We were recently joined for a lunchtime masterclass with Karen Mattison MBE, founder of award-winning social enterprise Women Like Us.
This web chat is now closed, but you can read the full transcript from the discussion in the comments section, below.
Karen, 41, was born in Liverpool and studied Psychology at Oxford. Here she campaigned for the creation of the post of Women’s Officer for the University Students Union. She succeeded, and became the University’s first ever post holder, running campaigns on safety, sexual harassment and childcare issues.
After university, Karen moved onto a communications role at the charity Mental Health Media, becoming the CEO within the short space of seven years.
Karen and her business partner Emma Stewart MBE, founded Women Like Us in 2005 with a pioneering vision – to help parents from all backgrounds to find part-time work they could fit with family, and employers to recruit staff from this ‘hidden’ pool of talent.
Nearly 7 years on, and more than 29,000 women are now registered with Women Like Us – a growth rate of 70% year-on-year. Women Like Us has matched thousands of businesses and part-time staff all over London and currently employs 36 members of staff, most of whom are mothers working on a flexible basis.
Now a leading recruitment specialist in part-time and flexible work, Women Like Us operates a full service agency for employers, as well as an online jobs board with a range of service packages to suit different business needs and budgets.
Women Like Us also offers skilled women low-cost ‘back to work’ help via career coaching on topics such as CV writing, interview skills and career direction, offering bursaries to a number of women from low income households.
This masterclass has now finished but you can read all the questions posed to Karen and her answers, below.
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