At Aspire Systems, we firmly believe that diversity and inclusion drive better business results as it ensures that all employees, irrespective of race, gender, culture, religion, education, and personality, are happy and satisfied.
Understanding the importance of a supportive culture of equity, Aspire has designed several programs to support and empower women at work.
Flexible Career Pathing
Many women struggle to map their careers due to the absence of flexible options. To provide women with a clear roadmap, Aspire periodically conducts the Intentional Career Pathing (ICP) program in collaboration with Avtar-Flexi Careers. Each participant is mapped to a mentor to facilitate professional and personal development with a structured action plan.
Diversity in recruitment
Women are often forced to take a sabbatical from work due to a myriad of reasons. In view of this, women’s recruitment drives are organized to bring in lateral employees, giving them the opportunity to join a healthy workplace. This is a part of the Aspire Career Comeback Program (ACCP) which was launched to facilitate a smooth comeback for candidates who were looking to come back to work after a break, irrespective of the reason for break. We place the overall value that a candidate can bring over the proverbial ‘gap in the resume.’
Creating a Safe Workplace
Women’s safety is the first step towards women empowerment. At Aspire, we have a dedicated Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), POSH, to ensure a safe work environment for women. In addition, an SOS number is shared for any emergencies and there is a dedicated email id to voice concerns.
To ensure no grey areas, our POSH team takes part in seminars and workshops uncovering the multiple facets of the POSH Act and challenges associated with practical application of POSH principles at work. In tandem, considerable effort goes into conducting POSH awareness sessions for all employees to have a clear understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment and knowledge of rights.
As testament to this, Aspire has been recognized in “India’s Best Workplaces for Women 2023” by the Great Place to Work® Institute and featured in 100 Best Companies for Women in India – 2023 by Avtar and Seramount.
Nurturing Women Leaders
In a bid to proactively encourage the bias-free advancement of women in the workplace, Aspire adopts inclusive hiring practices and organizes training programs that equip women with the required skills and mentors them to ensure a smooth transition to leadership positions.
Extended Maternity Support
Maternity has always been a key limiting factor in the hiring of women for key roles. Aspire, rooted in inclusivity, has set a new benchmark by offering 6 months of paid maternity leave and an option for 3 additional months without pay . This relieves women of the stress associated with a speedy return to work. To be inclusive of not just successful pregnancies, 6 weeks of paid maternity leave is offered in case of miscarriage or medical termination of pregnancy.
Vice President
Human Resources
Return to work can be daunting as it often feels like a career restart. For seamless resumption of work, Aspire has special training programs and gift vouchers to ensure a happy return to work. All these efforts culminated in 80% of women resuming work at Aspire post their maternity break.
Empowering Network
Good networking within the organization builds trust and confidence, encouraging women to pursue bigger roles and goals. In addition, it creates a safe space for women to voice their thoughts and feelings.
Aspire’s women’s support network, Tulips, was created with a vision to drive individual and professional growth. With quarterly meetings, women at every stage of the employee lifecycle can meet, network, find mentors, and pursue opportunities within the organization.
Closing Thoughts
In summary, through various initiatives across employee touchpoints, Aspire is breaking workplace barriers and fostering a truly inclusive work environment where women are valued, empowered and given the opportunity to lead with confidence.
