Filiz Yılmaz, director of interconnections at Equinix
The theme of this year’s international women’s day is “Inspire Inclusion”. What are you doing to inspire inclusion in telecoms in your organisation? What is your company doing? What could you do more of?
Our industry is changing constantly and there is always more work to be done. The number of women studying in technical universities and on engineering programs are still falling behind the numbers of their male counterparts. We need to continue investing in creating more opportunities and interest in order to expand the future pool of diverse professionals. Internship opportunities, mathematics and coding programs for younger girls and women can help to bridge that gap.
This year Equinix continues to be active in the diversity and inclusion space, inspiring inclusion through employee social networks as well as through corporate structures.
Our various Employee Connection Networks are set up by volunteers, and function as employee support groups for those from underrepresented communities. Each network is sponsored by executive leaders and all employees are encouraged to engage with a network.
Through Equinix’s ‘Days of Understanding’ initiative, we hold regular conversations with our colleagues on diversity, inclusion and belonging. The goal of the initiative is to build trust between our employees, to help us embrace our differences, building more inclusive cultures inside and outside of our company.
The initiative is supported by our leadership team, with panels and interviews around diversity and inclusion as a part of our regular all-hands meetings. These meetings act as an opportunity to share personal and inspiring stories about overcoming barriers to inclusion. In one meeting, for instance I shared my personal experience as a woman who chose to move and live in another country.
To ensure lasting change, Equinix’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging team aims to build a culture within which every employee, every day, can say, “I’m safe, I belong, and I matter.” Creating a workforce that, at all levels, reflects and represents the global communities in which we operate.
Equinix is not simply enabling volunteers, we have also invested in staff resourcing dedicated to making these measures real and effective. Such investment demonstrates the sincerity of any organisation, incorporating diversity and inclusion themes not only as conversation points but as a core resource embedded into operations, making them a vital part of our cultural backbone. Equinix strengthens and amplifies the voices of its volunteers in the diversity and inclusion space allowing these voices to have greater impact.
We know that change begins at the very top of organistions. Our global CEO Charles Meyers took the CEO Action Pledge which calls upon corporate leaders to take an active role in building more inclusive workplaces. My personal leadership style allows me to be active in supporting ally networks and enabling mentorship activities to accelerate DEI efforts.
As for my personal contribution, I support diversity and inclusion efforts through the promotion of diversity within my team – we are aged between 30 and 70; one third of us identify as female; we all come from diverse backgrounds, with differing cultures and upbringings, in addition, my team all live in five different locations throughout Europe.
I like to talk about the internet, its’ governance and its history to young people. I volunteer as a guest lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, where I help to encourage interest in the industry from younger minds. I aim to inspire young people of all backgrounds to take an interest in the way that technology is shaping the modern world.
What inspired you to join the telecoms industry? How has that initial inspiration impacted your career?
I studied Mathematics and upon graduation I joined my university’s Computer Centre. This was in the 1990s, when I had the privilege of working with the team who brought the internet to Turkey. I fell in love with technology then, and ever since I have dedicated my life to ensuring digital inclusion, and expanding the reach of the internet to increase opportunities for all. I feel personally invested in the evolution of the industry. I hope that in time, more women will feel inspired to take up roles working on the frontier of emerging technology, as I have.
What would be your advice to women considering a role in telecoms or looking to move up the corporate ladder?
Be confident in sharing what you know and honest about what you have yet to learn. Stay curious and continue learning. Consider feedback a gift, learn from adversity and know when to move on. Lean on the leading women in the industry for advice and support. I always take the time to talk, coach and connect my industry colleagues where I can. I encourage young professionals to do the same, ensuring that they are always nurturing their network, because we are stronger together.
Veena Bricker, chief people officer at Flexential
What are you doing to inspire inclusion in telecoms in your organisation? What is your company doing? What could you do more of?
Flexential cultivates inclusion throughout the entire employee journey, starting with including pay range and benefits in all of our job postings. We believe this builds trust, shows our dedication to transparency and commitment to equal pay practices.
Flexential looks for the best talent, whether or not they have industry experience, to fill our open roles. We take an intentional and holistic approach to our employees’ culture with a focus on shared purpose, personal growth, and overall well-being – this includes having female technology role model guest speakers, providing financial wellness sessions, and impressive career development with almost 150 employees promoted in 2023. When a new team member starts at Flexential, we assign them a “Peer Steward.”
This seasoned Flexential employee is responsible for welcoming the new hire, offering guidance and their own insight into the Flexential journey. Once employees are onboarded, we encourage them to bring their whole selves to work. Through regular surveys, we gauge perceptions of inclusivity and belonging. In fact, our most recent survey showed our highest rated item was “My supervisor makes me feel like I belong” – this also increased YoY for our last survey.
Flexential has several ERGs that have both an executive sponsor as well as an annual budget to ensure the groups have the resources they need to provide support for all employees. Lastly, employees are encouraged to publicly recognise their peers by sending each other “Flex Points” which can be redeemed for gift cards throughout the year. Flexential continues to look for ways to ensure our practices are inclusive for our entire distributed workforce. Our hope is that our dedication to inclusion at Flexential extends across our industry, whether employees advance their careers within Flexential, or take their experience with them to their next endeavor.
What inspired you to join the telecoms industry? How has that initial inspiration impacted your career?
I was inspired to join the telecom industry 25 years ago because it had reached an inflection point and was shifting from an old school regulated industry to a more open market which also included the internet. I thrive on change because I believe it creates opportunity, so it was a perfect time as the industry was experiencing the most significant changes it had seen up to that point. I have been fortunate in having a wonderful career, where I’ve been able to ride the wave of technological innovation, giving me a chance to leverage the technology that this industry offers in my role as a Chief People Officer.
What would be your advice to women considering a role in telecoms or looking to move up the corporate ladder?
My advice to women seeking a role in telecom and/or looking to move up the corporate ladder is to focus on three areas: take risks, network, and pay it forward.
● Take Risks: Throughout my career, I’ve made the most traction when I took risks versus following the rules or being conservative. When most of us think of great business leaders, we think of those who challenged the status quo – whether that was applying for a job or project where they didn’t meet all the experience requirements, trying a new strategy, making bold decisions, or embracing uncertainty in the spirit of growth and innovation.
● Network: I don’t believe in the old adage that “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” but I do think they are both very important and most tend to minimise the “who you know.” Leveraging your network within your company as well as outside of your company in your industry or function can provide incredible benefits – increasing your visibility, building a professional support system, receiving mentorship, and being top of mind to those who may be making decisions that impact your career opportunities. Most of my career moves have been a result of my network.
● Pay it forward: I have had so many people in my career who have supported me, mentored me, and given me stretch opportunities. I try to do the same for others, and I inevitably gain as much or more for helping others than they do – including new perspectives and insights.
