Empowering women with allyship and inclusion
International Women's Day is a time the world turns its attention to driving gender equality. It also underscores the transformative potential of allyship and inclusion.
Two ServiceNow employees share their passion for amplifying the call for inclusivity. They remind us that small acts of kindness and encouragement can have a profound impact on individuals and contribute to a more equitable future.
Inspiring allyship
Women are underrepresented in the tech industry. ServiceNow is leading the charge to change that. Over the past three years, we’ve increased the number of women in our workforce, and we’re on track to reach our goal of 34% representation by 2025.
There are still times when someone might be the only woman in a conference room, notes Jeff M., senior vice president of global solution consulting in the U.S. “Men need to be sensitive to how that must feel: It’s tough,” he says. “We have to be sure we’re making space for women to lead.”
Jeff's dedication to making everyone he encounters in the workplace feel valued reflects the extraordinary influence of affirmations and positive messages. "Words matter,” he explains. “To me, they have power. It’s important to say out loud that everybody matters and to treat everybody with respect."
His perspective on inclusivity is anchored in a sign that reads, "You are loved." The sign used to hang in his wife’s classroom, where she imparted that truth to her students before she retired.
“My wife would tell every child how special they were, each day,” Jeff says. “You never know the situation of who you’re speaking with. Someone might really need to hear it.”
Encouraging the next generation
Betuel K., senior platform architect in Germany, offers a unique perspective on empowerment. She experienced culture shock after moving from Turkey, where 50% of the workforce is women, to Germany, where representation is significantly lower. "There were less women, but it actually made me stronger, more resilient," she says.
Betuel is very hopeful for the future, partly due to the positive changes she sees at ServiceNow. "Especially here at ServiceNow,” she explains, “we have so many inspiring women, so many bright minds. It’s amazing to watch them, and I get really inspired.”
She recalls a heartwarming story about a time she encouraged a young girl who felt defeated not to give up. Driven by Betuel’s encouragement, the girl kept attempting the task she was trying to master and, after two or three more tries, succeeded. Betuel says that moment was a turning point for her to support girls and women.
The experience led Betuel to volunteer for Girls’ Day, an annual event in Germany to help girls and young women develop career skills. “I will continue mentoring the next generation and help them in their journey,” Betuel adds. “And I hope one day here at ServiceNow, we will be at 50% women in the office."
We’re well on our way. In 2023, ServiceNow was named among the Fortune 100 Best Large Workplaces for Women for the second consecutive year. We credit that to our value of “create belonging.” Jeff and Betuel’s stories resonate as a call to action, urging us all to be allies in the continued pursuit of a more inclusive, diverse, and empowered world.
Join a team where women and allies are empowered to do their best work, live their best lives, and fulfill our purpose together. Explore ServiceNow careers.
From Fortune. © 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited All rights reserved. Used under license. FORTUNE and FORTUNE Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, ServiceNow.