Swindon Lives - International Women's Day Special - Amanda Franks

Managing Director of the Frankly Recruitment Group, Amanda Franks chatted to us about juggling a busy family life and a hectic career.

What would you say is your most valuable skill?

I think being a believer. There is a phrase that is parroted in our office “for every problem there is a solution” and I think there is very little in life you can’t achieve if you only focus on the solutions and not get bogged down with the problem.

Do you have family (and/or children)?

Yes, I have been very happily married for 11 years and I have a 10 year old son as well as a very close extended family who have also settled in Swindon.

How do you maintain a work/life balance?

This has become very important to me as I have got older. When you have your own business it is very easy to be totally consumed by it. In the last year I have reduced my hours in order to do the school run and I work in the evening from home. I have learned with the help of my team that I don’t have to be physically in the office all the time – the Frankly Team make this easy! It is all about working smarter and trusting you have the right people in your team.

Are there any strong female figures who you would cite as your idols?

This is an interesting question. I don’t think I have any idols but I do think women have a very different approach to business and it is important that they support each other. Women do tend to doubt themselves more whereas men tend to have a more in-built self-confidence. I think it is important for women to be open and have good links with other business women they can be honest with.

Have you ever had to give up or miss out on anything in order to pursue your career?

Certainly in the very early days of my retail career I was forever missing out on social occasions that don’t work well with weekend working. I think the biggest sacrifice my family and I had to make was to downsize our home and cars after the loss of an unsuccessful business I was involved in. But I do believe that having your own business you have to be prepared and able to accept the ups and downs. I am lucky to have a strong family that understand this.

Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give to fellow females looking to get into your profession?

Be sure you are able to emotionally and logistically take the highs and lows of business. Especially in this market, recruitment can be gruelling and you need to have a clear identity, passion for what you do and give it 100% of your time and commitment for many years before you can expect to reap the benefits of stability. I believe integrity is important too. A slow steady build of quality business builds the successful foundations of a viable business, chasing the money and compromising quality is a short term plan and reputation counts for everything.

Do you ever experience any discrimination in the workplace because of your gender?

No, our industry is very female dominated, it is a people business and one I have felt very comfortable in.

Do men ever feel intimidated by your success?

I hope not! Regardless of gender my success has been the result of hard work but I would hate to think anyone is intimidated by me.

As a successful female, where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

I have never been someone who has a plan. I tend to see opportunity and persue it. I would like to think I have more time to follow my personal passions like travel, fostering rescue dogs and of course supporting my son; however, I don’t ever see myself giving up work. I hope for myself and everyone in Swindon that in 10 years time life is financially easier and the job market thriving again, Swindon is a great town to do business.