On the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day and Diversity Week, from 8th to 15th March 2024, Xpollens highlights female talents within the company and reaffirms its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The commitment made in 2023 to recruit female talents in all sectors, particularly in technology, commercial functions, operations, and at various levels of responsibility, has borne fruit. The company has made significant progress in team balance, notably achieving 40% female representation on its executive committee and improving its equality index by over 15 points.

To celebrate this commitment, we have given voice to four representative women of Xpollens, thus highlighting their experiences, inspirations, contributions, and perspectives on gender diversity in the workplace.

These women’s voices underscore Xpollens’ emphasis on promoting gender equality and valuing everyone’s talents within the company.
I am very excited to share them with you today!

Here, in six questions, are the viewpoints of Pauline Chabane (Senior Compliance Officer), Stephanie Yip (Engineering Developer), Morgane Lachuer (Data Project Manager), and Kawtar Tamazi (Product Manager):

PC: “Xpollens deeply values gender equality and raises awareness among its employees, and I am proud of it!”

KT: “The culture of equality – not only of genders, by the way – is part of Xpollens’ DNA; it’s something natural within the company. I have never felt, for a single moment or in any way, that I was treated differently from a male colleague holding the same position. I have been able to progress within the company because Xpollens values skills, involvement, and work, without gender distinction.”

ML: “Gender equality on the executive committee is almost achieved. In the data domain, there’s a perfect parity between Engineering and Business Intelligence!”

PC: “Awareness of equality should be conveyed by both women and men. Each is an actor. Personally, my father was one of the people who taught me from a young age to seek equality, and he put my first feminist book in my hands.”

ML: “The action of men is necessary. They can help women gain confidence, naturally speak up, invite them to express what they think, make them realize their potential, and encourage them to apply for positions they feel they’re not qualified for.”

PC: “I don’t particularly have female role models or mentors. I observe the women and men around me. Their strengths and weaknesses inspire me and help me understand who I want to be.”

SY: “I admit… if I’m a passionate developer today, it’s thanks to my cousins who introduced me to video games and made me geek out in turn.”

KT: “Women stand out for their emotional intelligence and empathy at work, which helps them approach professional challenges innovatively. Their leadership approach, more inclusive and collaborative, promotes better decision-making and greater team satisfaction. Their ease with the unexpected and change makes them particularly effective at managing complex and evolving situations. Moreover, women excel in organization, time management, and planning, contributing to increased project efficiency and productivity.”

SY: “Neither is better than the other. The way of analyzing, methods, and approach are different, and in the end, it works, we complement each other!”

ML: “Men and women are complementary and must work together. Women demonstrate more empathy, they are better at adapting, they understand better the difficulty of balancing work and personal life, and they can more easily understand other women. They also show more creativity, which is an asset for moving towards more innovative solutions.”

PC: “For me, these celebrations are important for several reasons. They pay tribute to all the women who have fought and the men who have supported them. They remind us of these inequalities that we tend to forget. And above all, each time they allow me to realize that these rights are recent and that there is still a long way to go.”

PC: “When there is more negative than positive in a professional experience, it’s pointless to hold on.”

PC: “Talking with peers, men or women, helps to realize that sometimes we ask ourselves too many questions or that others ask the same ones, which is reassuring.”

KT: “I would like young women entering the job market or aspiring to leadership roles not to be afraid to try, fail, and rise again to succeed later. You have to fail to learn and persevere to succeed. Forge your own experience; you will learn a lot about yourself and the world around you. Build your path, don’t be afraid to take risks; the first step is always the hardest. But you will never regret daring to do something that seemed right to you.”

SY: “Don’t be afraid to enter the tech field. As long as the passion is there, don’t question whether the profession is more for men than for women.

ML: “Don’t hesitate to highlight and value your work, to communicate about what you do, to show what you do. Don’t hesitate to apply. Don’t stay in the background behind men. The first time is always complicated. After that, it’s easy; it’s a habit to take.”

Once again, the conclusion of this article takes a somewhat personal turn. As a man on this International Women’s Rights Day, I was touched and proud to have gathered and conveyed the words of Pauline, Stephanie, Morgane, and Kawtar. I thank them for our spontaneous and trusting exchanges.

Fabien Wolff – Content Manager