Gender diversity is a vital pillar that an organisation must focus on to thrive in current times. Having a diverse workforce brings in varied views and perspectives necessary to grow in a work environment that is constantly evolving. It is widely proven that businesses that invest in gender diversity reap the benefits of having a highly motivated, inclusive, and productive workforce. Thus, diversity & inclusion can no longer be regarded as a tool companies use to portray a positive employer brand.
However, only a few industries have succeeded in creating an all-inclusive workspace. Though the numbers for women’s representation in the Indian IT industry stand at an encouraging ~35% compared to other sectors, there is still a long way to go before we achieve an equal partnership.
Let’s break down what is required to achieve this aim into three parts:
– Organisational understanding and acceptance of the need for gender diversity in the workplace
– Challenges to Gender Diversity
– Ways to Improve the Gender Imbalance at the Workplace
Organisational Understanding and Acceptance of the Need for Gender Diversity in the Workplace
Studies have revealed that businesses with a varied workforce are more creative, leading to steady growth in a company’s overall performance. It becomes even more significant for the IT tech industry, where business models are focused on enhancing the end-user experience.
A McKinsey & Company report suggested that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile. As the Indian tech industry aspires to build a future-ready talent pool, increased representation of women talent in the workforce is imperative. Organisations require diverse perspectives and thoughts to innovate and develop tech products that appeal to diverse users. Also, having a diverse workforce creates more opportunities for getting a diverse set of customers onboard.
Challenges to Gender Diversity
Cultural biases and stereotypes are some of the biggest impediments to achieving gender equality in the workplace. These biases prevail in many forms, such as unconscious bias from hiring managers. There is a general lack of female role models in leadership positions, making women feel discouraged to forge ahead. There is also the perception rooted in such biases that women are less likely to create strong leaders.
Significant efforts from organisations, leaders, and gender allies have catapulted increased awareness among the workforce. In India, owing to the collective action of Industry bodies and corporates, more and more women are opting for technology-related careers. However, there is a substantial dropout at the middle management level – owing to conflicting priorities on the personal and professional front. This is a pressing concern that tech corporates are trying to address.
Ways to Improve the Gender Imbalance in the Workplace
The positive aspect of the situation is that we know where we need to invest and what we can do to make things right. At Amdocs, we continue to bridge the gap through some of the defined measures with a holistic aim of breaking down the barriers.
· Defining clear objectives: Our leadership and managers are aligned on the importance of building an inclusive work environment. This alignment has trickled down to the teams to signify the criticality of building an inclusive workplace.
· Sensitising the workforce: We organise all year-round multiple sensitisation workshops, especially for managers and senior leadership, on unconscious biases, psychological safety, managing multigenerational teams, and so on. Hiring managers are sensitised on writing gender-neutral job posts and on unconscious bias during interview process.
· Grooming / investing in women pipeline across hierarchies: At Amdocs, we have targeted initiatives for team leaders and above-layer of women colleagues to groom them on people management skills. Two of our signature programs – Quantum for managers and Build your Leadership Voice for women team leaders, focus on the same. They undergo focused interventions in team management, thought leadership, building external / internal networks, external industry exposure, etc.
· Maintaining diversity in leadership roles: We have robust internal and external hiring mechanisms that ensure fair representation of women employees across levels. There are regular roundtables and women-forum sessions with women leaders to help break the perception of a glass ceiling in the organisation.
· Tapping women with career breaks: We promote return-to-work programs for women with career breaks to help them return to the workforce. Women with long career breaks due to personal commitments are an untapped talent pool in India with immense potential.
· Mentoring and Sponsorship: Mentorship programs are a great way to help women colleagues advance their careers and access new opportunities. Look at options of pairing women with senior leaders or offering training programs to build skills.
· Eliminate Pay Inequalities: Remunerate employees fairly without gender bias. Women employees must receive equal pay and opportunities to work in significant responsibility roles.
Division President,
Amdocs India
To summarise, it’s a journey that requires consistent focus and commitment at the leadership and managerial levels. A holistic approach towards hiring, grooming, and equal opportunities supported by a robust organisational policy framework will determine the success of an organisation in ensuring gender parity and inclusivity.
