Fiona Hitchiner is a Diversity and Work-Life Integration Specialist and Flexibility Advocate at SeventeenHundred, an Australian-based work-life, diversity and inclusion solutions provider.
Brought up by a non-traditional feminist mother who broke all the stereotypes of her day and is believed to be related to Millicent Fawcett, an English suffragette who worked tirelessly to get women the right to vote, Fiona discovered her passion for equality at an early age.
With a yearning for discovering new places and meeting new people, Fiona fell in love with travelling the globe, which allowed her to share around her many years of experience in the Recruitment and HR sectors in international markets, including the UK and NZ.
Then, fed up with the rat race, she decided to skill up as a personal trainer and dedicated two years of her life embracing this new lifestyle and pushing herself to move outside her comfort zone.
Fiona is a mum to two young boys, and following her maternity leave, she found herself searching for an opportunity that would allow her to achieve successful work-life integration. That landed her at SeventeenHundred, where she gets to work on her passion every day in assisting organisations and employees find balance and support using the provider’s programs and services.
Fiona is also an Executive Committee Member of NEEOPA (NSW Equal Employment Opportunity Association).
Growing up, what kind of career did you want to pursue?
At one point I wanted to be a journalist and then an author – I had visions of writing my novel at a beach house overlooking the ocean and taking my dog for a walk. I soon realised that my talents didn’t actually rest with creative writing!
What I do believe is that all of my experiences, both personal and professional, have led me to my current role and that it was a journey I needed to go on to really understand my passion and purpose.
Who inspires you?
I have to say that there are many people who inspire me, but without sounding like too much of a cliché, I have to say my mum is my biggest inspiration – she never imposed boundaries on her own life and always led me to believe that I could do absolutely anything.
She gave me an enquiring mind and an appreciation of other cultures and countries, and taught me to look at people for who they are not what they have or where they come from. Mum is a firm believer that everyone has the right to be whoever they want to be.
Who (apart from you) is most surprised by your achievements?
Honestly I think I am the only one that is surprised by my achievements. Everyone else has had faith in me – I think I am my biggest critic. I know I have suffered from the imposter syndrome most of my adult life, but I am finally at a place where I am comfortable with accepting my achievements.
How have women helped shape your success to date?
Enormously – we should be thankful for all women who have paved the way for us, who have either on the big stage or in their personal lives made changes and broken down stereotypes.
When I was working in New Zealand, my Manager took me under her wing and spent her own time nurturing the potential she saw in me and giving me the confidence I needed to push myself to achieve more – I have always based my own style around hers and hope that I can support my team the same way she supported me.
I must say I have also been surrounded by some fantastic men who have also supported me and given me numerous opportunities to grow.
What qualities do you most admire in a female colleague?
Generosity – those who are generous with their time in helping support, develop and essentially mentor co-workers.
Humility – those who don’t profess to know everything and are willing to listen to what others have to say, even if it’s a case of admitting they don’t hold the best answer.
Empathy – those who are able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes by respecting the fact that we are all different and have various perspectives on life
What’s the key to successfully balancing work and life?
For me it’s about integrating the different aspects of my life so I can be effective and be the best version of myself. I ensure I have time for myself – I’m often up early walking or running or going to the gym. I make sure I have quality time to spend with my family, which means I flex my hours so I can be at home more when they need me – I also work part-time and try to work one day from home. It’s a juggle but I couldn’t do it without a supportive workplace and colleagues and a husband who shares the family responsibilities equally.
If you had an afternoon to yourself, how would you spend it?
A run or a bushwalk – especially if I could go with some girlfriends. I really enjoy being active and catching up with friends at the same time – it helps me feel that I can cope with anything that’s coming up that day if I have had a little bit of “me” time.
Who do you regard as your mentor?
I have formal mentors including my CEO, Ryan Meldrum. I also regard my mum as a mentor – I call her nearly every day and ask her advice on a range of work and personal issues. I have also developed informal mentors over the years, women who I have worked with and who I respect and who I know I can approach for impartial opinion and advice, if I am unsure of a situation or a decision.
What personal attributes have you used to overcome adversity in your life?
Resilience and a strong belief that I have the power and control to create my future – I can choose my path and determine how I am going to let situations affect me. I am a firm believer it’s about choice. How you choose to let things affect you and how you choose to treat others – you can choose to be negative and uncaring or you can choose to look at life through a more positive light and be grateful for what you have.
If you could make one change to women’s lives, what would it be and why?
There is still a long way to go before women have true equality both in the workplace and at home, but if I could give women the courage and confidence to be who they want to be and live the life they want and not accept the barriers that might stand in their way then that is a start.
What is the hardest part of your job?
Sometimes the pace of change is frustrating. The national gender pay gap is still 17.9%, women still only make up 12% of chair positions, and women will retire on average with around half as much in their super as men.
You have to keep focusing on the end game and have the passion to keep going – know that change will occur through a lot of small changes and that every single one of us has the opportunity to make a change in our own world.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to success in your field?
You have to have passion and the desire to see things from different perspectives. You need to work hard and keep learning, keep having the conversations both within the workplace and at home and help educate others – it’s not about blaming but pointing out the barriers that exist so that we can remove them and create a pathway for everyone to succeed.