“The biggest barrier I have personally faced as a woman accessing and benefiting from upskilling opportunities is allowing myself the space to upskill,” said Tish Spurlock, Director of Recruiting at 84.51˚ Tish leads the talent acquisition and learning and development team at 84.51°. Her team at 84.51° recently received a Cincinnati Business Courtier CLIMB Award for recruiting and developing talent from diverse backgrounds to ensure equity and innovation in tech.

In an exclusive interview with HR.com, Tish shares her insights on women's unique challenges and the critical importance of upskilling for leadership advancement.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. How has upskilling/reskilling been instrumental in your own career progression to a leadership role? Can you share a specific example?

Tish: Upskilling/reskilling has been a vital part of my professional and personal growth journey. Most recently, I have had the opportunity to lead our learning and development team. As a leader, this opportunity provided me with a new set of eyes to realize that upskilling as a leader can come from your direct reports. I planned a session with my new L&D direct reports to dive into each lane of our learning and development space. It provided me space to ask questions, explore and learn.

Q. What are women's primary barriers when seeking upskilling, and how can these be addressed?

Tish: The biggest barrier I have personally faced as a woman accessing and benefiting from upskilling opportunities is allowing myself the space to upskill. Juggling both aspects of work and life, it is “easy” to want to take the path of least resistance. To overcome these challenges, I have had to leverage my village, my team. It is okay to delegate, ask for help and to provide a space to invest in yourself.

Q. How do you see the role of upskilling evolving in the next 5-10 years, particularly for women in leadership?

Tish: There is indeed a focus on growing skills in the HR industry—identifying skills for both associates and business needs and creating the right pathways to close those gaps to run faster and achieve greater results. In the next 5-10 years, upskilling will evolve to be a part of all processes of an associate journey. From the moment someone applies to the moment a promotion opportunity arises, the discussion of skill growth will be an integral part of an organization’s business plan.

For women, we will want to stay ahead of that curve – we tend to want to check all the boxes, but my hope is the upskilling journey will grow to allow women to understand that we do not have to have “all” the skills if we are willing to provide the space to “upskill”.

Q. What are your biggest hopes and aspirations for the future of women in leadership?

Tish: As a mother of twin daughters, I envision a future where women's leadership remains as influential as men's. Our diverse experiences, skills, and unwavering determination are crucial in driving our companies forward. I see a bright future for my daughters, where their potential is never overshadowed by their gender. Instead, I hope their brilliance inspires other women, reminding them of their incredible capabilities.

Q. What advice would you offer young women seeking leadership positions, considering the current professional landscape?

Tish: The current climate can feel so discouraging, especially for women, as our voices continue to be challenged. The advice I would give as I think of myself when I first graduated college and started to explore career opportunities is that you are worthy of greatness, and to be patient with yourself. That goal you want to achieve – you can, and you will. Every step in your journey is for a reason to take you further. You got this!

 
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