In Her Words: Marlous, VP Excellence & Transformation at KPN

What do you love about your job and your employer?

I love transforming KPN to new (technology) horizons, enabling new technologies to support our customers, and phase out outdated technology. Within KPN Customer Delivery I can play a vital role in impacting businesses and customers with the best connectivity (Fiber/PON) and the best personal service (our own KPN Engineers). My department enables 1,000 KPN engineers with the right skills, tooling and IT. The place where technology meets humanity, every day.

KPN is the type of employer who helps you grow towards different roles and explore new skills.Thanks to KPN, I am able to reinvent my career from commerce to technology, from strategic to operational. For me personally, this is important, as a diversity of roles keeps me enthusiastic, eager and motivated to get the best out of myself, every day.

Have you faced any barriers as a woman in tech, and how did you overcome them?

When entering the tech world, I had the feeling I had to prove myself twice. Because there is a quota to hire women in Tech (which is positive!) I didn’t only have to prove I was the best candidate during the job interview. I also have to prove myself to my new colleagues that I was not just hired because I am a woman. I always trust in myself and my own strengths, confronted remarks directly at the spot and not rethinking remarks afterwards.

I also trained myself to recognize the learning phases of Maslow based on (un)conscious (in)competent behaviour. I (try to) recognize it when colleagues are unconscious incompetent about diversity and bias against woman and start a conversation to create more consciousness. This also helps me reflecting that critical reactions are not something that tells something about me, but more about the persons who gives it.

How do you advocate for diversity and inclusion within your company or the tech community?

I always focus on my inner circle first, my own department. A well-functioning team is a team where each team member is a part of a puzzle. When a piece is missing, the puzzle is not complete and has a low value. All these puzzle pieces are based on the skills of people, which are founded on their backgrounds. Different cultures, different ages and different genders are needed to create a well-functioning department and a great team. For example, I often work with trainees/interns to rebalance the age diversity and next to that I focus on a balance of men and women with each hire.

Can you share a story where you or your employer helped to create a more inclusive environment?

Within a former department, mostly Dutch-speaking men stayed, while others left the department to seek a new job. To be able to change to a more diverse population not only new hires were needed, but also an open mind from the current people working within the department. An acceptance was needed regarding e.g. a four-day working week, conversations in English instead of Dutch only at the coffee machine, potentially lowering the bar (vacancy from senior to medior/junior) to address young(er) people. Next to that, also the women within the department played a bigger role in hiring new women, and HR supported in looking beyond the inner circle of male candidates via LinkedIn search on women in tech.

Eventually people within the department became more conscious of their behaviour. This helped in embracing new colleagues and making them want to stay within the department.

What changes do you hope to see in the tech industry regarding gender equality in the next five years?

There is a transformation ongoing where more women lean toward the tech industry than in the past. I hope this trend continues and in the future, there is a more balanced, strong industry. I do feel that more often, women leave the industry than men. I believe this is partly based on the difference in how we network with peers. More consciousness about this can help keep women in the industry, for example, when an organization changes.

What needs to happen in the tech industry to contribute to building a more inclusive industry?

More consciousness about the different cultures and backgrounds and how small things can change from an unwelcome to a welcome feeling.This includes, on one hand, consciousness and respecting each other's traditions, festivities and needs. On the other hand, consciousness of the view of women within different cultures, and how this can affect the way you see someone at work. And sometimes I feel that I, as a woman, am more critical on other women. So evaluate your own actions and become consciously aware of the things you have to learn about inclusivity. I learn every day.