Nicola Hills, VP of Engineering at Personio

Software engineering and product development is my specialisation - and I have had a wide range of experience across the industry. I had a brilliant 22-year long career at IBM, working across a number of roles, which I really loved. But I fancied a change, and decided to take the plunge and become the Head of Engineering at a small financial services software company for a different experience.

I then went on to work for Snyk, a company in hyper-growth mode where I worked to rapidly grow a new engineering team. I joined Personio this year for the same reason, to be a part of a company and its growth mission. I am now leading an ever growing team of engineers working on the technology that is at the heart of the Personio products. In the current economic environment, working on tech which helps businesses run more productively has never been more important.

What led you to join Personio in particular?

The core pull for me to join Personio was the company culture. I explored a number of exciting job opportunities but I knew what was most important to me in my search was a company who truly lived their values. For example, Personio put huge emphasis on transparency and impact and these values are truly incorporated into the lives of employees, every single day. The positive and caring environment also facilitates a high level of trust and respect amongst colleagues, making it so much easier to do my job!

What was your motivation for pursuing a career in tech?

My father worked in computing so I’ve always been curious about a career in tech. I knew a career in tech played to my academic strength in maths and computer science, and offered me a stable career path. But what has kept me engaged and motivated throughout my career is the constantly evolving tech environment, allowing me to consistently tackle different real world challenges head on. Working with such smart people every day is also energising and really keeps me on my toes.

How have you found your journey so far and what has been your greatest accomplishment?

My career in tech has been such a rewarding journey so far. On the one hand it is a great feeling to be able to deliver a real world solution to customers, seeing the positive impact on their job and business efficiency you helped to make. I have also been a manager for 25 years, and watching individuals grow and develop in the business is one of my favourite parts of my job. Watching talented individuals succeed and knowing that you’ve played a part in that is such a great feeling.

What has been the most challenging part of your career so far?

You cannot coast along in the world of tech and engineering. Every year you are presented with new challenges to solve, and the task of developing new technology to do so. Delivering software in a complex world means you're always bumping into unknowns - you can build a meticulous plan but inevitably the world is so complex and things always have to shift. But I must say, although the complexities and unknowns re-directing your plans can be frustrating, I would be lying if I said I didn’t also find it engaging and motivating.

How can we attract more women into the tech sector?

Education and inspiration. It seems to be early on in life that girls decide that a career in tech is not for them, filtering it out as an option. The key is to target girls at school age, as early as possible, and help them to understand the many great aspects of technology - challenge, creativity, problem solving and human behaviour. In an ideal world, this should be done before students select their exam options so that they keep a career in tech on the table when choosing.

That is why I spend time travelling to schools and universities encouraging women and girls to pursue a career in tech and dispelling misconstrued notions around tech careers. For example, there seems to be an incorrect widely held belief that working in tech means working individually hidden behind a computer screen. But technology is so vast and complex individuals cannot do this without the support of a wider team, building something great together. We must change the perception of tech to be able to develop a strong pipeline of female talent. 

What is your number one piece of advice for women considering joining the tech industry?

Take the leap of faith. It’s good fun, it’s rewarding and you get to work with amazing people. This advice applies for all women across all sectors - don’t wait to be perfect. Don’t compare yourself to others, thinking that you can’t or won't be the best.

Instead, just apply for the job even if you’re not 100% confident. The key thing people need to realise is that the tech sector gains from a whole range of different people with varying skill sets joining it. Women and girls should spend more energy focusing on the capabilities that they have, what they can bring to the table, vs worrying about what they might be missing. And go for it!