Finding confidence - Rebekah Hill, Senior Division Manager on being a female leader

Rebekah, Senior Division Manager for our US Comms team joined Meet as a graduate 6 years ago. Since then her career has seen her become a top biller, relocate across the pond as part of our New York launch team, move in to management and forge a reputation for herself as a true role model in the business.  

But it’s not always been an easy journey, she talks to us about inspiration, motivation and confidence…

What motivated you to follow a path into leadership? 

It was more of a natural move for me, driven by guidance from Laith and Hannah who were my managers at the time. I was performing well as a Lead Recruiter and they could see personality traits and qualities in me that were aligned with a management role so it felt like the right next step. 

There are pros and cons to both paths but the main reason I wanted to follow the management route was having seen my past managers (Hannah, Laith and Mike) in those positions and the way in which they helped develop me into the recruiter and manager that I am today. I looked up to them as leaders and always felt supported and that they had my back. I wanted people to feel that way about me; to look to me for support and advice. 

It was also clear that there was a lack of female leaders in the business at that time. I always felt lucky to have Hannah as my mentor and manager and, felt it was important to have more female leaders across the business.

As a Senior Division Manager, what’s a typical day like for you?

Well, no two days are the same, that’s for sure! But, that keeps the job interesting and exciting. I’m the type of person that works well when under-pressure and I love being busy so the role of managing a team alongside being a biller is the perfect mix for me!  

On a typical day, I always start off by checking in with my team. It’s important to me that they have a focus and are working on opportunities or within markets that they feel confident about. If not, then we mix it up, discuss how we can improve things together! 

Then it’s about catching up with our clients. I’m the main point of contact across a number of our key accounts so I regularly check in. And of course, being a billing manager, a large chunk of my time is still focused on my pipeline. Having been in the industry for 6 years, I’ve been able to build a great network and I’m lucky to get a lot of referrals and recommendations rather than having to actively source for roles.   

On top of that I’m constantly out and about on meetings; whether that’s to catch up with current candidates, clients or just to network with past contacts.  It’s about staying relevant in the industry and getting yourself out there!  Finally, I’m involved in the management meetings across the business, where we discuss various matters. So, it’s definitely very varied!

Being so busy, how do keep yourself motivated?

I’m mostly motivated by my team and the notion of being a “role model” within the business. As a manager, I’ve become acutely aware that as their leader, they will always look to me for their motivation.That’s been a real development area for me. If I’m not busy, proactive and engaged in what I’m doing, how can I expect them to be? I also get motivation from past experiences, bad or good. When you think about things you’ve overcome or times when you were performing well, it gives you confidence in your own ability and to keep going! 

Who or what inspires you and why?

So many different people at Meet have inspired me. Hannah, our COO, has always been an inspiration to me. When I first joined Meet all those years ago, Hannah was at the level that I am now, it’s crazy to think that I sourced candidates for her! To have had a female leader like Hannah was pivotal in my development and watching her grow in her role as COO has been so important. She is a true force of nature and I hope I can inspire people within the business like she has for me! 

Other people like Laith have been a definite source of motivation too. When you look at his career path going from being a top biller within his market, to launching the US Comms team and then taking on the US Life Sciences business, which he knew nothing about! He has since managed to grow that business to the biggest revenue generator globally which is impressive and inspiring for someone in my position. 

What has been your career highlight to date? 

I’m not sure many people know this but when I moved to the US I had quite a difficult time adjusting, both personally and professionally.  My performance slipped, and my confidence was rock bottom. Hannah and Laith were pivotal in supporting me during this time and in trying to elevate my confidence. After a difficult period and LOTS of hard work, my performance greatly improved and the following year I was Meet’s Global Top-Biller! It was quite a turn around and something I am proud of! 

You mentioned confidence, how important do you think that is in being successful? 

SO important! Something I’ve struggled with as a manager and a leader is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, which is about being confident in my ability to achieve something new. Hannah & Laith are constantly spurring me on to do more, grow the team even bigger and realise my full potential. In the past, I have never enjoyed being out of my comfort zone but as a Leader, it’s something you must embrace.

If you have confidence in your ability to influence and approach everything with a solution focused mind-set, 9 times out of 10, the outcome will be a positive one.  My team are constantly looking to me for advice and guidance so it’s even more important for me to have full confidence in what I am doing. 

The most important aspect to being successful is taking pride in what you do, having a positive attitude and working with integrity.

What’s your golden rule for someone starting a career as a recruiter? 

No matter what the situation, give it your best! When overcoming a problem or set-back, the way in which you approach it, is more important than the outcome. Take pride in what you do and as long as you have the right attitude and are working with integrity, you can’t go wrong! 

If you had to start over from scratch, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?

Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything differently. If I look back on my career, it’s been an amazing journey and not just work-wise but personally as well, it’s truly changed my life! 

Obviously there have been ups and downs like in any role but I think you have to experience the more challenging times to get better! 

Inspired by Rebekah’s story? Do you think you’ve got what it takes to follow in her footsteps? We are currently hiring for ambitious recruiters who want to make a real impact in our business, get in touch with careers@peoplewithchemsitry.com to hear more!