Article by Nimira Kassam, HR Director at Esendex
According to Wise Campaign, 2019 saw the number of women working in STEM roles in the UK reach one million, with over 50,000 of them working in the engineering sector.
This is a fantastic achievement and something I’m very proud to play a part in as my role as HR Director for one of the UK’s largest B2B telecommunications companies, Esendex.
Over recent years there has certainly been an increase in the number of women opting for a career in STEM, but working for a technology company myself, there’s no denying that the discipline is still heavily biased to men.
Some call it diversity and inclusion, others equality, but whatever the terminology, we need to ask ourselves what we actually mean by these terms. Concerningly, they seem to be becoming new buzz words in the workplace and so, to hold meaningful value, we must strive to make them more than just words. Organisations need to understand the true impact of diversity and inclusion. Diversity drives innovation which is the key to success in the dynamic technology sector. Diverse organisations must ensure that their cultures allow people to flourish and grow in order to be successful.
Specifically focusing on gender diversity, it is evident that females are underrepresented in the technology sector. While it’s great to hear that more companies are starting to take gender diversity seriously, we are still seeing slow progress and more needs to be done. In fact, according to Women in STEM just 35% of students studying a STEM subject at UK universities are female. This will consequently have a knock on effect to the number of women applying for STEM related jobs post graduation. And so begins the circle of women being outnumbered by men in STEM workforces.
There are many obstacles to overcome and progress a career, and this is true regardless of the sector or gender. However, working as a woman in the technology industry does present some unique challenges and as I reflect upon my own journey, there are some key actions I took that have helped me along the way.
The power of networking
Firstly, I have always ensured that I make the time to network both within and outside of my organisation. Networking can be daunting for some and also time consuming in a world where we already have so many demands placed upon us. However, the investment I made in building a support network that I can turn to when required, has proved invaluable. Internal networking is also important and having trusted sponsors that can check and challenge your thinking helps you to improve not only your ideas but also confidence in expressing them.
When preparing your CV, ask someone from your network to review this for you. At the beginning of my career, I tended to downplay my achievements and instead refer to a list of responsibilities. Being modest is an appealing attribute, but this should not be at the expense of being confident and openly proud about your successes. I’d recommend having a trusted confidant, who you respect and then believe their feedback, even if it makes you feel slightly uncomfortable. It is often when we’re outside of our comfort zone that we can truly grow.
Don’t be controlled by imposter syndrome
Secondly do not let imposter syndrome control you. I have personally suffered from this in the past and I’m not alone, with HR News reporting that 6 out of 10 women suffer from imposter syndrome in the UK today.
Early on in my career I applied for an internal role, a week later having not heard back, I asked the recruiting manager for some constructive feedback on how I could do better next time. He asked me what made me think I had not been successful, and surprised me with a job offer. On another occasion I applied for a position with the intention of using it as interview experience with no expectation of ever securing the job. I was overwhelmed when offered the role and yet I still believed I was not experienced enough, despite having beaten all other candidates and been selected as the most experienced and suitable person by my interviewers. The lesson learnt here was to always push yourself and you never know, you may just surprise yourself.
Be true to yourself
Finally, always be true to your own values and ensure that you make time for your own career development. As mentioned previously, it is a great attribute to be collaborative and invest time in others who need you. However, it is so important that you make time for yourself, your goals and your ambitions as this is key to being successful. Make sure you attend events and give yourself opportunities to grow and develop. Seek out the latest trends in your industry and look to upskill yourself in these areas. Most careers in STEM are fast-paced, which is part of what makes these sectors so exciting, but it also offers so many opportunities for advancement – stay ahead of the game and be ready, skilled and experienced when the next step on your career ladder presents itself.
Today I am HR Director at leading technology company Esendex, a position I am proud to hold, not just for the opportunity to further enhance my own career but to also begin to change the diversity of C-suites across the country. With just 28% of positions on C-suites being held by a female across the UK, I’m proud to be part of the change and I hope, in some format, to help clear a path for future women in STEM to follow a similar career trajectory.
Now more than ever the role of HR is to educate leaders and managers to understand the value that embracing diversity can bring. Organisational cultures need to evolve to ensure they listen to and recognise the contribution from all colleagues no matter their gender, confidence levels, race or character profile. While we still have a long way to go before we can say that we have equal representation in STEM careers, I feel confident and encouraged that we will get there, and one day women will be equally represented in STEM businesses across the globe.
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