The History, Current State & Future of Diversity in PreSales Engineering

 

DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT.

But, hiring a diverse team is easier said than done, especially in the world of PreSales Engineering.

That said, data on who has been included in the PreSales Engineering space is limited, so in partnership with the PreSales Collective, we hosted a webinar to uncover the field’s history, current state, and future opportunities.

The panel of PreSales experts included: Cindy Goodwin-Sak, Vice President of Global Security Sales Engineering Organization at Cisco, Tia Hopkins, VP of Global Solutions Engineering at eSentire, and James Kaikis, Co-Founder at PreSales Collective, moderated by Ali Alizadeh, Director of Technical Sales, and Kaitlyn Tissington-Turner, Sr. Executive Search Associate, from Sales Talent Agency.

 

A few of our top takeaways from the session include:

6:50 – There is diversity in PreSales today, more than ever before. There is still bias, but the conversation has changed significantly, and progress has been made. However, as of today, only 15% of the PreSales workforce is women.

24:30 – Making diverse hires doesn’t necessarily mean that you are aiding in diversity and inclusion. Organizations must follow through with a culture that promotes retention by fostering a welcoming environment and showing a clear career trajectory for all employees, no matter who they are.

32:13 – Having a top-down diversity strategy enables movement within an organization, with one of the key advantages lying in increased profitability. By diversifying leadership and promoting an inclusive workplace, more ideas and experiences can be drawn from, leading to more innovation and marketable solutions.

36:34 – Increased diversity starts with the organization. Organizations that demonstrate diversity throughout their leadership teams, departments, and interview panels will invite a greater diversity of applicants who see themselves reflected in that company.

 

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