting Insights

    Testimonials

    This programme asked more questions than provided answers, but the questions asked were powerful and thought provoking, and some of the questions I did not realise needed answering before attending the course. It has been so valuable to have the time and space to reflect on these topics. While I feel like I still have a lot of work to do, I feel empowered to do it.

    Virtual Participant, International FMCG

    Very inspiring course, really gave me a space to think and talk through my personal career path and how to shape my future.

    Virtual Participant, International FMCG

    I am very excited about these changes and must say that the Accelerate program was so helpful and useful for me! Not only the training part was crucial but so was the 1-to-1 coaching session that I had. I recall what my conversation with my coach that day- almost every day

    Participant, Multinational Consumer Goods Company

    Really helps you to see the ways in which the firm is combatting gender equality issues and how you can boost your career to make changes to maximise your potential.

    Participant, Global Law Firm

    Thank you once again for this amazing training - the way you presented was clear and keeping our focus on the key questions. Finding the answers was not always that easy, however I could not forget about great inspiration coming from our group of amazing women. I think that this training changed me a lot - I have started to share the learnings and spreading the energy with others already.

    Participant, International FMCG

    This Programme is the best I have done so far. The Programme allows me to 'own' my way to Career success and be an authentic, powerful female leader.

    Virtual Participant, International FMCG

    Related Solutions

    View our solutions

    Career Returners

    The career returners market first emerged as another way to boost the female pipeline. It is now widely recognised as a significant pool of untapped talent irrespective of gender. We help you provide the right support to help your returners transition back to the workplace and restart their careers.

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    Working Parents

    Introducing Maternity Coaching in 2005, and re-naming soon after as Parental Transition Coaching, ECC has spent almost 15 years working with leading organisations to improve their gender diversity.

    Employees Thrive

    Everyone feels the pressure of competing demands on their time. Often referred to as the “sandwich generation” the parents we coach face pressure from multiple directions often coinciding with a critical stage in their careers, our programmes help them to re-prioritise and gain clarity.

    Want to get in touch with our team? Please email info@executive‑coaching.co.uk or call us on +44 20 7795 6556