Interweave partners with Nasscom for Gender Parity handbook

As organisations compete for human resources amid an increasingly heterogeneous workforce, companies must serve the diverse needs of the workforce or risk losing them to competition. Organisations with low female employee ratios are forced to select workers from a smaller pool, reducing their ability to find top performers.

The need for gender diversity in the workplace was at the forefront of a recent Nasscom conclave, which also saw the launch of Interweave’s ‘Good practices in Diversity Management’ handbook.

Compiled in association with Nasscom, the report looks at proven gender parity approaches including talent acquisition and retention, and personal and professional development, targeting the specific needs of the female workforce. Some of the best practices discussed in the handbook include Talent Acquisition (How to attract, search and select the workforce you need); Talent Management and Retention; Performance Management; Personal and Professional Development; Work Life Balance and Family Friendly Policies; as well as Organisational culture and Inclusive Environment.

The handbook offers options for beginning a successful journey in workplace gender diversity. It is replete with applicable best practices, practical tips, affirmative policies and motivational success stories tailored for the Indian workplace.

Write to us at --- for a copy of the Good Practices in Diversity Management handbook today!

Managing Diversity in the Multi-Generational Workplace

If you think age diversity doesn’t affect your workplace, think again.

Whether you’re grappling with younger workers who view your company as a stop gap arrangement, baby boomers, seasoned workers who still live in the ‘our days’ syndrome, Gen X’ers or young managers grappling to gain the respect of older subordinates, the Indian workplace is replete with intergenerational diversity.

If you think these issues will go away, retire away or mature for the better, you might be a little too optimistic – a society rooted in tradition will continue to grapple with the effects of change and needs planned interventions. Older workers are deferring retirement, baby boomers are still climbing the corporate ladder, and younger employees are holding middle and senior management roles.

Organisations need to understand the complexities of this issue to tap the opportunities associated with an intergenerational workforce and stay competitive. As more companies address the issues associated with these challenges, those not leveraging generational diversity will be left scrambling.

The first step to creating a harmonious workforce is building a corporate culture where generational differences are understood and appreciated. Then organisations must understand the needs and expectations of different generations to provide them with the right kind of opportunities. For example, mentor programmes that allow mature workers to pass along their experiences to younger workers, are a great way to build intergenerational rapport. And finally, help your managers and HR team by empowering them through suitable training.

At Interweave, we advise you to create a multigenerational diversity strategy for your organisation, covering measurement of impact, motivating differing generations, seamlessly bringing together differing working styles and pace, managing expectations, and inter-generational communication along with managing conflicts.

Turn your challenges into an opportunity to grow and succeed. Get in touch with us to strategise and build a cohesive and productive inter-generational workplace, today!

Impacting CSR in Asia

Those inclusive HR best practices serve not just a company or sector, but also the broader business community, was the resounding chorus at the recently concluded Diversity & Inclusion in Asia 2010 Conference, in Hong Kong.

The conference was organised by the Hong Kong-based Community Business, a non-profit organisation that helps companies improve their positive impact on people and communities.

Now in its fourth year, the Diversity & Inclusion conference has become the must attend diversity event for the region – raising the profile and debating the issues as they relate to Asia. The theme of this year’s conference was “Facing the Issues in Asia”, including economic and social divisions, caste, gender, homosexuality, generational diversity, disability, etc.

During the event thought leaders touched up on not just the most common aspects of diversity, but also addressing some of the tougher and more sensitive issues relevant to Asia, those that are diverse from the best practices of the West.

Nirmala Menon, CEO, Interweave, was the table host representing India at the breakout working lunch session. It was a great opportunity for Nirmala to discuss Diversity and Inclusion in India, touching upon issues pertinent to our cultural and social sensibilities.

With plans to bring the Diversity and Inclusion Conference to India next year, Interweave has partnered with Community Business to actively impact change in the D&I space in India.

Real and attainable: Building confidence in women employees

As part of our expertise in diversity management and inclusiveness, we often tackle the unique and different challenges faced by women in the corporate world, including significant obstacles that are often invisible.

Women face several challenges in the workplace, including social and cultural stereotyping, gender bias and the struggle to balance work and family. However, there is one challenge which is entirely dependent on women themselves and under their control – that of confidence.

While women in workplaces across India today seem to face fewer entry barriers, thanks to increasing anti-discrimination practices, many women create their own glass ceiling thanks to a lack of confidence that prevents them from projecting themselves and their careers effectively.

This eye-opener was among the many interactions shared with participants at our confidence-building workshop for empowering women. The workshop, titled, Yes We Can! was conducted for the employees of a global internet search major, saw candid exchange of experiences and first-hand lessons, including how to raise visibility in the workplace, 360 degree networking with peers and sub-ordinates, and working with socialised limitations.

Packed with practical tips, techniques, and examples, the workshop was aimed at enabling women to tap the power of confidence and communication to persuade, motivate, establish authority – without sacrificing their integrity, compassion, or femininity. The various modules of the workshop – Pride and Prejudice (working with and around socialised limitations); Through the looking glass (packaging yourself professionally and nurturing a unique identity at work) helps ease the path of corporate success real and attainable for the participants.

Across the world, companies have realised the need for equitable gender participation in leadership. Workshops such as this are an assertive step by companies who want to empower their women employees to achieve their highest potential. What are you doing to help your team walk this path today?

Did you know……

"In absolute numbers, there will be approximately 63.5 million new entrants to the working age group of 15-59 years between 2011 and 2016. Further, it is important to note that the bulk of this increase in the population is likely to take place in relatively younger age group of 20-35 years. Such a trend would make India as one of the youngest nations in the world. In 2020, the average Indian will be only 29 years old, compared to 37 in China and the US, 45 in West Europe and 48 in Japan. This trend is seen significant on the grounds that what matters is not the size of the population, but its age structure”

Source: Ministry of Labour and Employment (Annual report published in July 2010)

The first wave of the Millennial Generation—born between 1980 and 2001—is entering the workforce now. This generation may have been labelled reckless and impatient but are also known to be result and delivery oriented. Organisations are undergoing changes to accommodate the various needs and demands of this generation.

Are they bending over too much too soon?

Or does the Gen-Y hold enough promise to warrant these changes?

Share your thoughts. 

Also, read about “Brats At Work” in Business Today’s September 19^th edition.

 

Welcome! Gen Ys at the workplace! :)

Check out Interweave in the news!

Did you know……

"In absolute numbers, there will be approximately 63.5 million new entrants to the working age group of 15-59 years between 2011 and 2016. Further, it is important to note that the bulk of this increase in the population is likely to take place in relatively younger age group of 20-35 years. Such a trend would make India as one of the youngest nations in the world. In 2020, the average Indian will be only 29 years old, compared to 37 in China and the US, 45 in West Europe and 48 in Japan. This trend is seen significant on the grounds that what matters is not the size of the population, but its age structure”
Source: Ministry of Labour and Employment (Annual report published in July 2010)
The first wave of the Millennial Generation—born between 1980 and 2001—is entering the workforce now. This generation may have been labelled reckless and impatient but are also known to be result and delivery oriented. Organisations are undergoing changes to accommodate the various needs and demands of this generation. Are they bending over too much too soon? Or does the Gen-Y hold enough promise to warrant these changes?

Do share your thoughts.


By:Neeti

Keep it safe!

High profile cases of sexual harassment in the press have certainly had an impact in the Indian workplace. An increasing number of Indian corporate firms have now stopped pushing issues under the carpet and instead, address them as important business issues. This, not only creates a ‘healthy’ work environment, but also safeguards against, reputational, operational and legal risks.

All this and more was discussed at our "No Excuses for Sexual Harassment" workshop, conducted in Delhi on the 25th of July this year. This was our fifth workshop on the subject and was well received by over 30 participants, representing 21 corporations. Mr Som Mittal, President, NASSCOM, opened the session and impressed upon the participants, the need for better awareness and understanding on the subject.

The workshop focussed on educating employers on their responsibilities on recognising and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. The interactions with the participants, and the candid exchange of experiences during the training, were indeed eye-openers for many participants, some of who came forth with first-hand experiences. The session was followed by a sharing of best practices from organisations that had robust practices in place. A legal perspective was provided on all these cases, by a lawyer panel member.

We are glad to note that HR professionals present in the room were unanimous that although employees may cringe at the thought of having anything to do with sexual harassment, it is important to educate them on the occurances and types of sexual harassment. Most cases, unless voiced by the victim or another employee, go undetected and breed scared, unhappy employees, often leading to attrition. In other instances, the harassment matters get out of hand and attract unwanted media attention and legal wrangles.

Verbal and non-verbal advances, quid pro quo harassment, and harassment of male employees are no longer rare occurrences and are potential legal exposures in the office environment. Employers therefore are establishing policies to create respectful work places as part of their business mandate. This workshop was an important step towards this.

We, at Interweave, sure look forward to hearing the success stories emerging from there. Do keep us posted!

Yes we can: Identifying and pushing our comfort zones

It was an interesting experience to listen to Prabha, an employee of a large public sector enterprise, at our workshop in Mumbai, last month. A qualified professional, Prabha reveled in playing the roles of a traditional homemaker as well as a high-performing professional in a non-traditional industry for women. Working in an all-male bastion such as the Oil and Gas sector is a commendable feat in itself and stands testimony to the determination and grit of these amazing women we met.

Conducting our first-ever workshop for the public sector, we loved the interaction with this amazing group of high-performing women who are at ease with heavy machinery and equipment, be it in the boiler rooms or on the shopfloors. Their experiences in trying to overcome some of their socialised limitations, were inspiring, especially in the midst of the prevalent prejudices that exist in a male-dominated work environment. These committed individuals are high performers today, and are indeed, valued employees at the company

The ladies were glad to have all-woman participation in the workshop. The candid discussions we had amply reflected this, as each of them opened up to talk about their day-to-day challenges in their professional environment. Listening to their varied ways of dealing with the challenges was quite a learning for us and for the participants, who realised that all of them were battling similar situations and could use each other’s experiences to learn from.

Our workshop, “Yes we can!” focused on helping these women set realistic goals and put their priorities in perspective. They were eager to learn and willing to push their comfort zones. We encouraged them with our modules on assertiveness and developing the confidence to speak up, influence others and seek support when needed. The inputs were very well received.

At Interweave, this workshop has re-iterated our belief that talent and potential is out there in varied forms and sometimes all it needs is a push in the right direction. This particular enterprise has done a commendable job at leveraging the potential of women who are statistically an under-represented talent pool at workplaces. We believe, that this pioneering effort will cascade into discernable benefits for the organisation. After all, engaging employees to leverage their full potential is a critical business need in corporate India today.

Please feel free to share with us any of your thoughts on this or let us know of any such initiatives at your workplace.

Working from home and flexible working arrangements seems to be the need of the hour and more organisations are taking the initiative to provide their employees with the best. What do you feel? How effective are these options? What can companies do to bring out the best in their employees?Click on the image above to read

The lady wields the sword

Ages before women’s empowerment became a catch-phrase, women in India have stood on level ground with their male counterparts – sometimes even wielding a sword to prove it. The ancient martial art of Kerala – Kalaripayattu – had legions of female warriors who trained shoulder-to-shoulder with men, taking on the same unforgiving physical regime. One such legendary warrior, Unniyarcha, is said to have saved the women of an entire village with her valour, bravery, and especially her adroit handling of urumi – a thin, long, flexible sword.
Kerala’s martial folklore is replete with ballads praising Unniyarcha, and several bio-pics have been made on her life. She is always portrayed as a highly skilled, accomplished warrior, respected and emulated by her colleagues – male and female – and by legions of students. Today, when the armed forces commit to providing equal opportunities for lady officers, Unniyarcha’s story provides immense inspiration.

By - Pramod Shankar

Look out for the women!

I came across an article called Hiring Tips, which really amused me at first and also got me to think if there was any truth in this at all!

Read on to know what I'm talking about; and yes, we are very keen on knowing what you think and feel about the same. So do add your comments!

Below is a part of the article I read.

To hire the right women -

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they’re less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn’t be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It’s always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

Hmmmm...
By Tasneem

Something that we hear way too much in recent times – Work-life balance!!!

Just as the name suggests, and very simply put, work-life balance is an achievement of a balanced work and general life routine. I won’t say equally balanced, because it never works so right practically, but something which is and should be more realistic and rewarding.

Some people might ask… “What’s life if you don’t have work?”, on the contrary, what’s work if you don’t have a life?

There is no ‘one size – fits all’ method. Each of us live and prioritize differently. The best approach to take is when you can ‘Achieve’ and ‘Enjoy’ everyday life - from the smallest to the biggest of things. Being creative while cooking, accepting a mistake and learning from it, reconnecting with a friend after a really long time, making a presentation at work, overcoming difficult situations through rationalizing or even writing this article for the blog is a sense of achievement and very enjoyable for me personally!

In a nutshell, the only trick is to be able to “balance work and life’s equations between positive and negative experiences...”

Would love to know your thoughts on work-life balance... so go ahead and drop a comment!

Some interesting quotes for you:

"It is balance; we need it. The sad part is
that some people pay more attention to their credit than
they do to their own balance in life!"
Catherine Pulsifer, from A Credit Check on Your Balance

"I've learned that you can't have everything
and do everything at the same time."
Oprah Winfrey

"Looking back at the times where I allowed my work to create stress and frustration in my life I now realize what I thought was important really was not. I am not saying you should not take your work seriously, what I am saying is that we need to realize that life is all about balance."
Catherine Pulsifer, from Briefcase with an Engine


- By Tasneem

The spirit of Diversity!

The demographics of our workplace have changed dramatically. Globalization has impacted all aspects of our lives. Every organisation today looks different from even five years ago - women, people with disabilities or people from far flung places in India or abroad are not a novelty anymore. Organizations in their hunt for talent are eager to have the best, and how and in what form they come is not important anymore. This vast diversity in such close proximity at work is a new experience for corporate India.
Diversity means differences and differences are rife with conflicts. It is easy for groups to disintegrate into cliques and sub-groups based on gender, language, religion or place of origin based on societal norms and influences outside of the organisation.
Our attitudes and behavior are heavily influenced by our own social identities and the identities we perceive of others. It is not so much about us being good or bad as it is about human nature and our own socialization. The good news, however, is that with a little bit of awareness and intention, we can counteract much of this.
People are DIFFERENT. But different doesn’t or shouldn’t mean one is "better" than another. Rather, "the sum is greater than its parts" must apply. Everyone has something to contribute and we must appreciate and leverage that.
Diversity Management is a new area of work in India and promises tremendous potential for the corporate sector.
In this endeavour, I look forward to our readers’ participation. The intent is to provoke public reflection on the issues of diversity and inclusion at work. Through your contributions, we hope to shape this medium to be a resource for senior managers and practitioners to have an open and fruitful dialogue to address the problems as we journey to an inclusive and productive work place. - Nimmi

Traveling is the best way....

I brought in my new year in the esteemed company of the Mummies and Pharoahs in the land of camels, desert, dates and belly dance - Egypt!

What a difference in culture i experienced. The men and women interact in starkly opposite ways!

We traveled around upper Egypt. Alexandria, which in my experience was the best city I visited amongst others during this trip - very Greek and so well kept. I strongly urge everyone who reads this post to visit this beautiful city.

Cruising on the river Nile for 3 days and my ride on the Feluka - a self inspiring, thought evoking and extremely relaxing ride was the highlight of my trip.

Repeated time and again, but I'll say it yet once more..traveling sure is the ideal way to learn and experience Diversity at its best!      - Tasneem