Dell Technologies Forum 2022 - Women in Technology /Prague/
foreign [Music] thank you for joining us for this woman in Tech session it's a really great pleasure for me to have you today I would like to start just setting the scene for the people who are gonna watch us and and see why we are talking about women in Technologies today and what what are the statistics we see right now in the IIT sector in C we see that 60 of the women of the college graduates are women in our region in CE but when it comes to working working life only 45 percent of workers are women and it's even worse in the in the IIT sector where women makes up only 17 percent of the workers so right now we see a really big drop and it looks like our sector the ICT sector is not as popular as it should be because it's a really great sector to work in and you are the testimony and I would like to get your point of view on this I would like let's say to ask you first a question let me start with you Dana you um you have been working in IDC for a long time why did you join the IIT sector what do you like in this sector what what really attracted you okay uh well thank you for thanks for the invitation thanks for having me um maybe I will say that IDC is a market intelligence company a global one and uh I did not really go to EDC in purpose it was a coincidence completely but the coincidence is lasting 22 years now so there must be something within the company that I really enjoy we are not an I.T company although nowadays every company is an I.T company I think you'll be speaking about that but we actually track the development of Technology around the world so we see how technology if used well can make a huge progress on societies on individuals and I think this is the first part that I like about being part part of an industry that is really setting trends second at IDC we have always been very entrepreneurial so this is what I cherish a lot about the company and third at least in the region that I work for which is I currently now in the Czech Republic but C in particular uh I always felt like we were giving the same chance as as men in fact I have never thought about it being an issue I never even occurred to my mind that there is an issue here and maybe the reason is that quite recently there were more women managers in the region than men actually in fact in IDC as a in Europe the percentage of female to male is 49 uh ladies his number there you go exactly but again by the way you need to share with us what you are doing to do that to reach these numbers well maybe we we get to that but that's that's about my background and and IDC yeah okay thank you and did you ever experience any obstacles growing in your career because now you have a let's say a senior role when you started I mean you you had to uh maybe um yeah learn grow what what are the the yeah the the examples or let's say tips you could give us what you had to overcome what's your uh well I started at a uh at a marketing position uh then grew into events and then went to the events director role and now I'm the country director for Czechoslovakia and maybe I never asked whether something is appropriate or not I kind of had a vision and I went and followed it yeah I didn't ask right and maybe my bosses didn't really like that but I had a huge luck uh in respect to the bosses which were all male and we always got along very well and they were always very supportive to the extent of you know supporting the growth and kind of empowerment Etc and I think again in IDC it's not it's not been uh it's been like that in the other regions and teams right so it seems like it's kind of in born in the company it's like by default um and I know that currently we are part of idg group which again a global global company there's a lot of programs that actually focuses on supporting women to actually grow in their career and in their roles that are focusing either on the individual work coaching or on kind of a group facilitation Etc did you did you experience this kind of for you is it something that helps you to grow or is it do you have any did you have any let's say role model in the in in your starting in this uh in this career that make you feel like yeah you didn't have to ask the permission you you I don't I don't recall I'm not very big in you know role models and stuff sorry but uh it was kind of part of me always right okay that drive to make a change make an impact before it even was kind of a cool and sexy thing to say right that you know companies should be impactful and in fact I mean I believe that women are by default the creators of society they are the you know keepers of peace and enablers of positive impact I mean that's in our genes right so we just I think need to make sure that people you know see and realize that but not in a uh you know any kind of aggressive way I think by just leading by example kind of naturally I think this is our strength that also the younger women and girls actually get to see that this is our just natural natural flow right exactly thank you and and if in your side on your side Donna you you've been working in the in one of the largest banking Czech a republic for for already a long time you you are yeah you developed your career in I.T was it like this since the
beginning I mean how how did you uh grow up in the in the company yeah it's a good question thank you thank you for invitation it's a nice question uh how to start it my my story is a very uh not difficult but full of surprises because I normally start on bankings like a banker I'm study at the University with the investment Investment Banking and that's absolutely different world like 80 but one day I received good opportunity and and I tried the 18 because maybe I was younger okay but it was something what was really challenging me and I say why not why not I.T because it is really uh amazing world a lot of surprises and full of nice people you I think the huge mistake for a lot of ladies is that they really afraid of this world I don't know why we have a lot of ladies in testing department and also I.T analystic department and this all supporting team like service desk and all so on so it's different because when I start an ID it was shocked for me because when I when I met with the first man he was absolutely shocked what I do there in this building because this I.T building and it's only
for men okay and there was they they was really not upset but um how to say it uh like yeah not used to yeah it's so shocked for them both women do want to do in I.T but it's 12 years ago and now it's absolutely different okay so you really see the right to collaboration and and the complement complimentary the way you work okay excellent thank you what are the programs that have been implemented really to to to attract more women and support them because I I understand that uh yeah you you don't have the doubt that you are in the right sector but we might have some young women in the career without how do you think that we can help them to to grow maybe as an intro if I may just say that IDC does research so we we study the markets right so this is what we do so one of the uh obvious outcome is that there is a big push from not only the institutions like EU and others and in the states is totally different but also within the companies that they actually have in their terms and conditions that they want to see how their suppliers are treating the equity and diversity and inclusion so it's not actually there are companies that are seeing this as a major Focus so for the entrepreneurs and and other companies I think you will see this more and more happening so you need to start really focusing on this to be competitive also in the future so as much as I don't think as much as I think it should be kind of a natural focus of the companies to create diversive organizations there are also very practical ways how to to make this actually happen so that's that's kind of number one and number two I think it's just a proof of the results of companies that are more diverse that they are more profitable they are more flexible they have more engaged employees they hire better talent and they have people that leave less frequently right so exactly what you said it's actually within in the mix in the diversity that the companies benefit right it's not the extreme that you either have all female or men right both extremes are not are not right a Dell Technologies we have set moonshot goals and clear goals that to achieve this kind of equity and we have a montage goal saying that by 2030 we want 50 of the workforce represented by women and 40 percent of the leaders as women and these statements help also to um yeah to to to feel accountable to put actions in place we have put in place several initiatives to to reach these goals is it something that you also have in your company some clear goals and then align the actions to to really help and and let's say make sure that all managers all employees feel responsible for driving as much as the corporation it's a it's it's more every individual who should really lead the change yeah is it something that you also have in your company so I said the percentages we are kind of there already but what they what the company is focusing on now is really improving the number of ladies and Senior positions so you know director and above so there is a special program focusing on that which is global which also is nice to put people from different cultures so really you know do the diversity and include not only the gender one so that's that that's working but we also focus on retaining the talent making sure that we understand what are the stressors for the women and work work on that and a very simple initiative which I when I saw it I was just like so obvious why do other companies do that as well so when we are hiring when we have campaigns we actually post the the ads on various kind of female associations and stuff so so a simple trick slide like that right um and and another thing of course it's uh it's what you said is having a Clear Vision communicated be transparent and open right and and share and get as much engagement of the employees as possible yes I agree absolutely it's very important your leader must be must believe that this is the good way and they need that the company need this different gender policy and I don't like the the topic like the topic the gender policy it's a very very risky topic and but I think the problem for us now as a hiring and this is something what everybody see we have to support people who wants to work in I.T and okay it's not only about women and men but it's also about different about ages about about different things that only like diversity it's more open than only women and it's more General than women and men so we have to find way how to find new I.T Specialists and okay one of the one of the way is to find a good woman and support them in this top in in this area we cooperate with chiquitas it's a nice company they are really all teamed about around Chiquita so it's absolutely great and they help us really strong with this topic and we have some ladies in our department from uh from this um from this course or from this company and it's very useful and it's very good for the men in department when when you find when women and so it's very easier for the other so we have to start it we have to support them and and what I say each each girl don't be afraid it's normal work it's only it World exactly so don't be afraid if I can just compliment because chiquitos is a specialty in the Czech Republic right so I think all the companies work with them because they're like the source of ladies before it right but we have also a couple couple of ladies from them within the team and an interesting part of this is that one is very young another one is over 50. and we have also that one lady she has excellent message to everyone who's watching is that there is never late changed when your career plan and there are people that are willing to help you and then there are companies that will actually welcome and provide the path for you to succeed and the story is something what is very necessary yeah I think it's it's perfect that's it we obviously starting from from uh yeah stem fields and and students but also let's say uh re reskilling the the people who wants to reorientate and change their career I think it's a it's a it's an excellent initiative and there's one more thing if I can jump into this is it's the it's the inborn and accepted bias that we carry from our childhood from our parents from the parents of their parents uh and I think we have a lot of work as mothers I mean you said yeah you're a mother as well and it's you know I have a daughter of 14 and a son who is 11 and they both study uh mass and physics right but it I I it made me think you know where I'm gonna send my daughter just thinking you can't do something else then you know the industry that that you work for but even the numbers that that you showed and I was looking at it thinking and what's wrong with it so it's like every time I think we need to make sure that we ask does it have to be like this or can I do something proactively to change it yeah adult Technologies we have a problem which is called be the change which is workshops talking about the unconscious bias that we all have because to your point as parents We Trust we transfer these bias and and being conscious of these buyers help us to recruit differently but also pass on a different message and that's something that we also expand with our customers and partners and we are sharing this this kind of trainings and videos and and common understanding and to to change this because to your point that the if it was easy to change this number everybody would have done it before it's really changing the the perception and and the yeah one uh one thing which is what I can see and I I think it's very important that we have we do miss uh one huge mistake and a woman managing life is that we don't support each other men are still some corporate they are still together are they going to golf and not somewhere and we fight alone in the minute in the managed lives and we are alone because we we are uh we want to do everything perfect and we are perfect and we have to do and we have to be better than the man and this is a huge mistake no we don't have to be and also my mom asked me why are you still fighting in I.T why are still
there enjoy your family and your children and be at home hey no Mom no I want to change my to this world for my daughter and maybe there the Harry Potter I don't know but we have to start it and I think that's uh each of us can do it differently that's also why I mean it's not a competition it's a it's more how you can Drive progress and bring something different and something on top of what exists excellent just to conclude I would like to understand from you if you have something to say to a young woman who wants to to join our sector and wants to join companies like you what would be your advice what what would you say to to convince her or let's say to to help her to uh to uh to grow in in our sector to join us first okay now let me think about it no from my side it's very easy don't be afraid and don't be afraid make a mistake so it it's everything is can push you on a different way so be go to out of your comfort zone and you will find the way okay thank you for me it's really that being around technology you are very close uh on to being able to change the world so I think you know for the ladies I really want to see more ladies because they are going to change it to the better going back to the whole piece and and Society development Etc it's not as difficult as it appears and whenever it doesn't matter when in your life you decide you can always do it thank you very much for for taking the time and sharing your experience because I really think that uh yeah that the men and women shouldn't see that it's possible we are working together and diversity and inclusion is is the future is how we are going to make a better word all together we have built a LinkedIn group where we share some let's say practices and advices and I think that that's our let's say commitment to the society to make sure that the experience we have we shared with a broader audience and make sure that we share also the tips so I encourage you to join us but also to share what you are doing as concrete that really the experience you have the programs you have in your company to give the entrepreneurs that are watching some tips to make it to make it also for their company something sometimes it's just a small step but small steps can make things really big so thank you again for joining us and enjoy the rest of the Forum okay thank you thank you for having us [Music]
2022-11-12 01:08
