Empowering Women at Dell EMC

Female empowerment and the importance of diversity at the workplace has for a long time been, and still is a very hot topic across different industries, nonetheless the IT industry. Many IT companies are known to be modern and forward-thinking. Therefore, I would like to dedicate this blogpost to what my workplace, Dell EMC, is doing for that matter and how we are driving the topic of diversity and inclusion forward.

women in it panel at dell world 2014

In June 2017, I graduated from Stockholm University with a Master´s degree in Business Management. I dreamt about a career in organizational management, focusing specifically on female leadership. Today, I am working as a sales representative at one of the largest IT companies in the world. How did that happen you may ask?

It all started when I met people from Dell EMC at a career fair where they introduced me to the graduate sales trainee program that the company runs in the EMEA region. They showcased a company culture that aligned with my own personal values: such as innovation, integrity and teamwork, and I knew that this company would enable me to develop and grow in a way that will allow me to pursue my dreams, within the IT industry.

Female empowerment at Dell EMC

At Dell EMC, there are several initiatives to address the topic of female empowerment and to take action towards a better workplace. As a matter of fact, there is a strategy for diversity and inclusion that Dell EMC acts according to. The strategy is based on three steps:

  • creating a workplace that embraces diversity,
  • grow external relations with different organizations and groups in the society,
  • build a diversified workforce

It is a strategy that Dell EMC is working on in order to make sure everyone in the organization is being heard, understood, respected and, not the least, feel comfortable to influence where the company is heading.

enabling women to grow and thrive by creating connections and providing leadership and expertise to deliver on the promise of Dell´s strategy.

As of today, I have been working at Dell EMC for seven months and here are some activities that I have already been able to experience during my graduate year regarding female empowerment at our workplace.

Women in Action: Women in Action is an ERG (Employee resource group) at Dell EMC that enable women to grow and thrive by creating connections and providing leadership and expertise to deliver on the promise of Dell´s strategy. This has set an environment for me and other women at the company to have a significant influence on the company and the IT industry.

Women at Dell mentor program: This mentor program is an initiative by Women in Action and three additional ERG’s in Sweden who came together to launch a program for both junior and senior women at the workplace. The purpose of this program is to empower women in their career, and with that, raise the number of women hired at the Swedish site. During this program, we have had sessions where we have been able to identify key objectives that enable us to grow and reach our goals with confidence.

Each woman that has chosen to attend this program has been assigned a mentor or novice, as was I. My mentor and I have had several meet-ups so far and not only is she supporting me in my everyday work, but also challenging me and thus enabling me to learn more and broaden my perspectives.

MARC training session: Dell is the first company in the IT industry to implement the ‘Men Advocating Real Change’ training for its employees. It is an interactive course created by the non-profit, Catalyst, and is designed to engage leaders in creating a more inclusive work environment. This initiative has been embraced by Michael Dell and in Sweden it is lead by our vice president.

Driving human progress

As I have mentioned, I am working as a sales representative at one of the largest IT companies in the world, which means that I am now helping organizations to develop and grow by providing them the IT solutions they need and still be able to combine my passion for female empowerment in my everyday work. Working in the IT industry was not at the top of my mind when I imagined a career in organizational management. But the opportunity came to me, I took it, and it turned out to be a perfect way for me to contribute, learn and grow. This is for me a game changer, and I will be right here, a part of making that happen or as Michael Dell would say it: “Driving human progress though IT”. Isn´t that amazing?


Are you interested in reading more about the EMEA graduate program? See the articles below:

Graduate life at Dell: What I learned during my first months at Dell EMC

Graduate life at Dell: Entrepreneurship in a global corporation

Graduate life at Dell: An invitation to Amsterdam

Graduate life at Dell: My first two months at DELL EMC

About the Author: Farah Chith

Farah works as an Account Manager at Dell EMC in Stockholm, Sweden. She joined the EMEA graduate program in September 2017 where she rotated between different business units and worked with graduates from around the EMEA region in order to gain broad knowledge of the organization. Her academic background contains master’s studies in business management from Stockholm University and Universidad Pontifica de Comillas in Madrid. Farah has previous experience in banking and has also been engaged in an organization empowering female leadership between the Scandinavian countries and the Middle East.