Maximising Potential: What Businesses Really Gain by Investing in Early Career Women 

By Tanya Andrews, Founder of Trellis Collective

When we talk about the development of early career women, the focus often lands on the benefits to the individual: building confidence, developing communication skills, learning how to navigate the workplace. And all of this is true and of critical importance.

But what we don’t talk about nearly enough is what businesses gain from that development.

Because when early career women are supported to grow, the business outcomes aren’t just soft benefits. They’re tangible, measurable, and directly tied to performance, culture, and bottom-line results.

Development → Behaviour Change → Business Impact

Most professional development programs follow a familiar arc: individuals learn new skills, apply them in their roles, and grow in confidence and capability. But in our work with early career women across industries, we’ve observed a powerful ripple effect that benefits not just the individual, but the entire organisation.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. When Confidence and Communication Skills are increased

In our program, early career women are taught to own their expertise, express their ideas, and communicate with clarity and purpose. They learn how to increase their participation in meetings, how to ask questions, and how to advocate for themselves.

Behaviour Change =
They start speaking up more often. They contribute ideas. They seek feedback. They ask to be involved in stretch assignments or cross-functional projects.

Business Impact:

• Better team discussions and decision-making
  
• More innovation from diverse perspectives
  
• Increased productivity from employees who are fully engaged
  
  

2. More Able To Set Boundaries and Self-Manage

Many early career women hesitate to say no or ask for help, fearing it will be seen as incompetence or impertinence. By increasing their skills in managing their workload, prioritising effectively, and communicating needs without apology they are able to set and hold important boundaries and navigate challenges.

Behaviour Change:
Reduction in overcommitting and start working smarter. They take ownership of their time, ask clarifying questions, and seek out more information when priorities are unclear.

Business Impact:

• Better time management across teams
  
• Fewer burnout cases and wellbeing-related absences
  
• More efficient delivery of projects and outcomes
  
  

3. Understanding How To Navigate Workplace Dynamics

Understanding how to read the room, interpret unspoken norms, and work with different personalities is something that’s rarely taught, but critically important for a long and successful career, regardless of seniority.

Behaviour Change:
They build stronger relationships with colleagues and managers, handle conflict more constructively, and manage upward more effectively.

Business Impact:

• Improved team cohesion and collaboration
  
• More effective leadership pipelines
  
• Stronger culture of trust and inclusion
  
  

4. Utilising Self-Advocacy and Goal Setting

When women build the confidence and communication skills to articulate their value and aspirations, they are more likely to drive their own development and stay invested in their roles.

Behaviour Change:
They start asking for development opportunities, sharing their career goals, and initiating conversations about progression.

Business Impact:

• Higher retention of high-potential women
  
• Stronger succession planning
  
• A culture of continuous development and ambition
  
  
  

The Ripple Effect of Development

One of the most powerful things about investing in early career women is the knock-on effect it has on the entire team. When a woman steps into her potential, others notice. They follow suit. They support each other. And they begin to shift the culture from the ground up.

We’ve seen time and again:
When early career women feel clear on their contribution, the business becomes stronger. Retention improves. Productivity increases. Diversity pipelines expand. And most importantly, these women stay. They grow. And they lead.

Development Is a Business Strategy

Here’s the big takeaway: investing in the development of early career women isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s not a bonus or an optional extra. It’s a business strategy.

And it works.

Let’s stop treating early career development as personal development through power poses that's “just for them.”

Let’s recognise it for what it really is:
A lever for culture.
A driver of retention.
A spark for innovation.
A strategy for business growth.