Women in Tech: Kinza Saeed

In the latest entry in our Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent Women in Tech Spotlight series we connected with Kinza Saeed, Senior Compensation Consultant at Rocket Innovation Studio.

A self-professed “people-data nerd”, Kinza serves as the “go-to gal” for all things compensation for Rocket Companies in Canada.

1. Introduce yourself and your position in the tech industry.

A: Hi hi! I’m Kinza, and I work in the spaces where the worlds of data and human capital intersect. I have a Data Analyst background, and currently serve as the gal to go to re: all things compensation for Rocket Companies in Canada. I’m a people-data geek – with the exciting gig of contributing towards the shaping of Compensation practices for Rocket Companies in Canada.

On a personal level, I’m a third-culture-kid (Canadian-Pakistani who grew up in the Middle East) who will get most pop-culture references, or hurt myself trying. In my free time, I sing and play rhythm guitar for Parumpum. Like every Jenny Slate-wannabe I also enjoy doing improv (zip zap zop).

2. How many years have you worked in the field?

A: 10 years.

3. What made you choose a career in the tech industry?

A: I moved into the fin-tech world soon out of graduate school, when the hype around Big Data was finally being parlayed into work streams in the then-much smaller Canadian tech industry. I knew I wanted to be part of what I saw as a dynamic and exciting industry rife with opportunities for innovation.

4. What do you love most about your current job/role?

A: I think the human aspect of what I do – that what I do can have a positive impact on folks’ lives – is the biggest motivator for me. I love being able to live by and contribute towards the realization of Do(ing) The Right Thing by our business and our team members by impacting outcomes through data driven solutions that put something tangible behind the otherwise somewhat qualitative world of human capital.

As well, I get to work with a very intelligent (and fun) group of people everyday – the relationships I get to build and enjoy from make the everyday a very positive experience.

Finally, I get to further my interest in the world of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging by engaging with and learning from members of our Team Member Resource Network (TMRN) groups – I even get to contribute as a member of our Multicultural Alliance Network TMRN’s leadership team!

5. What should we be telling younger generations of women who are interested in working in tech?

A: If you’re interested in a career in tech, or any other space for that matter – don’t let your membership in any specific group whether that is well represented in the tech community or not – hinder you. It is after all, the inclusion of diverse perspectives that lead to the best ideas and outcomes. This is especially important as we look to ensure that tech products are accessible and useful for all users – only through diverse inputs can we get an inclusive output.

6. What role can male team members play to best support their female peers in the business and tech world?

A: I’d like to take it further from the gender binaries and/or other affiliations and bring it down to allyship through listening and learning towards the removal of barriers that exist for folks who aren’t represented in the majority.

Being open to others’ perspectives is key, and so is speaking up for equity and fairness even if we aren’t personally affected. This is not only better for the industry as a whole, but each other.

7. How can women take action and ownership of their professional futures?

A: Be proactive. Go beyond mentorship and where appropriate to your situation, seek sponsorship. Invest back in the community to help others and don’t be shy to lean into new opportunities to learn, grow and contribute.

8. What can businesses do to better support and empower their female workers and leaders now?

A: Thinking through the question of empowering female-identifying team members as beyond just the marker of representation and thinking about how team members of any one identifying group can be supported and championed (in this case, female identifying folks) towards an environment where folks across gender identities can be enabled to contribute to their full potential, is a great approach to tackle this question. Starting with your team member contingent from these groups will be key in driving an intersectional approach that serves the needs of your team members in all their intersectional identities.

9. What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?

A: Again, the opportunity to contribute in a positive way towards others’ lives is my biggest motivator at work and personally. Whether that is through building data-backed human capital solutions for the folks I support, or by amplifying the voices of those who we can learn something new from. As a South Asian female-identifying immigrant, each day presents a chance to break barriers, challenge stereotypes, and contribute my unique voice to the evolving narrative of what it means to work in the Canadian tech industry.

10. What motivates you every day?

A: The concept of creating a better life for myself and my family by going to school and striving for a career