1. What are you looking forward to with herCAREER 2022? What are the highlights?
The Expo is bigger than ever! And so is the interest in female empowerment. We want to make women visible and, above all, approachable. Authenticity is what counts: that means that women and companies honestly report where they stand, what they have learned, and what they want to share.
We have many great speakers – founders, leading women from business, science, and politics. My personal highlight, however, in addition to the various line-up, is the Expo Matching: visitors can indicate their interests and then receive suggestions with whom they should exchange ideas at the exhibition. We also include the stand staff and speakers in this matching. Of course, chance encounters are also exciting and valuable. But when more than 5,000 people come together, you don't always meet the person who can best answer your questions, deals with similar issues, or the company that fits you best. That's why our matching is so valuable – and what we got as feedback from participants last year.
2. How has the platform transformed over the past few years – what has been the biggest challenge and the most rewarding?
To expand herCAREER from a once-a-year event to a platform that is available all year round! We have created a digital offer that does not yet exist on the market: It enables cross-sector networking and provides a lot of information for female careers. Job seekers are matched with employers based on their skills, values, and personality – differentiating us from the traditional job ad. However, like any transformation, it is a challenge. The corona pandemic hit the events industry hard and the pressure to change was intense. Anyone who creates innovations has to accept major or minor setbacks every now and then, which is why a stand-up mentality is so important.
Nevertheless, the development into a platform is already the most rewarding investment for us. Not only because we receive encouraging feedback from customers, but also because we are setting ourselves up for the future in a sustainable way. We are still at the beginning of the transformation, but we have a clear vision: to enable diversity, to give women more participation in the world of work, and to support them in their career ambitions. And to establish contacts and exchange with great female talents for companies.
3. What are your hopes for herCAREER in the next 5 years? 10 years?
We believe in diversity and gender equality in the workplace and a fairer world. We hope that we can be part of the solution. To get there, we want to become Europe's leading platform for women's careers – with a digital, scalable offering. This means that herCAREER should become the first port of call when it comes to professional development. The search for fulfilment is something that accompanies us throughout our careers. And we want to be very close to that searching. Women should be at the table when important decisions are made for the future. We want them to play an active and equal role in shaping the world of work. For this, we need to think bigger and network across hierarchies and sectors. We like to lead the way with our conviction, because it takes courageous pioneers for change. Our hope is that we will continue to receive so much support for this from employers, other partners, and female communities. Diversity can only be achieved together.
Find out more about herCAREER here.
