4 acts of inclusivity that can make a big difference to women

Events like International Women's Day often lead to conversations around inclusivity. This type of awareness is important. Just as important, however, is maintaining the momentum created by this kind of calendar moment consistently throughout the year.

When it comes to cultivating a culture that supports everyone, small acts of inclusivity can—and do—have a big impact. Driving positive change is an iterative process. To learn more about how we can all do our part to create a more gender-inclusive environment year-round, we asked four women across ServiceNow to share their experiences.

Ensuring inclusive recruitment practices

Working to achieve gender parity in the tech industry starts with hiring and retaining more women. Even the smallest adjustments to recruitment practices can have a positive knock-on effect when it comes to encouraging women to apply for roles—and making sure that those who do aren’t alienated at the first hurdle.

“The EMEA Unified Technology Group (UTG) Women's Network, a dedicated employee belonging group, has several different pillars, including one dedicated to recruitment,” says Cheryl P., senior support account manager at the UK office.

Through this initiative, the EMEA UTG Network team have been working with Talent Acquisition to ensure job adverts avoid gender-specific language, interview panels are diverse, and there’s equal representation at all stages of the hiring process.

Cheryl concludes: “Even something as simple as taking a second scan through job descriptions or listings before they go live can help identify any terminology that may put women off from applying.”

Providing opportunities to network

It’s important to ensure those who are part of a specific demographic or minority group are given adequate space to thrive. “For me, inclusion is about recognising that everyone is different and working to make room to understand, communicate, and empower each other,” says Linda Z., advisory solution consultant at the Amsterdam office.

This can be as simple as creating a dedicated platform or social group within a company. Women at ServiceNow is designed to give women and allies a space to network, raise concerns, impart knowledge, and celebrate one another’s accomplishments. It’s also a place to share tangible opportunities for women, such as coaching programmes, webinars, and speaker events.

For Linda, proactively carving space for women to thrive is invaluable. “It’s not always easy being a woman in tech,” she says. “It can feel lonely. Having a space where you’re comfortable enough to voice concerns if and when they arise can make a huge difference.”

Increasing female representation

“Getting more women into the tech ecosystem starts with education. Young women and girls need to be proactively told there’s a place for them here,” says Katja Z., director of sales for the energy, telco, media, and tech industries.

“In the Munich office, we hold an annual Girls Day, where we invite young females into the organisation and tell them about ServiceNow and the various roles available to them in the future.”

It's just as important, however, that there’s visible female representation in the industry, in all roles and at all levels. Increasing female representation requires organisations to break down barriers that often prevent women from balancing their career and family.

Organisations should provide women with the support and tools they need to grow and succeed professionally, such as comprehensive maternity polices and flexible, adaptable working models.

This, too, is important to Katja. “Management taking the time to understand the additional pressures that you may face as a woman—and working with you to adapt to them—is a crucial part of inspiring inclusivity day-to-day,” she says. “That’s how we’re going to get more women in the workplace.”

Encouraging allyship

Efforts to foster a more inclusive day-to-day workspace shouldn’t start and end with the actions of women. The onus is just as much on everyone else, as allies, to take the time to understand different perspectives and work to actively promote inclusion.

“At ServiceNow, we’re passionate about actively driving allyship forward,” says Sandrine L., director of sales. “Last year, we started an annual coaching program aimed at improving women’s self-confidence. This year, we decided to extend that to everyone, and it has been a huge success.”

Taking the time to invite and encourage people of all gender identities to engage in discussions about equity, equality, and inclusivity can help accelerate company-wide change. It’s about uniting everyone behind the same goal: a fairer, more equitable workplace.

Join a company that’s committed to driving inclusivity through diversity, equity, and inclusion all year. Explore ServiceNow careers.