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Junior staff often go unnoticed – to the detriment of the whole business.
When Lisa Pennell took on the role of CEO at real estate network Barry Plant last year, she was excited to discover a wealth of untapped talent among the brand’s junior members.
“Unless a leader is actively looking, real talent can easily be overlooked,” Pennell warned, noting that the issue is particularly prominent among young women.
“One of the challenges with women is that we are less likely to ask for a promotion or a raise and more likely to wait for that tap on the shoulder,” Pennell stated.
Luckily for Barry Plant, Pennell was able to give three talented team members that crucial tap on the shoulder.
One junior staff member, Emma Smith, has “grown a lot professionally with Barry Plant” since she began rising through the ranks.
In 2019, Smith started her real estate career as a receptionist, and she has since taken on positions in customer service, project management, and both local and international leadership. Smith is now the digital and associates manager for the brand.
“Compared to past experiences, Barry Plant has definitely fostered growth and presented opportunities for me, particularly in the past year since our change in the leadership team,” said Smith.
“I’m grateful to have built strong relationships in the network with directors and the wider team.”
Krissie Doyle, the brand’s finance manager, found that the real estate industry was more supportive of young mums than other sectors she had been in before.
“I worked in the legal industry for 12 years prior to real estate, and I knew then that the real estate industry was very male dominated,” she said.
“But over recent years I have noticed the growth of female leaders within our organisation, which is fantastic to see and be a part of.”
Among this new generation of young talent is Doyle herself, who started out performing general bookkeeping duties before rising through the ranks.
Barry Plant’s operations manager Amanda Gattuso believes that diversity is one of the network’s greatest assets.
First beginning her career as a corporate receptionist in 2012, Gattuso worked in customer service, training coordination, events management, and was the executive assistant to the CEO before being appointed as operations manager in 2023.
“I’m proud to be part of a high-performing team,” said Gattuso.
For the Barry Plant executive team, tapping into this abundance of junior talent has unlocked exciting new opportunities for the business as a whole.
“It’s been incredible for our leadership team to spot and nurture this talent and watch the incredible value these individuals have brought to our team,” Pennell concluded.
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