Marie Reynolds
By Marie Reynolds
As part of our Authenticity in the Workplace project, we invited students to submit questions to professionals from a wide range of sectors and backgrounds, including individuals who identify with diverse communities. These conversations offer valuable insights into what authenticity means in different contexts.
How has being a woman affected your workplace experience?
Personally I feel being a woman in the workplace brings lots of benefits. Women can be more emotionally intelligent and this brings a great advantage.
Being a woman managing a full time career and children definitely brings its challenges and there is a constant juggle but my workplace is incredibly supportive and flexible to allow me to give my family the attention it needs.
There is a shift happening as senior management teams become more gender balanced which is incredibly positive. Historically I have felt gender bias in other workplaces where senior managers are predominantly male but this is gradually shifting for the better.
I have learnt that it is important to bring your authentic self to work, in whatever way this manifests. Building real connections with people is important and this is only truly possible when you are yourself.
At the outset of my career this was difficult being a woman and from a low income background in the legal world but I have learnt that things will change for the better if we are all authentic to our identities and beliefs.
Do you feel that your role as a parent is respected more or less based on your gender?
Do you feel that in your respective workplaces are your parental responsibilities prioritised or do you feel pushed to the side?
In my workplace, parental responsibilities are very respected and I do not feel in any way less respected or pushed to the side because of my parental responsibilities.
It can be challenging at times but it's important you have boundaries and a work/life balance which enables you to thrive in both aspects of your life. There are (in general) greater responsibilities on women with regards to the mental load and it's very important to be open and honest as to those challenges.
What do managers think about employees who speak their mind?
Should I always do that or are there situations where I should keep my opinions to myself?
It's so important you do speak your mind and often this is how you add real value in a business.
The key is how you deliver your opinions: think about your audience and how you can frame your viewpoint in a way which will be received as constructive.
It's also important you speak your mind if you see something which you do not believe is right and in that scenario, it is important to understand the best way to raise issues, for example, most companies now should have whistleblowing reporting processes.
There is a recognised need to have more women at leadership and strategic level. What are companies doing differently to see that change?
There is still a real lack of women at senior level and the key to changing this is to ensure women stay in the workplace after they have children. Flexible working has improved dramatically in recent years and this will go a long way to improving the situation.
I think there is real recognition of the need for diversity at top levels of organisations but there is still work to be done to make managers understand that a variety of representation and therefore views is key to the success of any business.
There is also developing focus and understanding of menopause and support in place which helps ensure women feel supported and stay in work. The ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) agenda is a continued focus for business and a key theme of this is around diversity which includes women in senior positions and the gender pay gap so I really hope we continue to see advances in this area.
Find out more about authenticity in the workplace and the experiences of professionals from a wide range of sectors and backgrounds.
Posted on Thursday 8th January 2026