_Forward together with Patricia Tumba
Patricia Tumba joined Knight Frank nearly six years ago. But her career journey with the firm was nearly very different.
Patricia originally interviewed for an administrator role in Knight Frank’s Battersea office. But her interviewer recognised that, whilst she’d be an asset for his team, she was too skilled for the role. Fortunately, Patricia had already been contacted about another position with the company in the Head Office. With the encouragement of the initial interviewer, she pursued and secured the role.
The backing of a trusted line manager
As an Account Manager on our UK Lettings team, Patricia supports international landlords purchasing properties in the UK. She helps them to navigate the process, referring them to colleagues across the business who can support them further.
Patricia credits her encouraging line manager, Freddie Hills, Department Head of Lettings and Completion Solutions, with enabling her to progress in her role and gain new skills. “He’s the type of manager that’s always on your side. He’d always fight for you.”
“To know that someone’s in your corner. That, even if you’re not there, will present you in a good light to other people. It definitely boosts my confidence. It boosts my trust in my manager, my team, and in Knight Frank as a company.”
Navigating challenging times
The pandemic was a particularly challenging time with uncertainty around the property industry. Patricia also became a first-time mum. Like many new mothers, Patricia had questions about returning to work. She explains, “Whilst I wanted to work full time, I wasn’t sure I could be in the office all the time.”
It’s easy to avoid having difficult conversations with your manager, but there was a point where Patricia had taken on new responsibilities and felt that the workload was too much. She worried that she’d be seen as weak or unable to do her job properly. Instead, Freddie took on her feedback and was intent on finding a resolution. “Freddie leaves the space open so you can freely come and speak to him. I felt comfortable to relay what I was feeling… For him to be open to discussing this with me, and for him to be open to listen and find resolutions with me was really helpful,” says Patricia.
“I don’t see my role as just a job, I see it as a career. There’s a difference. A career’s something you’re passionate about, and that’s what I’m building at Knight Frank.”
Forward together
“I think everyone has a role to play in accelerating women in the workplace. Women shouldn’t be cast out.”
Patricia admits to fearing that she may get overlooked when she became a mother. “People might think that I’m not able to do it, or I don’t have the time to do it. That shouldn’t be the case. You should look to put everyone forward – man or woman.”
“Representation is really, really important. When I look up and I’m not seeing anyone like me, it makes me feel like I’m not able to get there… in the past, I’ve always seen people who look like me in the lower positions. It should be across the board. It’s good to give people the belief and hope that they can also reach those top stages. With representation, you get different ideas and different ways of thinking which can change things dramatically. You get different voices and ideas that will blend in and bring the firm to the next stage.”
Find out more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Knight Frank.