In the spirit of International Women’s Day (March 8th) and as a company with over 70% female employees, we are proud to kickstart our D&I series with the topic of “Women in Tech.”
Here, we have Gayathri Vanamoorthy, based in India, who will share insights on what’s it like to be a Women in Tech.
GoGlobal: Hi Gayathri! Can you tell us about yourself?
Gayathri: There are so many roles each of us does throughout our day. So, I will try to summarize the best I can. I am an IT Manager at GoGlobal where I work with GoGlobal teams all over the world supporting them in their day-to-day IT requirements as well as working alongside the management team on improving operational efficiencies through automation. I am a mother to 5-year-old twins, and I am a teacher of Indian classical dance – Bharatanatyam – and have been running a dance school for the last 5 years in Chennai. I currently have about 80 students across India, Middle East, and the US.
GoGlobal: Can you share what a typical workday for you is like?
Gayathri: I start my day relatively early. I am up by 6AM and after a morning dance class for my US-based students and / or a bit of exercise, I start my official work around 7:30 AM. I then take a short break around 9AM to get my kids ready for their online school, then I’m back to work. Since both my husband and I work from home, we have lunch with our kids as a family. Some evenings, I spend time teaching at my dance school, working with young students and preparing for performances.
GoGlobal: What’s it like working at GoGlobal?
Gayathri: GoGlobal is one of the best places I have worked in my professional career. I love that everyone right from the CEO is very approachable and that you can talk to anyone in the company anytime. It’s a joy to work with my colleagues across the globe and interacting with them on a day-to-day basis – people here are always open to discuss new ideas, and everyone’s been extremely helpful. In the short period that I have been here, I have had a lot of help from colleagues and seniors as I spent time understanding the organization and the systems and scaling up my own knowledge of what is required in my role.
Overall, working here has been a rewarding and fulfilling experience – the work is challenging, but it’s interesting and fun to do. And a job well done is always recognized and universally appreciated! Also, there is no dearth of opportunities here for good performers.
GoGlobal: How did you decide to go into tech field?
Gayathri: I am a post-graduate in Management, specializing in Finance from a premier business school in India. Yes, you read that right. I didn’t graduate in engineering or technology. In my first corporate stint, I worked as an analyst supporting global investment banks for 7 years – initially I was the only woman on the team, and my colleagues were unsure of how I would cope as most of the intensive analytical work was done in Excel that required advanced Excel skills. So, in addition to my regular work, I learnt VBA and started supporting the team in automation tasks. Since then, I have always been fascinated by automation and building efficiencies.
GoGlobal: What does it feel like being a woman in tech?
Gayathri: Unlike Finance or Tax laws which requires you to know the regional laws and doesn’t hold good outside of a defined geography, there is no boundary in technology. It applies universally across the globe. It is a constantly changing landscape, but if you can keep yourself updated, it is a rewarding experience. There are more women entering technology with every passing year and it is great to see that.
GoGlobal: Do you feel that there are any downsides? Have you ever felt that gender has affected negatively in the tech industry?
Gayathri: Culture plays a part in our society where gender-based responsibilities do exist, more on the personal front than professional one. While tech might have been a male dominated industry in the past and women had to work very hard to smash through the glass ceiling, things are no longer the same. Women form a large part of the tech workforce in India, across departments and levels. Balancing family responsibilities along with professional commitments still continues to be a challenge. But, I think work from home (WFH) is here to stay in some form or the other and has the potential for an improved work / life balance.
GoGlobal: Looking at current industry trends, do you think it is getting easier or harder for women who wants to thrive in the tech field?
Gayathri: It is definitely easier, I think. With WFH gaining greater acceptance and corporates seeing the longer-term benefits, the immediate impact would be to bring more women back into the tech world – especially those IT professionals on extended maternity breaks and are concerned about juggling both professional and personal responsibilities. I believe the ‘hire anywhere, anytime’ model that GoGlobal helps facilitate for its clients through its EOR service would bridge a massive gap between demand for experienced tech professionals, with greater opportunities for talented tech women across the world. So, it is definitely an exciting trend for us in India! Some of GoGlobal’s biggest clients – US tech giants – are leveraging this service to access the amazing talent pool in India.
GoGlobal: Do you have any advice for women entering the tech field?
Gayathri: Work smart. As women, we have to wear many hats and balance many things. So, working smart is the way to go. Always, look for opportunities around you. There are always new things to learn, keep learning, and keep innovating.