Before accepting a job in tech sales, I wanted to know that I had the same opportunities available to my male colleagues. I’m competitive and driven, and I wanted to know the competition was fair.

In the 18 months I’ve worked at Fivetran, I’ve been hired and promoted by female leaders in the sales organization. 

Earlier in my career, I had read about saleswomen who said they didn’t feel like their voices were heard in meetings or in conversations with managers. With an employer like Fivetran, I not only felt free to offer my opinion, I was asked for my opinion. 

Building a diverse and inclusive culture

A big part of attracting and retaining different voices means recruiting from alternative talent sources or hiring people with unconventional backgrounds.

Technology seemed like a natural fit for me because of my interest in data. In college, I was preparing for a journalism career as a data reporter when I discovered how data can unveil never-before-seen insights.

Later, after realizing I enjoyed building relationships with sources more than I liked writing about them, I left journalism and got into sales. Still, my interest in data never faded.

Now, in my role as an account executive, instead of using data to shine a light on issues involving taxes, finance or politics, I help equip companies with the data tools they need to increase employee efficiency, spot critical business trends or recognize when a piece of equipment needs replacing.

Another way companies can make themselves more attractive to women, especially in the era of the Great Resignation, is to help nurture community within the ranks. Like a lot of people, I often felt isolated working from home during the early part of the pandemic. At Fivetran, building a collaborative workplace culture and employee community goes beyond the workday.

Encouraging people to attend after-hours gatherings where they can learn more about each other is important. People often forge important relationships at work, and some of my coworkers are now very close friends of mine.

Creating an intentional space for women+ to collaborate

Alongside attending office happy hours and outings, I’ve also found value in attending employee resource group (ERG) events. ERGs like Fivetran Women+ and 7ERG promote inclusive and safe spaces for self-identifying members and allies who want to have a social impact as well as develop their careers with employees similar to themselves.  

Most recently, Fivetran 7ERG hosted a happy hour for Trans Visibility Day. Employees were invited to watch a film screening of Disclosure, a documentary that sheds light on trans representation in the media, and discuss how we as Fivetranners can do more to encourage representation at the company.

Making training and personal development a priority 

Becoming a more attractive workplace to people from different walks of life and backgrounds also requires that tech companies provide the support and training that allow everyone to thrive.  

Despite my lack of extensive experience in tech, Fivetran hired me and has invested in helping me build and refine my career goals. Thanks to our Fivetran Learns program, the company covered my enrollment in a 12-week sales training course, which allowed me to improve my outbound strategy and increase my number of meetings booked. 

My managers provided me with clear expectations and monthly targets I needed to exceed in order to achieve my own professional goals.  It’s a transparent culture like this that will bring more women into tech sales.

We’d love to hear from anyone interested in joining Fivetran. We’re hiring for dozens of positions across all departments and regions. Check out our careers page to learn more, and please get in touch!