093: We found the reason why women are not reaching senior roles (and it is not lack of confidence)
Thanks to this episode sponsor Avencia Talent Solutions
Summary
In this episode, Sandra Lewin speaks with Liz Charlesworth, Managing Partner at Avencia Talent Solutions , about accidental exposure, intentional visibility, and why assumptions are quietly holding female talent back.
Together, they unpack what really happens behind senior hiring conversations, especially long before a job is even advertised.
They explore the concept of “accidental exposure”, which can be challenging in a remote working environments, and how to increase it.
Visibility is intentional. Relationships should be nurtured before you even need them. And your value can be articulated clearly without ego and arrogance.
Sandra and Liz also challenge one of the biggest barriers to progression: Assumptions.
Assumptions about ambition.
Assumptions about flexibility.
Assumptions about parental responsibilities.
Assumptions about who is “ready.”
And in doing so, they arrive at something simple but powerful:
If organisations stopped assuming and started asking, the pipeline would change.
Flexibility, they argue, does not mean less ambition. It means rethinking how and when work gets done so careers are sustainable.
This is a conversation about risk, visibility, advocacy, and building leadership pipelines intentionally, not accidentally.
Key Takeaways
Accidental exposure has reduced in remote environments, so visibility must now be intentional.
Hard work that is not seen is often mistaken for silence.
Visibility is not ego it is clarity about your value.
Reactive hiring often defaults to familiar networks, narrowing diversity.
Flexibility does not equal reduced ambition. It is about sustainability.
Assumptions are one of the biggest blockers to female progression.
Transparent policies remove the need for uncomfortable conversations.
About the Guest
Connect with Liz Charlesworth (Liz Langford Archer) on LinkedIn.
About the Sponsor
Avencia Talent Solutions a strategic talen solutions that evolve with your business . Connect on LinkedIn
About the Host
Connect with Sandra Lewin on LinkedIn
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