WBW/Cisco Return-to-Work Conference: Key Takeaways

We are thankful for the incredible support from the Cisco leaders who show visible commitment to diversity & inclusion, challenge the status quo, and make it a company priority. The Cisco Return to work conference on May 14th, 2021, was much anticipated and had hit a record with 252 returners in attendance!

Full credit for the launch of the WBW program goes to Sonali Natarajan who leads Engineering Operations and Inclusion and Collaboration for Cisco’s largest Engineering organization. She worked tirelessly to make sure the program was geared for success from the get-go by working behind the scenes to set up the operating model, advocacy for the value of the program, orientation, and change management internally. She organized a powerful lineup of speakers for the conference who helped share why Cisco is the best place to work, a company that firmly believes that innovation comes from building an Inclusive Future for All.

After Sonu Ratra, Founder – Women Back to Work, and Co-Founder – Akraya and Sonali opened the conference, Puja Jaspal, VP People, and Communities shared her career journey and passion for women in technology. Puja spotlighted Cisco’s commitment to building an inclusive future for all by advancing gender diversity.

Our next speakers, Todd Nightingale, SVP, GM Enterprise Networking & Cloud, and Kaustubh Das, VP/GM Engineering joined the fireside chat and together with Puja continued the conversation sharing valuable advice with Returners to take the first step and embrace honesty when applying to Cisco. They each shared priorities within their organizations.

Trey Boynton, Director, Inclusion & Collaboration Strategy & Inclusive Solutions, urged our returners to find inspiration in their own journeys, ignore the noises in their heads, and find inner confidence. Trey helped our returners gain a better understanding of Cisco’s culture, priorities, and the scale and steps that Cisco takes to ensure that people from all backgrounds are welcomed and will be actively participating in building a conscious culture.

Kelly Jones, VP Global Head of Talent Acquisition & Mobility took the stage with a very powerful and personal story describing life at Cisco and what support she received when it was most needed.

Sonali Natarajan spoke with Scott on the success of the 2019 Return to Work program and the preparation behind the 2021 launch. Scott shared his perspectives on how applicants can bring their best by showing eagerness to learn and being a true team player.

In the second part of the conference, Cisco’s hiring managers and talent acquisition teams discussed expectations, and processes while selecting new hires. Participants in the conference were able to directly ask questions about the hiring process. In the last part of the event, Aleta Howell, Global Diversity & Inclusion Lead quizzed the 2019 returners about shared their career journey from taking a break to becoming proud employees of Cisco.

Sonali helped closed a very successful conference with her inspiring message to the Returners. All the success of the event would not have happened without the great moderators: Sonali Natarajan, Prakash Sripathy, Jessica Gilbert, and Aleta Howell, who discussed with the panel participants about the Return-to-Work program, application & hiring process, mentoring/coaching, and the support they would receive through the program. 

(Learn more about the Cisco Return-to-Work Program)

Key powerful takeaways and practical tips for the future returners applying at Cisco:

“Be bold and take some risks!’’ – Puja Jaspal
“Learn to recognize opportunities” Sonali Natarajan
“Claim your space and get a seat at the table” – Trey Boynton
“Be confident and bring your swagger” Kelly Jones
Cisco welcomes candidates from all backgrounds who are team players and are eager to learn
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