Sarah Jane Cuenca

Helpdesk Support Team Lead

Sarah helps her team members to meet the needs of Civica's customers, including by being responsible for onsite technical software support to end users. 

Why is it important for women to support each other in the workplace?

The support of other women enhances our self-esteem. You spend so much of your life at work that you must be happy and comfortable with the people you work with. You must make them feel respected, have open communication and develop a closer working relationship – especially when women may not feel totally included. Be yourself, be a support system and help anyone in need if you can and also request their support too. Altogether, you’ll have a positive working environment.

How do you think gender equal workplaces can be achieved?

I’d say it comes down to respect, which is very important regardless of gender. Every employee must be given a chance to prove themselves and we should all respect the personal preferences of our colleagues too. When there’s respect, there’s equality.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced, or bias you’ve fought, to get to the position you’re in now?

When I first joined Civica, I was the youngest team member. At that point, I was the sole woman too which felt initially challenging. However, that never stopped me, and shouldn’t stop anyone, from learning and being active in work. Civica is very passionate about reward and recognition too, so being praised and feeling appreciated by colleagues made a massive difference to feeling that I was on track. Now I lead my team, and being a former member certainly helps me to understand how to support colleagues at the beginning of their careers too.

What more can women do to motivate each other in the workplace?

Women play a significant role in any workplace so we should always feel confident and empowered in order for our ideas to be heard. We should all be given the opportunity to work at our best and simply feel supported by our peers too. Women should also recognise other women for doing a good job – it makes us feel unstoppable!