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Rising Together: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in a Changing World

March 19, 2021 169 0 Diversity And Inclusion

Rising Together: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in a Changing World

2020 was the tipping point for the world to redefine what is “normal” and the ripples of this change will continue to be seen and felt decades from now. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a seismic shift in every aspect of our lives and business and has permanently changed the way and where we work. As firms gear up for a hybrid model as a long term strategy, WFA (work from anywhere) is having varying degrees of impact on men, women and others employees. It is also opening up various opportunities for employing people from Tier II/III/IV locations, thereby expanding the available talent pool. In such a distributed environment, company policies wrt Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH), attracting & retaining talent and up-/re-skilling are being recalibrated. Global research indicates that COVID-19 has impacted women disproportionately – intensifying the work and life challenges they face while eroding their career development prospects - domestic violence has increased; domestic workload has gone up; job losses; blurring of professional and personal time; increased expectations from family and more. In a work-from-anywhere scenario, companies are extending the definition of workplace to include digital and remote workplaces. Harassment is being redefined to include all genders and the virtual platform as well. Employee lifecycle management is now becoming increasingly digital and technology is enabling almost 100% virtual management, from identifying the right talent, selection & onboarding to employee engagement. The changing work practices calls for a different set of leadership skills with more importance on empathy, focus on employees’ mental health and respecting the personal space. India’s technology industry has been the trend setter in more ways than one and this journey continues in the new normal. This compendium, comprising 25 case studies across 17 unique technology firms, explores the changes in best practices that the technology industry is implementing that best suit the hybrid work model. The aim is to showcase these in the hope that companies across verticals use these guidelines and frameworks to incorporate in their organisations’ diversity & inclusion journey.

Key Findings:

POSH: Redefining Harassment

  • Zero Tolerance policy. Technology firms are extending POSH policies to cover all employees, irrespective of gender and to cover both the physical and digital workplaces
  • Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) & Leaders being trained in conducting & maintaining confidentiality in virtual investigations

INCLUSION in a Borderless World

  • COVID-19 impact: Firms ensured all apps, content, training modules, etc. are fully accessibility-compliant
  • Inclusive Language: Make language more inclusive, free from words & phrases that reflect prejudiced or stereotyped views

TALENT ACQUISITION

  • Firms building consistent brand online across platforms – websites, emails, social media, job portals, etc.
  • WFA is opening up job opportunities for qualified candidates based in Tier II/III cities; enabling equal opportunities

SKILLING: Building Future Leaders

  • Immersive learning: Leveraging various online platforms incl. Degreed, Coursera, FutureSkillsPrime and more for curated content
  • Women in Leadership: For high potential women employees, enable cross-functional skills to increase women leadership pipeline

RETAINING women workforce

  • Intentional Career Pathing: Aimed at high potential women in mid-career; enable them to build their leadership skills
  • Sensitization: Understanding unconscious bias and moving from unconscious bias to conscious inclusion

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