THE CHALLENGE: RETAINING TOP TALENT

As the old adage goes, people are a company’s greatest asset. It’s a maxim that sums up Anna Stockley Davidson’s leadership approach as COO at furniture start-up Brosa. Since launching in 2014, the company now has 75 staff in Australia, China, India and The Philippines. Of those, 70 per cent are women and 85 per cent are aged under 40. In Western societies, where up to 40 per cent of highly qualified women with children may leave a career, keeping parents in the workforce is a challenge for many businesses. “Turnover in key roles is costly, so retaining talented employees is a high priority,” says Stockley Davidson, who recently introduced 16-weeks’ paid leave to all new parents as a way of addressing the issue. “We’re particularly proud that the policy is for both primary and secondary caregivers and that it can be taken any time during the child’s first 12 months.”

Stockley Davidson’s people-first MO extends beyond paternity leave. “Eighty per cent of our executive team are parents, so we understand the challenges that come with being a working parent,” she says. “We know that if parents don’t have flexible working conditions, they’ll go elsewhere, so being able to work from home or leave early for a doctor’s appointment is supported.”

While offering parental leave can be costly for a business, Stockley Davidson prefers to see it as a win-win opportunity: “We truly believe this investment in our people will benefit us in the long run.”

“EIGHTY PER CENT OF OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM ARE PARENTS”

– Anna Stockley Davidson