When a company’s mission involves building trust worldwide, that quality has to resonate internally, as well.
At Telesign, a provider of digital identity and programmable communications solutions, trust is not just a part of its core values, it’s a characteristic of the workplace culture that is actively cultivated.
One of the newest initiatives to build trust among its team is the company’s first employee resource group, Women@Telesign.
“Women@Telesign began at our corporate headquarters, but it is now expanding to other parts of the world to ensure that women from all over the globe are seen and heard.,” said Swati Vutukuri, a program manager on the Tech Ops team who also serves on the leadership team of Women@Telesign.
Built In recently sat down with Vutukuri to learn more about the new ERG, and she explained that the group’s formation and initiatives have been very intentional, following three core pillars that underlie all programming: ‘advance,’ ‘celebrate’ and ‘educate.’ Aligning on these pillars were diverse minds, Vutukuri noted, as the ERG’s leadership team come “from different walks of life” and bring a variety of perspectives to the table.
This discourse and engagement have been motivating to Vutukuri, but not as motivating as seeing the impact of the organization on the women of Telesign — and in her own life.
“Being a part of W@TS Leadership has given me a different level of pride and fulfillment when I think about work,” she said. “This impacts my personal life in a meaningful way.”
Read more from the interview below.
Tell us about Women@Telesign: What’s the mission? What makes it unique?
Women@Telesign is a supportive network for women that commits to celebrating authenticity, encouraging a growth mindset and building allyship companywide. Our pillars are: ‘advocate,’ ‘celebrate’ and ‘educate.’ These themes are the backbone and motivation for our programming.
Ours is actually the first employee resource group at Telesign, so we all took the responsibility very seriously because we wanted to not only do our best to serve this community, but also set a standard for future ERGs.
I think the W@TS ERG really stands out because all the leadership members are truly from different walks of life and come from diverse backgrounds and thought mentalities. Among the leadership members, we have a C-level executive sponsor as well as a DEI leader, both of whom help the group brainstorm ideas, recruit speakers and establish companywide recognition.
Embracing our differences, encouraging and supporting each other’s strengths and prioritizing the feeling of fulfillment is what sets our ERG apart.
“Embracing our differences, encouraging and supporting each other’s strengths and prioritizing the feeling of fulfillment is what sets our ERG apart.”
What’s the inspiration behind some of the ERGs initiatives so far?
Since its conception, the W@TS ERG wanted to make sure we were making the most out of each engagement we have with the group. Our ‘advocate,’ ‘celebrate’ and ‘educate’ pillars are the themes and motivation for all of our programming.
So far, we have: launched a buddy system to help strengthen our network within Telesign; invited an external speaker focusing on how to best advocate for ourselves at work and in our daily lives; held a town hall meeting about our staff engagement survey; and hosted various social events globally to nurture friendships and camaraderie in a safe space.
Our buddy system has received a lot of positive feedback and opened a new avenue to cultivate stronger relationships.
Apart from creating safe and fun spaces for the women at Telesign, we are looking forward to hosting some volunteer-centric initiatives and skills labs for the remainder of the year.
How does the group’s work fit into the larger mission of the company?
Telesign is largely about building trust, and that is what our ERG is about. We cultivate that trust by creating programs that will benefit this community. We encourage an honest and open environment so that women feel like they have a stress-free outlet to feel seen and heard. We advocate for continuous improvement by raising awareness around issues that are important to women.
What does a Women@Telesign meeting look like?
A team meeting generally consists of a few main facets. The ERG leadership team really has a strong bond, and we always leave room in case someone needs to unload about something work or life related or if we simply just want to catch up on any highlights from the week. We move on to either discussing details of any upcoming events or gather feedback if any support is needed from any of us. All of us love to get things done and we often find ourselves excited about the endless possibilities for future events and how to better serve the women at Telesign.
“All of us love to get things done, and we often find ourselves excited about the endless possibilities for how to better serve the women at Telesign.”
How does your role in Women@Telesign impact you personally?
Having a role in hosting and organizing these events mean so much to me and the rest of the W@TS leadership team. It’s a great honor to be able to contribute to improving the wellness of women at Telesign through this ERG.
Every day, whether it is from a story someone shared on our #women-at-telesign Slack channel or a planning meeting with the ERG leadership, I’m continuously learning and opening my mind and heart to the experiences of other women.
