Ashutosh Anshu, the CHRO & Regional Lead for Hitachi in India region shares insights with ET Edge on how to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace for employees.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are the sources of our innovation and growth. We have a place for everyone, welcoming differences in colleagues’ background, age, gender, sexuality, family status, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, and religion. We respect and value these and other differences because only through differences can we understand our markets, create better ideas and drive innovation which contributes to society. We treat everyone fairly, recognizing differences to allow everyone to contribute.
Through our founding spirit of “Harmony, Sincerity, and Pioneering Spirit”, we give people with innovative ideas the chance to cooperate and work together to achieve a common goal through honest and thorough discussions. This confirms that diversity, equity, and inclusion were embedded into our philosophy from the beginning.
Our organisation has been a Great Place to Work certified organisation for the past four years in a row, with the most recent certificate in 2023. The Economic Times has also named us one of the Best Workplaces for Women in 2023.
At our company, we take a continuous improvement approach to make our workplace more engaging, adaptable to different needs, and enjoyable.
Transparency and fairness in systems, practises, and policies foster mutual trust in ecosystems, allowing for productivity, healthy competition, and equal opportunities for professional growth and development.
Recognizing our employees’ exceptional efforts and achievements fosters a sense of belonging and creates a deep connection of satisfaction and ownership among employees.
Covid -19 marked a watershed moment in our efforts to implement a new system and guidelines for remote and flexible working. We have moved to a structure where employees can work from anywhere. This has brought a new level of comfort to the workplace, particularly for employees who require parental care, child or self-care, and other services. This has also made it easier for many candidates to apply for jobs with us.
Reduced working hours for new mothers and extended time off for parents, in addition to the flexible working system, bring in long-term commitments from employees. It’s like a mutual psychological contract in which the company understands and values the needs of its employees, and the employees are willing to contribute to the growth of the organization.
Employee well-being is another area of focus for us, and it garnered all the attention during covid. Mental wellness, psychological safety, physical fitness, financial wellness, family wellness, and other similar programmes provide a sense of security.
Our employees benefit from transparent policies and open communication channels, creating a nurturing environment for superior performance and comfort.
Technology has also made it possible to fully utilise the potential of employees at work. It addresses the needs of an evolving and dynamic world and serves as a source of powerful collaboration tools.
Global learning and career development opportunities, online and flexi-learning programmes, on-the-go e-learning opportunities, on-the-job training, diverse team projects, and focused group discussions all contribute to an inclusive environment that promotes employee retention.
CHRO and Regional DEI Lead,
Hitachi-India region
Conscious efforts to maintain gender balance with talent governance on competency-based evaluation, preventing unconscious bias at work, Diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) awareness programmes, gender pay parity, a special referral scheme for minority groups, and other initiatives assist our organisation in increasing the DEI quotient at our workplace. While we currently have a gender diversity ratio of around 23%, we aim to reach a 30% women ratio by 2030.
Celebrating small and large victories with family at annual Family Day celebrations, festivals, and regional events helps employees connect emotionally. This improves employee satisfaction and aids in the development of organisational culture.
We firmly believe that smart teams can achieve incredible results, but that diverse teams can accomplish the impossible. That is DEI’s power. DEI is about employees being valued rather than simply being present.
