For Director of Operations Sean Gergets, International Women’s Day should be any day. A leader, a mentor and an advocate for gender equality, Sean knows that an inclusive approach to building diverse teams is key to delivering the best tech-enabled virtual appraisal services for our clients and their customers. Here he explains why.
Tell us about your role at Snapsheet.
As one of the Directors of Operations, I run our Customer Success Operations, our Quality Assurance team and our Technical Support teams.
What were the stepping stones in your career that prepared you for your position?
While I went to school, I managed an auto repair shop. This allowed me to learn about cars as well as operations. Once I finished school, I was recruited by Farmers to be an APD Adjuster. I enjoyed my time at Farmers and was able to build on my knowledge by learning claims. This set me up for my Snapsheet career, in which I’m able to take my experience and apply it to build our industry-leading, innovative operations team.
What additional career milestones are you striving to meet?
I’m a problem-solver who likes to be part of a team that is not held back by “what has worked in the past.” I want to continue to build these types of teams, no matter where I am. By finding the best people for a role and then giving them the space to innovate, it creates a team culture that cannot be stopped. My goal is to continue to build these types of teams, mentor and grow team members, and help others in the way that I have been supported.
Do you consider yourself an advocate for women at Snapsheet?
Absolutely, because in order to build the best team, there needs to be diversity. Everyone sees the world differently, and we need different experiences and perspectives in order to create unique solutions to challenges.
Why do you believe it is important for women to be in leadership roles?
Having women in leadership roles adds diversity to the workplace, in terms of personal insight and skill sets. Fifty-one percent of the entire labor force in the United States are women — so leadership representation should reflect the huge amount of skill sets and experiences that women can bring to these positions to help move companies forward.
What ways can Snapsheet recruit women as we grow?
For one, promote our awesome culture. The programs we have in place, whether it be Snapsheet Circles or, more importantly, SWAG (Snapsheet Women’s Advocacy Group), demonstrate our commitment to being inclusive.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of women everywhere. To celebrate, I will follow the International Women’s Day theme for 2021, which is “Choose to Challenge.” To that end, I will challenge gender bias and inequality, and hope to work toward a more inclusive workforce.
Have you had any great mentors?
I have had some very good mentors along the way. But one of the best — who just so happens to be female — was the owner of the shop that I managed. She did not dismiss me as being too young or inexperienced to learn and help grow the shop. I started as a part-time tech but was manager of the store in a short time. And I have to give her credit for that. She took me under her wing and showed me the ins and outs of operations. This included everything from workforce management to inventory to training the team on sales and customer service.
Do you have any advice for seeking out mentorship?
Be inquisitive and aggressive but, most importantly, be active. Mentorship will not happen unless you are actively looking for it. And while it is easy to reach out for help, learning and pushing yourself to be better is when you really grow.
How do you plan to develop the next wave of female leaders?
By fostering a culture of inclusivity on my team and participating in events that encourage the same.
Snapsheet is hiring! Visit our Careers page to learn more.
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