Break the Bias: International Women’s Day is Cause for Celebration at Ineo

Four Ineo women share how they overcame career challenges, their advice for young women in the industry, and how gender inequality in the professional world still needs addressing.

March 8th is International Women’s Day, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the countless achievements of women all around the globe. This year, IWD 2022 is focusing on the theme #BreakTheBias, intending to educate the world on how we can achieve gender equality through identifying and dismantling the biases women encounter in many aspects of their lives.

To commemorate International Women’s Day, we asked a few of our female employees to speak on their experiences as career-minded professionals and share what celebrating IWD 2022 means to them.

Based on your experiences, what’s the best career advice you can give young women?

“Don’t be afraid to speak up and have a voice at the table. It’s important to be able to communicate your ideas and opinions. Likewise, make sure to set goals for yourself, both short-term and long-term. There are personal and professional goals and, for women, it’s important to have both. There’s a real necessity for work-life balance.”

“As a leader, treat people at all levels with equal respect. Create an environment built on open communication. Trust your instincts, always be professional, and have pride in what you do. Strong work ethic, honesty, and loyalty go a long way.”

“Keep moving forward, and don’t give up if you fail. Show that you’re willing to learn and grow by giving it your all. Most of all: just be yourself.”

“I’ve found that my career aspirations have varied at different points in my professional life, which I think is natural for women in particular. When I first began my career, I had goals that evolved when I became a mother and evolved again as my kids became older and more independent.  

I think it’s important for women to periodically revisit their personal and professional priorities to ensure they’re striking the right balance. I firmly believe that women don’t have to sacrifice one for the other if they wish to accommodate both!”

Can you share a professional experience that helped you grow as a person?

“By working at a major multinational company, that gave me a broad spectrum of understanding a Fortune 100 company culture, understanding the full global mobility arena, and moving employees in over 200 countries. This allowed me to understand the differences within cultures, products, diverse benefit programs, and tax laws”.

“I’m a mother of two, now grown, children. Working in an environment that offered flexibility allowed me to not only work harder but made it possible for me to advance in my career. I consider my experience proof that you can have both a career and a family.” 

“I choose the IT industry because I know that I’m not a salesperson or a public speaker. I like solving big issues and being the brains behind the operation. Though IT professionals have a reputation for not being the best at communication, my job taught me to step outside my comfort zone”. 

Being a part of a smaller company, you wear multiple hats. I never say, ‘No, I don’t want to do that’, even if the task makes me nervous. I choose to lead calls, demos, and projects. The more I do them, the better I get. I’ve grown so much with Ineo, and it truly reflects on my personal life in a very positive way.”

“In my first Manager position, I oversaw a global team. I was only a few years into my career. Despite being in the global mobility industry, I realized I was naive in some of my expectations around conducting business ‘globally’. To succeed in my role, I had to step outside of my experience and familiarize myself with the cultural norms that informed the professional behaviors of my team. It was one of the most challenging times in my career – and one of the most formative (and informative)!”

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

“It means young women in the workforce have support from older generations of women. This shared experience allows them to have a broader scope of personal and professional opportunities. It’s taken away the stereotypical career goals that women were meant to engage with in the past because we’re now working toward a completely gender-equal society. Women these days are no longer just the ‘amazing woman behind the smart man,’ but they’re now alongside those men.”

“It’s a day to celebrate women’s accomplishments, whatever size those accomplishments might be.”

“To honor and acknowledge women worldwide for the contributions we make each day. Big or small, it all matters!”

“I’m particularly moved by a recent story about the Afghan girls’ robotics team that escaped Kabul as it fell to the Taliban. To me, these intelligent, driven, brave girls embody the fundamental tenets of International Women’s Day. Hopefully, by celebrating this day, we’ll continue to bring heightened awareness to women’s plight, particularly in less democratic societies.”

What still needs to be done to allow women to advance in their careers?

“Women’s work-life balance needs to be considered a priority, which requires employers to recognize children as factors in a working mother’s professional life. If employers improve benefits, they’ll realize it results in great rewards.”

“Women need to become each other’s advocates. You can’t be afraid to speak up in the workplace to attain what you want.”

“Women need to be treated as professionals, with equal opportunities and pay. Being treated professionally requires eliminating sexism and discriminatory behavior in the workplace. Companies should also facilitate ways for women looking for more connection and support with their colleagues.”

“I believe that a continued trend toward embracing diversity – not only of gender but more broadly of ideas, values, and experience – is key to enabling anyone with the requisite ambition and work ethic to succeed professionally.” 

Make room for women at the global mobility table

One of the best aspects of the global mobility industry is its inherent diversity. A great global mobility program is committed to inclusivity, supports tolerance, and provides equal opportunities for a diverse mobile workforce. These are fundamental tenets of our industry.

Inclusivity initiatives in global mobility programs add clear and quantifiable value to employers. A more inclusive mobility program benefits companies by increasing their talent pool, achieving higher assignment success and employee retention rates, and supporting a positive brand reputation. 

Build an inclusive global mobility program with Ineo

We’re proud to have such an accomplished group of women involved in leading Ineo and empowering our clients. We believe that all companies can benefit from focusing on employee inclusivity. Contact us today to learn more about how our custom mobility program solutions can help support your diverse mobility program. 

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