Neuroscientist, &ranj
Dr. Marcia Goddard received her master’s degree in clinical neuropsychology cum laude at Leiden University in 2012, and her PhD in social neuroscience in 2015. At &ranj, Marcia is responsible for incorporating science into their way of working, and conducting studies to assess and improve the effectiveness of their products. Her goal is to build bridges between science and business, as both sides could benefit from stronger partnerships.
Welcome to the second installment of our Power Women in Recruitment Month. Throughout October, we will celebrate some of the incredible women that make up the recruitment industry, highlighting their career achievements along the way.
This week in our video series, The Experts, we hear from Dr. Marcia Goddard of Sam Hound, (previously Neuroscientist and Manager of HR Science and Innovation at YoungCapital).
Watch Dr. @MarciaGoddard, Neuroscientist and Manager, HR Science and Innovation at @YoungCapital_NL, discuss the gender gap and how to attract more female STEM talent. #PowerWomenInRecruitmentMonth Share on X
RIX: How do we address the shortage of female representation in STEM fields?
Dr. Marcia Goddard: For the large part, I come from a scientific background where we have the same problem, even not in STEM, but even in just the social sciences as well, when it comes to being a professor it’s mostly males for the large part, and this is not going to sound very nice, but a lot of people have to retire. And I think once those people are retired, the world is going to look very different. But I also do think that it’s about individual initiatives in education to attract more girls towards STEM fields. I saw a documentary a while ago from a high school teacher who said, “It shouldn’t be a window, it should be a mirror.” So when you see people who are in the STEM fields, they should see themselves and right now girls and teenagers, they’re not seeing themselves in those fields, which makes it less attractive for them to get in there. So we need individual initiatives to actually make it more attractive for girls.
“Right now girls and teenagers, they’re not seeing themselves in those fields, which makes it less attractive for them to get in there.” -Dr. @MarciaGoddard of @YoungCapital_NL on the gender gap in STEM fields. Share on X
RIX: What trends are you seeing around attracting candidates?
Dr. Marcia Goddard: Well it’s a very difficult question, but when it comes to attracting talent, I think it’s more on the generational thinking, looking at what generations need and I think older people 45 and up need different things than the younger generations. Younger generations need things like, “I need to be able to grow my job. I want to be able to develop myself.” And flexibility is a huge part of their demand, while older people are more based on, “I want a reliable job,” but everybody, in the end, wants a good manager. So I think the role of the manager is changing from just leading the team to actually leading the individuals on their career paths. I think that’s very, very important.
“Everybody, in the end, wants a good manager... The role of the manager is changing from just leading the team to actually leading the individuals on their career paths.” -Dr. @MarciaGoddard of @YoungCapital_NL Share on X
RIX: What is it like being a neuroscientist in the recruitment industry?
Dr. Marcia Goddard: There is not a typical day in my life. I work on different things, I work on neuroscientific research, I work on developing assessments, I work on our machine learning initiatives, but I also consult with our clients a lot and in addition, because I have a clinical background as well, I also do a lot of HR-related things for our own people. So I do individual coaching, I have training sessions about stress management, so a typical day for me would be to wake up, look at my schedule and see where I’m going to be that day.
Great insights from @MarciaGoddard of @YoungCapital_NL at her SRO session on neuroscience, #machinelearning, and the future of #recruitment. #BullhornEngage pic.twitter.com/PibfMvbnTj
— Bullhorn UK (@BullhornUK) September 11, 2018
RIX: What advice would you give a young girl who says, “I want to work in recruitment,” or “I want to work in science?”
Dr. Marcia Goddard: It’s corny, but “just do it.” In the sense that I had a career path towards a professor at a university and it’s usually not a career path that you leave very easily, especially if you want to stay in science. I wanted to stay in science, but I wanted to leave academia. So at the core of my session was the willingness to take risks and to try new things and I think the same goes for your career. If you see something that you like, really just do it because in the end, you need to be happy with what you’re doing and if you’re driven and you’re not afraid to try again if it doesn’t work out the first time, then you can really achieve the goals for yourself.
“Just do it... If you see something that you like, really just do it because in the end, you need to be happy with what you’re doing.” - Dr. @MarciaGoddard of @YoungCapital_NL. #PowerWomenInRecruitmentMonth Share on XIf you’re interested in hearing more insights from Marcia, check out Take It from the Top: Episode 8 – Dr. Marcia Goddard and Leah McKelvey.
What do 2,000+ staffing professionals say are the priorities, challenges, and trends that matter to them in 2019? Find out at the brand new site for global recruitment insights and data.
