Fair, and Loving it

If last years Women in IT report in Dataquest raised concerns about female

representation in the IT industry, this years more extensive and elaborate

exercise proves to be encouraging. As compared to around 28% women (both IT and

BPO combined) employed in the industry last year, the figures of this year

linger close to 33%. Although it is still far from the ideal projection of

38-40%, it indicates a positive trend.

The IT industry, considered to be the best employer in many respects, is

finally speaking unanimously on the need for the gender-balancing act. The seeds

of gender-policies, which were sown by some big names over a decade back, have

now finally spread through all layers.

While BPO ratios are still higher as compared to the IT sector, there is a

considerable rise in the number of women consciously choosing a career in the

industry and striving to reach the top. The number of women managers at the

middle and senior levels has also shown a nominal increase. All of these points

toward the industry that is keen to leverage the huge talent pool in the

country.

Catching Attention



Retaining women is now being recognized as a business imperative rather than

simply a CSR exercise. An industry, facing constant pressure on the attrition

front, has realized the importance of leveraging this significant portion of the

available talent pool. Thus the attempts to retain and attract almost half of

the potential work-force have been visible in the policies of most companies.

Of late, though, the women retention issue has caught the attention of the

top-level management. The companies are busy rolling out innovative schemes and

programs to tap this untapped half. It is no more a CSR exercise and is now

being taken rather seriously by the companies. Says Sangeeta Gupta, VP, Nasscom,

Today we see CEOs taking notice of this issue. They are personally driving it.

Its no more just an HR concern.

Adds Nirmala Menon, founder, Interweave, a consulting firm on

gender-diversity, Companies are now tackling women issues just like another

business plan. They are gradually realizing that women tend to stay on in a

place, which is inclusive of them. The loyalty quotient is high among the

womenfolk, but they need a supportive work-environment to stay on.

The increase in the home-coming (women joining back after a maternity or a

sabbatical) cases substantiates this statement. Almost all companies report a

steady increase in the number of women returning to work with them. Seema Ajwani,

GM, Workforce Relations, IBM Daksh, says that there has been a significant rise

in the number of women returning after a sabbatical. When asked the reasons, she

puts it rather simply. Its all about acceptance and organizational support.

Doing it Differently



Companies are not only pulling all strings to provide a support system for

their female employees, they are also pulling these strings in new directions.

The effort and innovation is no more restricted to products and operations.

Almost all companies in the IT/BPO segment already have unique and all

encompassing programs and sessions for gender sensitization.

Hexaware, for eg, has introduced a special program for its women employees.

It is named Hexacare and provides a dedicated team of senior managers and

experts to address the needs of its women employees. They also take out a women

journal by the name Stree Magazine, which serves as a platform for women to

voice all kinds of concerns.

Companies are not only pulling all strings to provide a

support system for their female employees, they are also pulling these strings

in new directions. Almost all companies in the IT/BPO segment already have

unique and all encompassing programs and sessions for gender sensitization

Other companies like MphasiS, KPIT, SAP, etc, also have come up with new ways

to attract the fairer sex toward their premise, and moreover to keep them there.

IBM, for instance, has come up with a technology camp called EXITE, (Exploring

Interests in Technology and Engineering and the Camps) organized by IBM women in

technology, and introduce girls to the wonder and promise of technical careers.

Infosys also has come up with a unique method of providing connectivity to

women on a sabbatical. Geeta Kannan, VP, HR, head of diversity council at

Infosys, talks of the need. When women go on their maternity or sabbatical, it

is important for them to stay connected with technology as well as their own

projects, so that when they return, it is easy for them to commence work. IWIN (Infosys

Women Inclusivity Network) assists these mothers with secure-ID networks for

logging into the work-place, and IWIN Circlers counsel them on the technical and

quality certifications that can be completed during the leave.

Staying Connected



Women who go on a sabbatical or an extended maternity leave often find it

difficult to return to their jobs. The main problem is that they feel

disconnected from their work environment. Also, there develops an understanding

gap. This is especially valid for the IT industry since it operates in a highly

complex and dynamic environment. Women who are on a break often focus entirely

on their families and cant relate to their jobs once they join back.

Menon acknowledges the problem. Most women who join back are really low on

confidence levels, and this does effect their outputs. However, this problem

also, like any other, is not without a solution. The companies have to have a

way to keep them updated while they are on leave, she adds.

IBM has a 3-tier system, which helps women stay connected to their companies

during their time-off and also provides them counseling and training sessions

after they join again. Saya Kalpana of IBM, The IWLC (IBM Womens Leadership

Council) Project aims to provide a platform for women who have taken a break in

their career, to come back to the work-place. The initiative helped create an

additional channel to attract qualified women professionals to IBM.

More often than not, women employees dont realize that

there is help available and, moreover, that they need help. Especially where

things like harassment and offence are concerned

From Equality to Diversity



The focus of gender policies is gradually shifting from equality to

diversity. Special recruitment targets are no longer the only criteria on the

companies list. As Sangeeta Gupta observes, The work of a company doesnt end

by recruiting a healthy number of women, it rather begins from there. Its the

retention that is the critical area.

The reasons behind this are obvious. Although many young women join as fresh

graduates, only about a third of them make it to the middle and senior levels.

According to Menon, this is because women face real issues and pressures like

marriage, family and children only later in life. This also explains the marked

difference between the behavioral patterns of freshers and relatively senior

women.

To tackle constraints women experience when they start a family, companies

are exploring all possibilities, from standardized crches to flexi working

hours. Says R Anish, director, HR, Intel South Asia, Diversity at Intel is a

series of initiatives focused on recruitment, development and retention of our

workforce.

Likewise, IBM, a pioneer in women-friendly policies, has a platform named Iconnect,

along with numerous others, that aims at helping women employees realize their

full potentials within the work environment. Says Kalpana Margabandhu, director,

application and integration middleware division, IBM India Software Lab, We

believe these key programs provide a foundation for our women, and our ultimate

measurement is for women employees, particularly working mothers, to aspire for

both an executive life and a family. Our goal is to be the premier global

employer for women.

Practices like these, apart from being business imperatives, have also lead

to a sort of healthy image-building exercise. Now the companies want to be known

as an equal and fair employer by their customers.

Defining Lines



More often than not, women employees dont realize that there is help

available and, moreover, that they need help. The reason behind this is that

there are no concrete definitions at hand.

This stands valid especially where things like harassment and offence are

concerned. Women employees, though they might be undergoing mental strain, are

either afraid to report or dont know who to approach. For instance, we came

across this one person in Oracle who told us that the colleague who sits right

next to her has a wallpaper that is offensive and, I feel strange about it but

I dont know what or to whom should I report?

Similar instances of mails and comments by colleagues often keep cropping up.

Recently, the Supreme Court has come up with very clear guidelines on the issue

of harassment, which clearly states that the sensibilities of the recipient

rather than the intentions of the offender are to be given prime importance.

Although such do exist, the awareness about them is still very low. Most women

dont know that such guidelines and procedures for action exist.

What is required is to enlighten the men and women alike on such matters.

While few companies hold such workshops, they still havent gained much

popularity. According to information from Nasscom though, the response to

programs of this kind is gradually increasing. We now see a greater number of

men participating in such workshops, notes Gupta.

Rekha Menon, lead, India geographic services and human capital and diversity,

Accenture India, also supports the industrys claim of enhancing awareness.

There are programs to manage or lead a diverse workforce at senior levels. In

addition, there are educational and training initiatives that seek to sensitize

employees about gender differences. Specific examples include: road shows to

educate employees on Accenture policies on discrimination and harassment;

establishing employee-led clubs to organize sports initiatives such as self

defense skills; sessions conducted by external speakers on a variety of issues

relevant to womenincluding work-life balance, leadership and assertiveness,

she says.

Of late there has been a trend of role shifting among

women in an organization. More women are holding technical and strategic

positions in organizations, and many are even leading the operations

Breaking Stereotypes



Traditionally, we have always seen women concentrated in the HR and PR

department. The reasons are apparent. These fields require less mobility and act

as a far greater equalizer for women.

But of late there has been a trend of role shifting among women in an

organization. There are more women holding technical and strategic positions in

organizations. There is increased visibility of women, many even leading the

operations of prominent IT companies. Kalpana Margabandhu, director, application

and integration middleware division, IBM India Software Lab, is one such

example. From CIOs to COOs, women are now handling all kinds of work areas, and

are venturing into territories that have traditionally been labeled

male-dominated.

However, Nirmala Menon still believes that this stereotyping is going to

continue for some time now, for the practical reason that women have families

to handle as well. While saying that, she adds in the same breath that the

industry thus needs to have a model to handle the women work-force and help them

move upwards.

Beyond the BPO Blues



The different work nature of the BPO industry, and thus the different set of

problems and issues associated with it, has resulted in putting a special focus

on the BPO industry. Our study of around twenty leading BPOs threw up some

interesting results. While BPOs have always witnessed a greater number of women

joining at the initial levels, it is now witnessing more of these women staying

on and rising to mid- and senior-managerial stages.

BPOs when compared to IT companies have always boasted of a healthier sex

ratio. The reason for this according to Seema is, People dont come here with a

mindset. As most of the work-force is fresh out of colleges, the environment is

totally different.

The different and young environment has also lead to controversies and

problems. Unfortunately, perceptions about the BPO industry have not been so

favorable. Although stray incidents of security threats and rapes are to be

blamed, the media is also often accused of over-hyping these limited incidents.

According to Sangeeta Gupta, Women have worked in night shifts in other

industries like medical, engineering, etc, as well. The security threat is valid

there also. Then why is it that only the BPO sector is highlighted?

In fact, security remains one of the major concerns for the BPO industry.

While some say that corporatization of the transport sector is a must to

eliminate security threats, others believe that things will improve once the

domestic BPO segment kicks off.

Whatever be the case, more and more women are taking up BPO as a career

option. And it is no longer a stopgap; it is a serious and a calculated career

choice for entrants, as the DQ-IDC E-Sat 2008 survey establishes.

While some attribute this to changing perceptions, the government has also

done its bit there. From defining security measures for companies to issuing

directives on harassment, it has been actively involved in creating a safer work

environment.

The Guiding Light



Most women we talked to faced mentorship issues. There were women who wanted

to join back and resume their careers after long breaks, but they didnt know

who to approach.

The companies and experts alike acknowledge that there is a clear lack of

mentorship for women employees. They need more people to look up to, especially

the home-coming cases, says Gupta. This stems from the fact that after a break

most women face a low level of confidence and fear their standing in an industry

as dynamic as the IT sector. And all these are real-time issues, which need to

be tackled just like another business plan, adds Menon.

Although mentorship and guidance remain a critical area, and companies are

engaging in varied activities to handle it, most of it still remains only on

paper. Says Divya Ramani, an ex-employee of a leading IT firm, I wanted to join

back after my first child. But it was almost a year of staying at home. When I

went to the company, I realized so much has changed. I had nobody to talk to.

And Divya is not alone in her concerns; a lot of women dont join back because

they feel they cant catch up.

Seema of IBM, though she acknowledges the need for mentorship, is also quick

to point out the efforts by the industry to help women like Divya. We have a

formal mentoring program, and it just doesnt exist as a document. Around 70% of

our employees have already undergone various sensitization programs. We practice

what we preach, she asserts.

While some companies have also taken steps in this

regard, a consolidated effort is still lacking to help women adapt to their

professional lives after a break. Support exists, but access to it is a problem

While some companies have also taken steps in this regard, a consolidated

effort is still lacking to help women adapt to their professional lives after a

break. Third party counseling sessions and support groups do exist, but the

access to them is still a problem for most women.

An area where a policy is viewed more favorably is the

work-from-home mechanism. Experts feel that it is a critical area and shall have

a great impact on the way the industry functions

Encash Not Bash the Male



Most associate gender diversity as pertaining to women alone. But

interestingly, male counterparts are also taking full-fledged interest in these

matters. Says Sangeeta Gupta, Earlier there used to be very few, or no men,

attending gender-related seminars. But a very positive shift has taken place in

the last few years. We now see men actively participating, even driving these

areas.

It is also quite heartening to see that in many organizations, its men who

head the diversity and equal practices divisions. There is an apparent shift in

scenario and a lot of it can be attributed to the business angle. But it also

has a lot to do with the changing education and the growing awareness curve.

According to Rupal Ahuja, counselor, Ramjas School, Delhi, the overall change

can be explained by educational trends, right from elementary schooling. Unlike

older times, boys are now never given a sense of their superiority. The strains

of patriarchy are slowly disappearing from our education system. Now the

emphasis is on the essential difference between the sexes, not on

discrimination.

That certainly explains the increased activity of men on the diversity front.

Otherwise also, there is a heightened presence of men who now openly claim to be

feminists. Whether it earns them scores with the ladies or not, it definitely

makes a difference where things like diversity are concerned.

Policy Intervention



Even as the Womens Bill is still in troubled waters, there is another

perennial debate going on in the industry: should there be a quota for women at

senior managerial levels, which would oblige companies to promote women and

encourage them to reach the top?

The IT industry, which swears by its meritbased principles, has but one

viewNo. While quotas might ensure women in the boardrooms, they still cant

ensure their decision-making powers. They might just be placed there for the

sake of numbers, asserts Gupta. So while its important to have the numbers

monitored, they should in no way be mandated.

Says another Oracle employee, the quota, instead of reducing bias will only

serve to heighten it. People treat you with respect when you reach a higher

level on your own. With quotas in place people shall stop believing in your

merit at all, she says.

Another area where a policy is viewed more favorably by this self-regulated

industry is the work-from-home mechanism. Experts feel that it is a critical

area and shall have a great impact on the way the industry functions. Nasscom,

which is working closely with the government on this policy, sees it as a

breakthrough.

However, there are obstacles that need to be addressed for this policy to go

through. The primary concern is that of security. Then there is the connectivity

and infrastructure issue. Once the industry is able to resolve all these and the

work-form-home policy is in force, it can prove to be a huge relief for

employees, especially working mothers.

In a country like India, where cultural and familial

support is not available to most women, there remains an urgent need for

companies to provide an atmosphere that is conducive for working women & mothers

Meanwhile, some companies have already made a move toward the flexi work

timings model. Google and TCS have an infrastructure in place and even encourage

women to avail these facilities. According to R Anish of Intel, Intel supports

and provides employees with the flexibility needed to balance their work and

personal lives. Working mothers are encouraged to approach their managers for

flexible working hours. All employees are provided with laptops and can seek

broadband connections to enable telecommuting options. In addition, Intel has

staggered working hours and part-time work hours to make return-to-work and

working easy at Intel. In the recent organizational health survey we conducted,

flexibility was a parameter that women employees rated us very high on.

Long Road Ahead



Although a favorable trend has taken off, a lot still remains to be done. In

a country like India, where cultural and familial support is not available to

most women, there remains an urgent need for companies to provide an atmosphere

that is conducive and supportive for working women and mothers.

The initiative is certainly there, but a sustained effort and implementation

is still lacking. Gender diversity often takes a backseat because organizations

are struggling to survive in a highly competitive market. Although the

traditional needs of women like maternity leaves are covered in all gender

programs, addressing reactive needs and a support infrastructure for women is

yet to take off.

So both the industry and government need to extract those policies from paper

and translate them into actions. It will take a collective and intra-industry

effort to make every working woman smile and say, Its not a bad thing to be a

woman, not at all!

Mehak Chawla



mehakc@cybermedia.co.in