The Salesforce Talent Alliance team works hard to connect net-new talent from diverse backgrounds with Salesforce partners to help fill the the demand for certified practitioners. Eloise Lloyd, who leads the efforts in the APAC region, reflects on International Women’s Day activities at Salesforce, and how companies adapting to the changing work environment can help open up opportunities for women in the Salesforce ecosystem.
In my recent article on International Women's Day 2022 (IWD 2022), I highlighted how the pandemic has helped women in the workforce. I received some great feedback and excellent suggestions for related issues that have prompted me to revisit the topic.
I had some fantastic input from Jane Beck, the Salesforce Country Lead for Slalom in Australia. She made a great point that, with many people now returning to the office, those of us who are still able to work mostly from home may be subject to proximity bias. What’s that you ask? Proximity bias refers to the very real challenge in which those who aren’t in the office can miss out on information and opportunities because they’re just not in the room.
Jane also told me about a female mentor who had helped advance her career. This very strong and capable female executive was naturally an extrovert—she was more likely to be included in meetings and social activities than other team members who are less outgoing. These two points are definitely related.
What does “good” look like?
Let’s look at how leaders can understand what “good” looks like—not just when it comes to employees. A certain stereotype exists about how “successful” men act in the workplace, and that, in order to achieve similar success, women need to act the same way. That is not equality. A progressive company must undertake training that teaches us how to recognize potential in everyone—including those who, for whatever reason, are not in the office, attending functions, or traveling for work.
The hybrid work experience is here to stay, but it takes awhile for everyone to understand the value of this business model. I asked my colleague Erin Williams, the RVP, Industry Sales & Success, Alliances & Channels, about her experience. Erin said:
"When I graduated high school in 1995, one of our students wrote a poem. In it was the line, "We are the class of '95, and we will never work from 9-5." Whether it was written by a student rebelling against the institution of modern life, or an insight into a generation that was looking for more than that, I grew up looking to be productive and enjoy the spoils that productivity would one day generate. The pandemic has taught us that productivity can coexist with living and working in our local community. Your employer can support your productivity and happiness if they know what "good" looks like for you. A company of one thousand employees is made up of five hundred unique, one-on-one relationships between employer and employee. Design what you want your relationship to look like, commit to it, and ask that you hold each other accountable to it."
That’s what I’m talking about! Stephanie Goveas, our Regional Vice President for Alliances, based in Singapore, added another great point that really connected with me in terms of how we in APAC can learn from each other. She said:
"Having an international career exposes you to different cultures and ways of working. It helps demonstrate your willingness to be flexible, to being open to change, and to your ability to be adventurous and resilient. It expands your network of people, which is hugely important as you work on building out your career."
I totally agree. But I think what’s also important for us now is to look beyond our company, country, and industry, and see how others are succeeding. To understand what “good” looks like takes us recognizing it from many perspectives. We can’t just look at the bottom line—we need to create a culture that attracts and retains great talent. We need to nurture talent in roles that were previously difficult to obtain, find people with outside experience that can provide new ways of thinking, and give them the flexibility they need to be their best.
Success from anywhere—by anyone.
IWD 2022 reinforced my drive to help people from diverse backgrounds gain opportunities in the Salesforce ecosystem through the Salesforce Talent Alliance, which I lead in APAC. It has shown me that the new normal provides flexibility for people from diverse backgrounds to make their mark, as long as companies provide an environment where those in the office, at home, or in hybrid situations are treated with equity.
The Salesforce Success from Anywhere strategy includes the input of many people on the Talent Alliance team. I like this sentence from the explainer: “Our employees are the architects of this strategy, and flexibility will be key going forward. It’s our responsibility as employers to empower our people to get the job done during the schedule that works best for them and their team, and provide flexible options to help make them even more productive.” I couldn’t agree more!
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