EMPLOYER TESTIMONIAL | Convergint Technologies
There’s plenty of “convergent” synergies between Convergint Technologies and Gotara. We’re both all about championing women in STEM+. We do it through our just-in-time and in-depth nano-learning services and Convergint created its innovativ Convergint Women Connect program to create growth opportunities and experiences for their talent. One of those experiences is working with us! Gotara was chosen to partner with them to offer its in-depth nano-learning STAR programs to employees.
In this conversation with Gotara founder and CEO D. Sangeeta and Bhuvana Badrinathan, the CIO for Convergint Technologies, they explore Convergint’s talent strategies and how Gotara helps them achieve their goals for their STEM+ women.
Q & A | Gotara + Convergint Technologies
What’s your company’s strategy for attracting top STEM+ women?
“I’ll tell you that the company is very big on inclusion and diversity. In 2018, we began an initiative called Convergint Women Connect. The goal is to increase the number of women and women leaders at Convergint, lift underrepresented women’s voices, and make Convergint an inclusive environment for all women. We also have a CDP program called the Convergint Development Program, where we recruit college graduates. We also did interviews with a security magazine to get more women thinking that security is not a male game.”
Why did you want your STEM+ women to enrol in our in-depth nano-learning programs?
“I like the fact that it’s specifically geared towards women. Through Convergint Women Connect, I recently did a webinar called A Day in the Life, where I discussed my background and how I felt about being a woman in a male-dominated world. But you know, I was never brought up to think there were male and female [roles].”
“I’ve been in companies where it’s been all men, but it never struck me that, ‘Oh, what am I doing here?’ I always thought, ‘Why aren’t there more women?” But I never thought, ‘How can I succeed in a man’s world?’ I just thought, ‘How can I be successful?’ But not everybody’s like me. They come from different backgrounds where maybe they were told to be homemakers versus professional women. I believe that many of us can get into the STEM field. I think women, in general, tend to limit themselves, for whatever reason, where men naturally beat their drums and say, ‘Oh, I can do this or that!’ Women won’t say that until they know 99.5% that they can do it, they won’t even volunteer. We can get into any field we so desire and choose, providing we’re willing to put the work into it.”
What about Gotara’s “just-in-time” nano-learning? How did it fulfil a need for your STEM+ talent?
“What intrigued me about Gotara was its timely help. ‘I’ve got a problem right now! Let me text [an advisor], let me reach out and get an answer to my specific question that I’ve got. How would somebody else do it?’ I always think that we tend to look at a problem or situation based on our prior experiences. So, looking at it from another person’s point of view and learning from their experience is phenomenal—especially learning from a female experience for those women who weren’t brought up like me.”
What’s unique about your culture at Convergint Technologies?
“This company uses its values; it’s a living document. Whenever we have a problem, question, or acquisition, the decision is based on our values and beliefs. Here’s an example that shows how we live by these principles. When the company was founded 20 years ago, the muse behind it was the movie Caddyshack, because one of our values was having fun. Two years ago, a female colleague wrote to the CEO and said that the film didn’t depict what the company stands for. It took courage for her to speak up, and it took courage for the founders and leaders to say, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ So we made some changes.. Everyone has a voice here, and you’re listened to.”
Interested in learning more about Gotara’s STAR Programs? Let’s connect.
