Meet Sara Long who joined ABB in 2008 as a graduate engineer on the ABB Australia Graduate Program after completing her Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at Monash University. Her current role is split between service sales and strategic account management. As a service sales engineer, she helps customers solve their automation problems and ensure they have the support they need to keep their operations running as smoothly as possible. As the BHP Strategic Account Manager in Australia, she considers herself BHP’s advocate within and ensures that the ABB team are adequately armed with the right information to position ABB as the provider of choice when standing in front of BHP.
What does balance mean for you and how are you seeking to achieve this at ABB?
Balance refers to a working environment that is not skewed to one perspective or voice. Bringing different perspectives into the conversation fosters many positive factors e.g. creativity, tolerance, collaboration, and increased productivity, that are an imperative in creating a high-performance team. As a female in a male dominated working environment, I am conscious of making sure my voice is heard, when appropriate, whilst also encouraging other colleagues who also have an opinion on the matter at hand but may hold back out of fear. I also hope that by making my voice heard, I can serve as a role model for the next generation to show that they can add value to the conversation and speak up.
Have you faced any gender-specific challenges in your career thus far; if yes, how have you addressed them?
In blatant terms, I would say no, but, I have in previous instances – though this may have been somewhat self-imposed – felt that I had to work harder than my male peers to earn the same level of respect, which is only emphasized in a technical environment. Generally, though, I find that the mindset is changing now that an awareness of the issue has been brought to the forefront.
What role do you think men can play in bringing better balance in the workplace?
It is necessary for men to be involved in promoting balance in the workplace, particularly in those organizations where they dominate the senior levels of management. Their support can be shown in different ways, from simply modelling the that promote a balanced workplace to proactively championing or sponsoring talented females into key roles. Balance drives a better working world.
What can ABB do to improve its focus on gender diversity and inclusion?
As one of the leaders in digital technology, we are in an industry that does not traditionally attract a diverse talent pool, thus we need to question how we are being perceived by these other candidates and aim to be a place people – from all walks of life – want to work. This may mean becoming more involved in partnering with educational institutions and being present in the candidate’s schooling years, or being active in the fight against climate change, or changing our working processes to allow flexibility in the workplace.
What do you believe will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?
We should have a focus on continuous improvement. We have come a long way where the issue of gender equality is now at the forefront of our conversations, however, I find this is only really emphasized in the boardroom. This mindset also needs to be found in our homes, where our children need to be taught that your gender does not cap your capabilities nor limit your opportunities. This will be the biggest challenge for the next generation.
