For Coloradans living in the mountains, waiting for a pass to be cleared of snow can mean waiting all winter. Sometimes the most direct route just isn’t an option.
Similarly, when Kelsey Creeley hits a roadblock to building equity in the workplace, she doesn’t wait for someone else to clear the way — she finds her own route.
“I’ve found it’s better to not wait for someone to create an official process,” Creeley said. In her time at communications technology company Zoom, that has meant finding opportunities to seek mentors to support her own growth and also serving as a mentor to other women within the company.
Instead of waiting for systems to catch up, Creeley is committed to building her own systems to support other women in the workplace, whether as a leader of the employee resource group Women@Zoom or by serving as a champion for women seeking roles that may be slightly out of their expertise or comfort zone.
Creeley’s drive to champion other women in the workplace is one step toward bucking trends and supporting greater equity. According to LinkedIn’s Gender Insight report, women are 16 percent less likely to apply to a job after viewing it and apply to 20 percent fewer jobs than men throughout the course of their job search.
Built In Colorado heard from Creeley about her experience giving back to other women in tech and what drives her to keep pushing for greater workplace equity.
Tell us about an instance of giving back to fellow women in tech that was particularly fulfilling for you.
At my previous company, I was in the position of needing to hire for four open positions, and I filled three of them with women. While many of the women I hired had backgrounds in project management, executive assistant or analyst roles, most did not have much experience in the true technical side. But they met every need our team had in terms of being detail-oriented, methodical and great at problem solving. Every single one of them thrived while being taught the technical elements of the job. That opportunity has opened many doors for each of them by offering them the opportunity to build technical skills.
I’ve found that too often people are fixated on hiring someone with experience in a specific area rather than hiring based on the skills needed to thrive in that area. There are many ways to prove skills and abilities outside the usual expectations. There will always be instances where prior experience is necessary, but by re-evaluating and challenging misconceptions about what would be required to succeed, I was able to hire three truly solid individuals.
When giving other women the chance to level up, my focus is about paying forward the benefits I have already received.”
What drives you to give back to other women in the workplace?
When giving other women the chance to level up, my focus is about paying forward the benefits I have already received. Throughout my career, I’ve built an incredible network that has repeatedly given me opportunities and taken chances on me when I haven’t always met the criteria. I absolutely would not be where I am without the faith those individuals had in me.
Sometimes that’s all it takes to overcome obstacles that have been put in your way — someone having a little faith in you. But that’s often a big ask in the fast-paced world of hiring. It’s much easier to scan a resume, ask a few boilerplate questions and pick based on checkboxes. However, I’ve repeatedly found myself taking the time to look beyond the resume. Sometimes taking a gamble based on someone’s proven skills pays off more than you could ever imagine.
