International Women’s Day often centres around visibility, but the real work happens long before the spotlight.
This year at Impact, we explored this year’s International Women’s Day theme: Give To Gain, as a working principle.
We asked the women in our team what that really means in practice. What happens when women are supported properly? What changes when trust, time and opportunity are actively given?
The answers were practical, grounded, and consistent, and they revealed something important:
Support isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It drives performance.
When you give trust, you get growth
For Jules Dosne, “Give To Gain” is about backing people early, especially when they’re still stepping into their potential. When trust, belief and time are invested, people grow faster.
And when people grow, businesses grow, because leadership isn’t just about direction, but sponsorship of the people that are part of that direction.
💬 “We keep brilliant people, we get better conversations and stronger decisions, and we build a culture that people want to be part of.”
When you give training, you get confidence
Libby Minney (Assoc CIPD) described how structured support and proper training built her confidence in her first recruitment role.
💬 “Everyone at Impact has really taken the time to train and support me, especially as this is my first role in recruitment. Without them, I wouldn’t have learned how to spot the right candidates or ask the right questions to properly understand a role. They’re always there when I need help, and it’s honestly helped me build so much confidence – couldn’t have done it without them!”
Confidence doesn’t come from pressure, but investment by others. When early-career professionals feel supported, they take ownership faster, ask better questions, and perform better.
When you give credit, you get culture
Lucy Simpson’s insight was simple but powerful:
Be generous with credit.
💬 “Shouting about someone’s contribution builds a culture where everyone feels seen and steps up more. A shoutout on LinkedIn costs nothing, but it can really boost someone’s confidence, visibility and opportunities.”
In fast-moving industries, good work can disappear quickly. Public recognition builds visibility, confidence and loyalty, and that builds culture.
Recognition costs nothing, but it compounds, and Lucy’s biggest thing she’s learnt is that giving someone your time (properly and consistently!) can significantly change the trajectory of their confidence.
When you give mentorship, you get resilience
Carly David entered recruitment in 2008 and the senior consultant who supported her instilled resilience, emotional intelligence and perspective.
That mentorship didn’t just shape her career. It shaped how she now leads. Now a mentor herself, Carly says:
💬 “Mentoring apprentices has made a real difference to both them and me. Taking the time to teach, guide and support junior talent helped build their confidence, and strengthened mine as a mentor. Seeing them grow, develop and go on to achieve bigger things has been incredibly rewarding and has made a lasting impact on my career, and hopefully on theirs too.
Generosity in leadership creates ripple effects that last years.
When you give visibility, you get inclusion
Nikita Backory highlighted something many organisations still struggle with: visibility.
Inviting women into key conversations. Including them in major projects. Ensuring they’re seen. These aren’t grand gestures. They’re daily decisions. And they shape progression.
💬 “To include women in all projects and in key conversations. Small actions can make a big difference!”
When you give flexibility, you get retention
Michelle Davies shared how flexibility, trust and understanding made the difference when returning from maternity leave. Support during life transitions is where culture becomes real.
💬 “You keep great people in the building, and teams continue to thrive. Coming back after mat leave has reminded me how much difference flexibility, trust and a bit of real understanding make.”
Flexibility isn’t a perk. It’s a retention strategy.
When you give empathy, you get loyalty
Tsui-Sie Baker-Wong reminded us that even five minutes of focused time can change someone’s confidence trajectory.
💬 “Use of my time when training up a new colleague has made a real difference. Giving them a space to feel seen and heard allowed them to thrive in their role. 5 minutes out of your day may not seem significant, but for the person, it could mean a lot. “
Empathy isn’t soft. It’s connective, which in turn, drives performance.
The business case for “Give To Gain”
When women are supported to thrive, organisations gain:
✅ Stronger retention ✅ Better decision-making ✅ Higher engagement ✅ More diverse thinking ✅ Increased innovation ✅ Sustainable performance
So… what are you giving?
In recruitment, we see the downstream effects of culture every day.
Candidates leave environments where credit isn’t shared, trust is withheld, progression lacks clarity and flexibility is inconsistent.
Yet they stay where they feel backed, seen, challenged and supported.
The organisations that win in 2026 won’t be those with the loudest #InternationalWomensDay posts, but the ones where generosity is embedded in leadership behaviour all year round.