OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 32
careerS
Women currently represent 21 per cent
of Nokia Canada's workforce, and that
percentage is expected to further increase
thanks to several programs designed
to promote gender balance in all
business domains.
programming professional
development and gender balance
In 2011, six Nokia employees in France
founded StrongHer, a grassroots
movement and employee network with
antennas around the world that invite
all personnel, regardless of gender, to
participate in think tanks, networking
opportunities and professional
development seminars. As of April 2017,
StrongHer had 2,300+ members in 60+
countries.
Nokia Ottawa launched its own
StrongHer antenna in 2015 to fully
leverage and empower its talent pool.
Through various community-building
initiatives, this StrongHer team of Nokia
volunteers is dedicated to vigilantly
tackling any barriers - both visible and
invisible - that contribute to women's
lower rate of participation in ICT at all
stages of their careers.
"Innate gender-role stereotypes often
create a perceived mismatch between
women and the requirements of jobs that
have traditionally been held by men," says
electrical engineering graduate Melissa
Georghiou, a regional coordinator of
StrongHer Canada. "I was determined
not to be one of the 'statistics,' so when
I caught wind of the global StrongHer
movement, I knew I wanted to bring this
program to our campus."
Every year, the Ottawa antenna hosts
StrongHer events designed to eradicate
institutionalized barriers towards women
in the workplace. Speed networking
events invite female employees to host
rotating tables of eight to ten people to
discuss their work, professional journeys
and experiences on campus. Similarly,
"Spark Series" lunch-and-learns - which
typically see a 50/50 ratio of male to
female participants - also promote
personal and professional development.
Guest speakers discuss everything from
leadership tactics to negotiation skills.
"We invite as many female speakers
as we can to discuss the technology
developed onsite," says Wendy Knight
Agard, Learning Services - Global
Business Development Specialist, who
plays a lead role in organizing the Spark
Series events. "It's important that women
in ICT have relatable colleagues and role
models who inspire them."
Nokia Ottawa's inclusive StrongHer
antenna has strengthened the campus
community by encouraging all employees
to bond over common experiences and
share strategies on how they've overcome
roadblocks throughout their careers.
"We're seeing results," says Knight Agard.
"We're having enough of an impact that
colleagues from across the campus will
regularly stop members of the StrongHer
team to seek career advice."
StrongHer Ottawa's communitybuilding initiatives also encompass
outreach to youths, particularly young
girls. On designated "Girls in ICT Days,"
employees are invited to bring their
children to the Nokia campus to learn
basic Python through fun activities like
"light up hoodie" projects.
ThE chaLLENGE ISN'T ThaT
GIrLS, WOmEN Or aNY OThEr
uNDErrEPrESENTED GrOuPS
arEN'T INTErESTED IN STEm. ThE
rEaL chaLLENGE IS crEaTING aN
ENVIrONmENT ThaT aDDrESSES
uNcONScIOuS BIaS.
- Kelly Ryan, Business Process and
Operational Improvement Specialist
The Ottawa StrongHer antenna is
consequently working alongside senior
leaders to help provide diversity training
for managers, encouraging those in
positions of influence to embrace
and share this content throughout
the company.
March 2018
The VOICe
33
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OSPE - The Voice - March 2018
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - I
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - Cover1
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - Cover2
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 3
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 4
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 5
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 6
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 7
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 8
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 9
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OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 11
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 12
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OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 18
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 19
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 20
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 21
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OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 25
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 26
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OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 32
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 33
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OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 37
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - Cover3
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - Cover4
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