Sarah Hillhouse — Operations Manager in Focus

Can you start by giving us some background on your career in the club industry?

I started in the club industry with a part-time job waitressing in our fine dining restaurant and I fell in love with hospitality. Service was a rush, the people I worked with were amazing and I loved learning about high-quality food. It was the first job I had where the work itself was fun. I still think of club operations this way and was fortunate enough to cross-train right across the business — gaming, reception, cellar, events, treasury — before moving into management roles. All of this was such a robust foundation for my most recent roles of Venue Manager and now Operations Manager.

I started my role of Operations Manager in February 2020, three weeks before the first industry shutdown. The last three years in this role have really stretched me with some of the things thrown at us, but I still get a thrill out of the fast pace and rising to a challenge.

How have your career goals shifted since you started as a waitress and a bar attendant in 2007?

I’ve always prided myself on a job well done, though when I first started, I was just hoping the job would help me pay my way through uni and ironically, I left the job I had as I didn’t want to work Christmas. Then coming into hospitality, naturally I worked the next 13 Christmases. It just goes to show you though, when you have a job you enjoy, you’re happy to be involved in peak events — I didn’t want to miss out!

As I progressed with the Club, my mindset shifted to a successful career in the industry within leadership roles and making a meaningful impact.

“Treat others the way they want to be treated”. This simple advice has helped me to build strong relationships with my colleagues, continually modify my approach, and generate more opportunities to foster support.

Tell us about a mentor who has been a part of your career in the club industry. What advice did they give you?

I have been fortunate to have many mentors throughout my career, who have all provided me with valuable advice and guidance. Growing up, we’re always taught: “treat others the way you want to be treated”. One of the most important pieces of advice I ever received flipped this on its head and instead was: “Treat others the way they want to be treated”. This simple advice has helped me to build strong relationships with my colleagues, continually modify my approach, and generate more opportunities to foster support.

How can the industry better support women to grow into senior roles in clubs?

The obvious ones that we do well as an industry are focusing on early promotion opportunities, flexible work arrangements, normalising quirky career paths and providing meaningful mentoring opportunities. Beyond these, I think the best way is to nurture people’s own natural leadership style and unlock their potential in this way. Everyone is unique in their personality and approach. Whilst the industry has been touted to have “boys’ clubs” I have always found it to be very inclusive, but I do believe we shouldn’t be prescribing what effective leadership looks like from a traditional or masculine lens. Let’s not limit the potential of women, leaders or the industry itself.

How has Bankstown Sports Club and the industry supported you through your pregnancy and upcoming maternity leave?

It’s been really warming to see people’s reactions, people from all walks of life stop and chat, and make sure that I’m taking good care of myself. When I first told my boss, he was extremely happy for me. I’ve found it challenging to slow down, but the Club has been really supportive and flexible. I haven’t had to stress about taking time off to attend appointments and have been encouraged to work the odd day from home. I’ve also been afforded a generous handover period and the team has rallied to take on different aspects of my role nice and early. I’ve been reassured that I can be kept as in-the-loop as I like — this may not sound like much, but it means a great deal. On a less serious note, those that work closely with me have really enjoyed seeing the impact of baby brain!

What advice do you give to young women who aspire to be club leaders?

You get out what you put in, so don’t hold back! Have fun and find fulfilment in yourself, rather than admiration from others. Be willing to learn new things and adapt to change.

What does the future of the club industry look like to you?

The future of the industry is exciting, although there are lots of challenges that lay ahead of us. The future of the industry will see club operations including a more diverse range of activities, an even bigger focus on community engagement and sustainability, streamlined tech, and creative workforce solutions.