Gender or personality?
What, then, are Sarah’s views on inclusiveness and gender diversity within Workspace365?
Her answer reflects her pragmatic approach: “I don’t see that as a goal in itself. I think you can achieve a lot in this area by looking precisely at someone’s qualities. Women are less often technically skilled, but almost all skills can be learned. By looking more at personality and someone’s added value to the company, you will bring in more women for sure. I applaud that because equal distribution only makes our services better for end-users. That includes both men and women.’
The focus on personality rather than technical know-how is relevant to the diversity issue. When surveyed, female students showed a preference for creativity rather than subjects that had rigidly defined answers. Sarah isn’t a fan of rigid definitions or rigidly defined roles. She’s more interested in what makes people happy and in what are they willing and able to do. If they’re creative, great.
Sarah is more than willing to use her own background as evidence that this approach is effective. She doesn’t have a tech background herself, and yet she’s succeeded in the industry. It can be done, and done well, as proven by her inclusion in the list of women leaders in SaaS.
Within Workspace 365, the culture has changed under Sarah’s leadership. It’s less technically oriented and has become a true learning culture. Employees can shape and manage the organisation and the content of their jobs. It’s exciting and highly motivating. Talent has its stage and people of all genders are flourishing.
