Women In Zzoomm: Sam Romanek
Senior HR Manager and Talent Manager Samantha Romanek - Chartered MCIPD has been with championing gender diversity here at Zzoomm, by being a key player in the Diversity and Inclusion group (DIGZ) and orchestrating the Women In Zzoomm conference being held on the 13th of October 2022.
We reached out to Sam to learn more about her career, leadership style and her advice for women coming to Zzoomm. Here are Sam's words.
My leadership style at its core is based on collaboration, I value the opinions of those in my team and therefore I aim to seek their thoughts to make a more balanced decision. What is good about Zzoomm is that there are no setbacks when leading men within a team as a woman. Everyone’s voice is valued.
I took the step to move into a leadership role because I have this strong motivation to continue to grow my career. I am at ease when leading a team, as I enjoy helping others develop their careers. I think that women in senior positions give a real balanced approach to decision-making within the workforce.
As a woman, I think one of the biggest barriers in our careers is childcare. There is pressure for us to look after children and the home, which can set our career trajectory back as other things become a priority. It can be a very hard balancing act, one of which doesn’t necessarily get recognised.
In terms of a work/ life balance, we all do struggle, both women and men, I know I am still struggling from time to time.
As leaders and businesses, we must recognise that women in the workplace, especially mothers may have additional responsibilities, that impact their time both in and outside the workplace. That’s why at Zzoomm we have other flexibility and hybrid working, found in our Family Friendly policies. These are available to both women and men.
When developing our leadership skills, more often we need to look within as there is a lot to be said for our self-belief. Imposter syndrome can sink in, but it is good to recognise it, power through it and say “you can do this”.
My advice to women is that you are good enough, there is value in your voice and you should let that voice be heard.
To those women looking to build a legacy here at Zzoomm, just know everyone belongs here. Full Fibre may look like a male-dominated industry, but here at Zzoomm, we have women in engineering roles and leadership positions. Women can flourish here just as much as their male counterparts.