We recently had the pleasure of getting to know Denise Snep, Global Director of Human Resources at Zebra Technologies. Get to know Denise, Zebra’s commitment to Diversity & Inclusion and her career lessons so far – with this quick-fire Q&A.
A little about Denise Snep
As someone with a non-tech professional background, how do you now find being a woman in tech?
Being a women in HR in a tech company is very different to being a woman in Engineering and IT. IT and Engineering is generally challenged from a gender perspective based on demographics and women tend to find themselves outnumbered. Like many tech companies, Zebra is subject to those challenges and has made deliberate efforts to recruit and build strong relationships with partners that can help us bring more women into these areas within Zebra. We have formed a Women’s Inclusion Network to assist with networking and developmental opportunities.
What frustrates you most about the lack of female representation in the tech industry?
That it is so difficult to move the representation numbers forward over the years. The tech industry is traditionally challenged from a gender perspective and it sometimes feels like pushing a boulder up hill to change that.
What appealed to you about joining Zebra?
At the time I joined Zebra, they had made a large acquisition which tripled the size of the organization. I had a strong background in acquisitions and liked the challenges that came with them. Zebra was known for having a strong collaborative culture and the I knew people that worked at Zebra and had great things to say about it. I also was attracted to the relevance of the tech industry and the interesting work that Zebra was doing. They had a wide and diverse customer base and were known for being an innovative and forward thinking company that valued it’s employees.
Diversity, Inclusion & Talent at Zebra
How have you seen your role and remit shift towards diversity and inclusion?
Zebra has accelerated it’s work on inclusion and diversity over the past several years. At the same time, I took on a role in Talent Acquisition, and attracting diverse talent has become a priority for Zebra. We have made great strides with Inclusion Networks (ERG’s), forming diverse national partnerships and creating a culture where all employees can feel seen, heard, valued and respected.
What plans do you and Zebra have in place to continue increasing the gender diversity of your tech workforce?
Zebra and the teams are working hard to build strong relationships with partners that can help us attract diverse talent. We are educating our Talent Acquisition teams and reviewing our processes to remove biases and building a stronger culture to support gender diversity so that when someone makes the decision to join Zebra, they want to stay with Zebra.
What do you think makes someone stand out as a strong candidate for your organisation?
A strong candidate for Zebra is aligned with our values of teamwork, integrity, agility, accountability and innovation. They are highly collaborative, resilient and have the ability to get things done.
What You’ve Learnt Along the Way
As a senior female leader – what advice would you give to younger women at the start of their career?
- Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to voice your opinion
- Be open to stepping into the uncomfortable zones which can bring high growth
- Always make sure you are financially wise with your resources so that you have options
What do you think companies can do to ensure COVID19 doesn’t decrease representation of women in the workforce?
- Communicate, truly activate and maximize flexible working and schedules
- Reward results based on different working styles (introvert, extrovert, etc.)
- Create and communicate meaningful strategies which includes saying no to activity that does not fit in
- Work to educate team members on recognizing and eliminating biases
- Create champions and mentors for inclusion and diversity within the businesses.
3 lessons you’ve learnt throughout your career?
- Listen closely and learn to meet people where they are
- Observe what people are best at and help them get into situations to realize and maximize that potential
- We always have choices on the situations we choose to attach ourselves to
Finally: what’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Early in my career, I was struggling with feeling valued in a role and a good friend told me “If an audience does not like your music, go play for a different audience”. In other words, sometimes it’s necessary to make a career move or organization move to be true to yourself.
To find out more about Denise Snep and Zebra Technologies – check out their Company Profile for more information about their culture, team, working life and jobs.
