We spoke to Jing Li, Senior Manager - Professional Services at Robert Walters Wellington about what International Women's Day means to her and how this is embraced at Robert Walters. Here's what she had to say:

Tell us about your background and  journey at Robert Walters. 

After spending most of my twenties living in Australia and Italy working in brand and account management positions, I came back to New Zealand looking for a new challenge. The market was unfamiliar to me, and I saw multiple recruitment roles advertised which sparked my interest. After researching the role, I decided becoming a recruitment consultant aligned with the skills and experience I had working in commercially focused project and relationship management positions.

During my nine years at Robert Walters, I have been presented with many opportunities from managing a desk to now leading teams. It has been very humbling and satisfying to witness both my teams dedicate years of hard work lending us to be leaders in our profession in the Wellington market. The rewards have been amazing too - I have been fortunate enough to experience many trips both locally and internationally and connect with some wonderful individuals along the way

What do you enjoy most about your role at Robert Walters? 

I love the variety and autonomy that I have in my role. I have the opportunity to build successful teams with a local culture with the support of a multinational. The connections and relationships that I have formed over the years has by far been one of the most rewarding and enriching parts of my job - I love seeing them all succeed and it makes me so lucky to have partnered up with some pretty cool organisations.

What does #breakthebias mean to you? 

#breakthebias means being courageous enough to let your voice be heard and taking steps to make change. In order for this to happen it requires everyone to play a part, so therefore listening; team work and encouragement are all fundamental elements in changing and challenging the status quo.

How can we #breakthebias in the workplace?

A workplace should be a place where your creative and innovative ideas are celebrated and encouraged. It is important to have continued dialogue of the fact that biases do exist and we all need to make deliberate efforts to challenge it. By revising the intentions and committed actions along the way will ensure that there is accountability and a measure of success. 

Any advice to other women? 

The strongest advice I would give to other females is know that your contribution is just as important as anybody else's. 

Futhermore, I would advise other women  to ensure that you are asking and put forward what is important for you in a workplace. Ask for that pay rise, or for more professional development or flexible working arrangements because you deserve it just as much as the next person.