Celebrating women at Spiire
To mark International Women’s Day, we celebrated women’s contribution at Spiire and how a supportive and inclusive culture nurtures growth.
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During the month of March, inspired by International Women’s Day (IWD), we celebrated the meaningful contributions women at Spiire have made to the success, culture and development of our business and our people.
Inspired by this year’s IWD theme, Give to Gain, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Committee invited people to reflect on how the practice of giving manifests in the workplace and consider how it has shaped their experiences at Spiire.
Across our office network, and in every discipline, people came forward to share stories about the benefits of giving generously, and what everyone can do to create positive experiences for women at Spiire.
Common threads among the stories emerged, showing the profound impact of women’s contributions in our organisation.
The importance of mentorship was recognised across the board, as being critical to professional progression. Having access to strong female mentors was pivotal for many in their technical development and sense of belonging.
Many of our people credited accelerated progress in the early stages of their careers to the confidence and connection they felt when actively supported by more experienced colleagues.
Several spoke about how the effect of inclusive support extended beyond the workplace. Access to flexibility and a culture of trust were highlighted as having a hugely positive influence on their capacity to show up as professionals and in their personal lives.
Watch the series of four videos below for the full interviews.
Mentorship and support
Nurturing the professional development of people through all stages of their careers is central to Spiire’s learning philosophy. The mentoring relationships found throughout the business are part of this commitment to developing each other.
One example of the impact a dedicated mentor can have is in the successful career change forged by Shepparton town planner Casey Collins.
After joining the Shepparton office in 2003, Casey discovered and pursued an interest in town planning, supported by her colleague Jane Macey. Jane says she embraced Casey’s decision to enrol in a town planning course whole-heartedly.
“I was able to support her through that course, mentoring her, coaching her and supporting her when she was at classes and picking up workload,” Jane says.
Now an accomplished Senior Associate planner, Casey reflects that same support to her junior colleagues.
Accompanying Spiire’s formal mentor relationships is a culture of informal support that can be witnessed in the daily interactions between team members.
Melbourne landscape architect Anastasia Christoe chalks up much of her growth to these informal interactions. “I think that’s probably how I have grown the most; taking snippets of wisdom from other people day to day. That really helps you build your own confidence and your own knowledge,” she says.
Why we give
The candid stories our team members shared are a testament to the vital role women play in the Spiire community, day in and out.
Firstly, people were asked to reflect on the impact of supporting each other in our industry. Everyone involved highlighted the instrumental guidance of experienced colleagues willing to offer their time.
Chloe Whittaker, a civil engineer in Spiire’s Graduate Program, shared how access to other professional women across the wider Spiire network helped create a welcoming environment when she joined the team, particularly the guidance she receives from Melbourne water engineer Kirsten Fearn-Wannan.
“It’s honestly sometimes just having someone else to talk to. It’s nice to have another female to connect with outside of the office. It’s also good to understand Kirsten’s experience as well; it can give me an idea of what path might be available for me,” Chloe says.
What we gain
Having access to varied perspectives and approaches was said to add value throughout key stages of a project, according to team leaders.
Bryce Wareham, Gippsland Business Manager, emphasised why it’s important to have a diverse group of people contributing to the outcome of a project.
“Having all genders at the table, from a professional perspective, means we’re going to get outcomes that have at least considered everyone’s needs,” Bryce says.
Cam Perkins, a Civil Engineer leading our multidisciplinary team in Brisbane, spoke about his experience managing a diverse team.
“When you bring different lived experiences and communication styles into problem solving, you consistently get more balanced decisions, stronger outcomes, and it ultimately creates a more enjoyable workplace,” Cam says.
“Increasing the representation of women in construction makes our team stronger, our thinking broader, and our industry better equipped for the future.”
What individuals can give
Whether in their personal or professional lives, our people were able to readily share what is in their power to give to help advance gender equality.
From providing an example of a senior female leader, to advocating for girls to consider STEM as a career pathway, the different ways individuals can help advance gender equality shone through in the responses.
Michelle Frew, a Senior Associate in Spiire’s Surveying and Spatial team is one of only 15 female licensed surveyors in Victoria and reflected on the value of giving others your time.
“Time is something that we can all give each other and it has a big impact on how you can learn and grow,” she says.
“In my role, one of the best things I can give is my time, to help out others in my group, and it would have a lasting impact on their day to day, and their longer-term career growth as well.”
Geelong town planner Katerina Egan spoke about how forthcoming her senior colleagues were in offering support and consistently touching base in the formative stages of her career.
“The biggest benefit for me was women in the discipline, in particular the regional offices and Melbourne, reaching out and putting that effort in to check in and see how I was going,” Katerina says.
What everyone can give
Time, encouragement and recognition were highlighted as being the most valued commodities a person can give and gain from their peers.
Nadia Combe, Practice Area Manager of our Landscape Architecture team, is passionate about readily offering time and expertise to the younger generation.
“It’s something that I have benefited from in my career, both from really strong female leaders as well as strong male leaders,” she says.
“For me, sharing that and then returning that back to the younger generation is really, really important. It helps people feel seen and nurtured, which is obviously a benefit to them, but also a benefit to Spiire and the work we do.”
Many of those involved echoed how valuable it is to invest time in people’s development and to spend time understanding them as individuals. Jane Macey also highlighted the importance of recognition and encouragement, providing the validation of recognising technical contributions.
“They’re two things that I think are really important to help women thrive in their workplaces and in their lives,” she says. “I’ve lived the benefits of it. So, encouraging women to put themselves forward, to give them the belief and the confidence that they can do it.”
