Retrospective 2022: A Look at Our Top Blogs this Year

This year at FDM we published over 130 blogs. Topics were diverse – ranging from career advice, and tech trends to valuable insights for organisations. With a social calendar packed with webinars, tech expos, festivals and fundraisers, we had lots of wonderful events to write about as well. As we approach the end of 2022, here’s a look back at 12 blogs that we published over the last 12 months.

January

We started this year’s editorial calendar with the blog: Jobs for Women over 50. It was an informative piece that explored career options for senior professionals, particularly those looking to return to work after a career break. The article reiterated the primary ethos of our Returners Programme that encourages and facilitates people to get back to work even after extended career breaks. This set the tone for what was to come with many experienced professionals starting their journey back to work with FDM including returners who joined FDM after a 19-year career break.

February

In February we celebrated Back History Month. Black History Month 2022: FDM Salutes the figures Who Shaped Healthcare was a special blog that highlighted five pioneering Black figures who broke the barriers of racial discrimination and prejudice and forever changed the face of healthcare in the United States and Canada. This was an inspiring look back at some trailblazers in the field of medicine and an apt tribute to them in keeping with this year’s theme of black health and wellness.

March

Every year on March 8 FDM joins the rest of the world to celebrate International Women’s day. This year the theme for IWD was #breakthebias. It was very much in keeping with FDM’s commitment to breaking biases and barriers and promoting gender equality in the workplace. FDM is continually championing the cause of bringing more women into the workforce – particularly in sectors like tech where they have been historically under-represented. 4 Top Tech Jobs for Women: FDM Aims to #breakthebias on International Women’s Day was an interesting look at some of the best opportunities for women in tech.

April

For Autism Awareness Week in April this year, we published an insightful piece on the importance of education and awareness in dealing with autism. Autism in the Workplace: Why Education and Support are Key provided some important stats about the percentage of adults on the autism spectrum and the importance of promoting neuro-diversity in the workplace. At FDM we are committed to creating an environment of inclusivity where everyone feels safe and respected irrespective of their abilities, gender, faith, sexuality. Our UNIQUE Network provides ongoing support to FDMers with visible and non-visible disabilities, including mental health conditions.

May

In the month of May over 40 intrepid FDM-ers travelled to the Lake District for a day-long hike in the Cumbrian peaks. The objective: raising funds for the charity Walking with the Wounded that helps rehabilitate ex-servicemen and women who are struggling with mental health issues, unemployment, and homelessness. Our blog Conquering the Cumbrian Challenge provides a detailed account of the adventure including how much money we managed to raise for a truly worthy cause.

June

As we approached summer, our blog 5 Tips to Improve Graduate Employability was an informative article for recent graduates looking to start their first work placements. From valuable tips on the skills that employers look for when hiring graduates to advice on improving their chances over their peers, this blog was a helpful guide for grads looking for career advice.

July

With the beginning of the summer holidays working parents struggle with childcare every year. According to a Fawcett Society Report, 35% of women say they are prevented from working due to a lack of affordable childcare. Our blog How to Support Parents during the School Holidays provided insights for organisations on helping parents balance work and childcare. At FDM we are continually trying to create a supportive work environment so that everyone feels empowered to do and be their best. Our CARE network provides a supportive network for those with parental and/or caring responsibilities.

August

We have recently welcomed Ukrainian refugees and other displaced women onto our Returners programme, providing ongoing wellbeing check-ins and helping them on a dedicated journey back to work. Victoria Alimova was not your average returner. Yes, she had a career break to bring up her daughter. But she also had the added hurdle of navigating the job market in a foreign country as a refugee. Our blog Meet an FDM Returner: Victoria Alimova narrates her inspiring story where FDM helped refresh her skills and get back to work.

September

At FDM, we are passionate about supporting ex-forces personnel on their journey from a military role to a civilian career. Our Ex-Forces Programme is designed to bridge the gap, providing veterans with expert training and the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in the corporate world. A Round of Applause for our Vets: The English Veterans Awards 2022 was a summary of this year’s annual Veterans Awards event, dedicated to recognising the achievements of our country’s veterans in business, fitness and the wider community.

October

This year nine women joined our Tech Returners programme for up to 14 weeks of instructor-led training in current and emerging technologies before being placed with leading financial services and tech companies. Meet FDM’s First All-Female Cohort of Tech Returners traced the stories of some of these incredible women and their journey back to work with FDM.

November

As the new year looms, we identified the five key areas of focus when looking at workforce planning in 2023. How Can Businesses Prioritise Strategic Workforce Planning in 2023 includes some valuable insights for organisations to improve employee experience and refine recruitment strategy.

December

We’re ending the year on another positive note: our Gender Pay Gap Report for 2022. FDM is proud to announce a -4.3% median pay gap and a -5.2% median bonus pay gap for 2022. This means our median female employees fared better than their male peers. The blog Closing the Gender Pay Gap One Step at a Time looks at the ways in which FDM is trying to promote gender equality in the workplace and beyond.

It was a truly busy year at FDM with lots of interesting programmes and initiatives. As we reflect on some of these key events, deliberating on the things we’re proud of as well as the areas that we want to continue improving on, we look forward to 2023 to bring a whole new chapter of exciting projects, collaborations and more. We can’t wait to share it all with you so stay tuned!