How Identity Has Influenced A Former Chief Human Resources Officer's Career At Cloudera
Britt, a retired SVP of HR/CHRO, notes the predominantly white male environments throughout their tech career, acknowledging the privilege this conferred while also highlighting the frequent experience of being "the only woman in the room." The focus, however, remained on proving relevance and ensuring that their voice was heard, a challenge tackled by continually assessing preparation and communication style, rather than dwelling on identity-based obstacles.
Executive/Leadership, Overcoming Challenges, Communication, Resilience, Technology
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Britt Sellin
Retired - Former SVP of HR /CHRO
Cloudera
UC Berkeley; UCLA extension for an HR certificate post graduation from Berkeley
N/A
Psychology
Technology
Human Resources (HR)
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Being a white woman in predominantly white tech spaces provided certain privileges.
2. It was more important to focus on relevance and impact in meetings rather than solely on identity.
3. To overcome challenges of being the only woman, the speaker focused on preparation and effective communication to ensure relevance and being heard
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a white woman, how has that impacted and helped you navigate your career?
A lot of the spaces I've been in have been primarily white, so let's start with that. I'm privileged in that respect.
In terms of being a woman, I've almost always been the only woman in the room because I've been in a tech environment. It hasn't helped me to think about whether or not I am the only woman in the room.
What's most important for me is whether or not I'm relevant in that room. If I'm not relevant or if people are not listening to me, I have to figure out how to become relevant.
So, I'm either not prepared with the right information or I'm not describing it in the correct way. I see that as something I need to do in order to be successful.