Inclusion in action at SoftwareOne

When Natália Souza graduated from university in the middle of the pandemic, she had to get creative with her job search. Despite her resume brimming with human resources experience, she applied for a sales internship with SoftwareOne, the world’s trusted source for enterprise software and cloud procurement.

“It was a different area than mine, but I imagined it was something I could do,” Natália says.

While it might have felt like an unusual pivot at the moment, that decision laid the groundwork for a rewarding and dynamic career at SoftwareOne — one that would eventually lead Natália back to her true calling, human resources. She credits SoftwareOne’s inclusive workplace for her growth, saying that her “journey from sales intern to HR analyst is evidence of how serious SoftwareOne is about a people-focused culture.”

We sat down with Natália to hear more about how this culture of belonging has fueled her growth, including some of the HR initiatives she’s proud to be a part of.

Building blocks of an inclusive culture

When Natália accepted the sales internship at SoftwareOne, she sensed that the culture was unique.

“I was a bit nervous because it was my first experience in a corporate environment, but everyone was so welcoming and caring that this feeling didn't last long, which is even more impressive given the fact that everything was done online because of the pandemic.”

Natália quickly learned that SoftwareOne has collaborative management committees and took the opportunity to bond with people across various departments.

“At first, I did it to be a part of the Society Impact committee, but our People & Culture team reached out to me to ask if I would like to be on the very first Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) committee. As a member of the LGBTQIAP+ community, I thought it would be a great fit,” Natália says.

“Throughout this time, I had the chance to meet and work with amazing people, people willing to put time and effort into making substantial changes in our environment and adding to a culture of inclusion. There hasn't been one time in which I wasn't able to be myself inside SoftwareOne, and I hear the same thing among my peers, and I believe this is a powerful thing.”

While unbeknownst to her at the time, getting involved in SoftwareOne’s D&I initiatives had farther-reaching implications than simply finding belonging in the company. It also set the stage for her future growth.

The road that led back to human resources

In the middle of Natália's sales internship, her manager asked if she was interested in any other areas of the organization.

“My answer was ‘human resources,’” she says with a smile, “not only because of my background in the area but also because I constantly saw People & Culture initiatives and actions and appreciated them very much.”

Natália was able to start supporting learning and development (L&D) projects for the LATAM region, which eventually led to her receiving a full-time offer on the People & Culture team.

“The switch felt natural to me, as I was increasingly enjoying the L&D area, and once in my new position, I was certain People & Culture was the right place for me.”

Inclusion in action

Natália recognizes that without SoftwareOne’s inclusive culture, she wouldn’t have felt empowered to grow into the role she holds today. To pay it forward, she’s proud to work on several D&I initiatives within the company.

“When we started the D&I committee, our first initiative was the newsletter. We created our own diversity calendar and issued the newsletter monthly with all important dates and explanations so that we could build awareness,” she shares. “We also started promoting lectures, which then evolved to the videocast format we currently use. The committee either contracts a specialist to talk about a subject or invites employees who have personal experience on the matter and conducts the videocast as host. Our Swomies are already familiarized with these and the participation rate is really good and improving every year.”

Natália also played an important role in the development of SoftwareOne’s Academy Returnships (SOAR) program, a 12-week program that helps reintegrate professionals who took a break from the workforce. Currently, she’s working alongside the Marketing Team, Talent Acquisition team, and D&I committee to promote SoftwareOne’s culture of inclusion across social media, in turn attracting more diverse talent into the organization.

“We have a real opportunity to be agents of change when we talk about diversity & inclusion in the corporate environment as not only our words but our actions reverberate in people's professional and personal lives.”

Looking ahead

Natália recently pivoted into a more operational HR role, and she looks forward to expanding her skill set even further.

“I am excited to acquire new knowledge and to meet new people, all while taking on new challenges,” she says. “I am certain that the next year in SoftwareOne is going to give me many opportunities to develop in my role.”

Some upcoming projects include promoting affinity groups that empower women and various racial and ethnic groups, as well as recruiting more team members to join the existing D&I committee.

No matter the work, you could say that Natália has found herself in the perfect symbiotic relationship — by promoting inclusion across SoftwareOne, she’s also furthering her own development.

“Being able to reach so many people inside and outside of the company contributes to my professional and personal growth, and it makes me beyond-proud to be part of these life-changing initiatives for others.”