Priyanka Sengar: From Corporate Executive to Driver of Change 

Priyanka Sengar, CEO at Women First Jobs, launched this unique women-only job portal in October 2023. She explains how this platform aims to transform recruitment by exclusively serving the talents and ambitions of female professionals.

Why did you launch Women First Jobs?

I’ve been through the corporate journey; I’ve been in senior roles and travelled the world; and I’ve seen the gap in terms of equal opportunities, equal pay, and so many other factors that no one is trying to address. People are ready to do something but no one is thinking about how to do it and how to start.

Real diversity and empowerment can only happen when we equip women with the right resources so that they can stand on their feet, earn for themselves, and be financially independent. 

Corporations need to understand the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the ecosystem, and what benefits women bring in senior positions and on boards. It takes a lot of education and pushing. 

What kind of services do you provide? 

[Women First Jobs] is a database of only female job seekers from all industries, all nationalities, and all races, offering job postings to corporations that understand the importance of diversity.

If you’re looking for a sales manager for your company, you can go on the platform, enter your requirements, and our team will try to fill that position with the right skilled female.

If you’re a job seeker, you can upload your request and your resume, and our team will contact you to help you get the job you actually deserve, mentoring and coaching you so that you can thrive in your career. Imagine a woman taking a career break because of kids or family issues; returning to the corporate world is not easy. It takes confidence, time, and a lot of skill-building. We help her work on her skills and prepare her to take this step forward. 

How would you address the concern that you focus only on gender rather than merit and possibly discriminate against men?

We’re not trying to replace all men with women. We advocate for diversity and equality. The imbalance is already there; we’re just trying to rebalance things, and it won’t happen if people don’t have the resources and access to those who are in a position to promote that diversity.

How do you collaborate with corporates?

Corporates that believe in the concept of diversity are our brand ambassadors. They come forward and contact us, and we help them achieve their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals. We don’t carry a regular recruiter relationship with them; we have first to understand their ecosystem and their sector, so we can allocate the right person to work with them. It’s a win-win proposition. We now work with 30+ companies, including various MNCs and we have more than 100,000 jobseekers.

How do you coach these women?

Not all job seekers on the platform need the coaching every day. We only coach those who have fewer skills but an amazing mindset and who really want to grow. They need a bit of grooming, skill development, and confidence-boosting. Me and my team coach between five and six females every day. 

How can such an operation scale?

We’re already using AI and we have our own algorithm to best match the candidates and the jobs. And the team is growing as we are soon expanding in Saudi Arabia and later in the rest of the region.

What is your revenue model?

We get revenue from the corporates that we work with based on hiring fees; we don’t charge anything from the jobseekers, not even for coaching, because we don’t see ourselves as a recruitment agency or a consulting firm – we are change-makers.

As a founder, how did you finance this company?

So far, it’s completely bootstrapped. We haven’t tried for an outside investment yet but as we are planning to expand, we will definitely want to look into that.

How many of your employees are women?

We have three females and three males – a perfect balance.

What was the biggest challenge that you have faced so far?

Changing the mindset. Women can try all kinds of roles, including at the C level. Just give them the opportunity. Let them prove themselves based on skills and expertise.