Role models and mentors have always played a major role in my career. They have encouraged me to move forward confidently, try out new things, explore unfamiliar territory, and not give too much room to insecurities. Especially in industries where there is not yet a gender balance, these are important levers. The tech industry is full of opportunities and more diverse than we think – we just don't talk about it enough. And the importance of role models and mentorship is not only proven by studies, but I can also confirm this from my personal experience as an HR manager, or when I ask around among my friends and acquaintances.  

I no longer work in HR, but I am part of the Avanade sales organization in the Austria, Switzerland, Germany region leading our business for our Life Science industries. To do this, I had to leave my so-called comfort zone, where I knew my way around and was an expert. It wasn't easy, but here, too, I was inspired by role models and supported by mentors, whom I got to know through networking in our local women’s community, among other things.  

At Avanade, we place a lot of emphasis on career development – whether through extensive training opportunities, certification and leadership programs, or a personal career adviser. But also, through networks and initiatives such as our community of women.  

Making role models more visible and pushing the gender balance further

The local group was created out of a recruiting initiative a few years ago. The goal? To involve women from the business more closely in the recruiting process and make them visible to potential candidates as role models. This was met with a great response in our region, and the group quickly recognized the potential of the initiative. Today, the group is a central tool for reviewing, challenging, and supporting our gender diversity strategy. Do we have enough women in leadership positions? Is the gender balance even when it comes to promotions? Are we hiring enough women? Because even if we as a company have high goals, we must not stop critically questioning ourselves and must put our achievements to the test.

Setting impulses and driving change

The group works closely with our regional leadership team and jointly develops initiatives in a wide range of areas:  

• Networking: Regular meetings are held to provide networking opportunities like “Network Impulse Sessions” or local “Women Roundtable” and where we address any current issues.

   

• Recruiting: The group works closely with the talent acquisition team and are involved in the recruiting process, marketing, and events.

   

• Career development: Support sessions are held regularly for building up promotion stories: soft skills and communications training, what are my strengths, where is my potential, etc.

   

• Technical career path: Develop external collaborations with organizations to help strengthen the technical career path at Avanade, like with Techionista.

   

• Work-life-Balance: The team looks at different initiatives that will support this as well as working with external coaches on the topic of work/life balance to provide ideas for different approaches.

The different opportunities that have arisen through the commitment of our local community of women have been very well received from the very beginning. From the most diverse activities and conversations, great impulses and ideas arise again and again, which lead to the fact that not only the members of the group grow, but also the corresponding activities are repeatedly put to the test, rethought, and adapted. 

Can’t stop – won’t stop

The commitment of all colleagues involved in the group is an important – if not the most important – building block of our initiative. Every internal company network and especially our group thrives on this because it is the only way we can continue to develop and question the status quo. From a small group of three people we have grown into a strong community of 40+ members and each and every one of them is highly motivated and passionate about the issues. I am proud to belong to this community and I'm already excited to see what our community will come up with in the future.

Interested in a career in IT? Check out our careers page and find the role that is right for you.

The following article may also be of interest: As women, we have to stop adapting