Beckon, not Blame!

At 34.2 percent, India's rate of female participation in the labor force is the lowest of any of the BRIC countries, according to U.N. statistics. Women make up 42 percent of college graduates in India, yet even those with diplomas are expected to let their careers take a back seat to caring for husband, children, and elderly parents. The Center for Work-Life Policy, a Manhattan think tank, conducted a study in the year 2010 on the challenges Indian women face in the workplace, and found that in fact, gender disparities at Indian companies grow more pronounced in management's upper ranks

Who is to be held responsible for such low participation of females in the workforce ? Many blame the organization for being inflexible and un-empathetic towards women. Some critics even put some organizations in the bracket of being biased towards women and as the cliché goes for women there is a glass-ceiling at the top. During the India Economic Forum-2009, Indra Nooyi, chief executive officer, PepsiCo spoke about her own personal experiences as a woman employee. She said, “The resume of a successful woman looks impressive but no one knows the heart aches and breaks that go in its making and as a woman I understand what other working women like me go through.”There are some who put the blame on managers and point to the fact that most of them either berate women colleagues or do not let them decide at all. Male managers may feel do not come-out honest towards women colleagues, a trait that women do not appreciate. Other think that that the women employees themselves are to blame for still a dismal rate of women participation in India. A primary research conducted on 1,140 women professionals shows 'career orientation' being the key factor, Indian women can be segmented into: a) Career Primary, b) Career and Home and c) Home Primary. They approximate into a distribution of 19%, 58% and 23% of women in the workforce — data which requires more authentication and individualization to each workplace. The second and major category (Career & Home – 58%) seems to causes maximum heartburn to talent managers. High attrition, lethargy in managerial evolution and low engagement are some key issues. The study finding indicate that a stressor at home forces the woman to work. 'Once it is removed, she quits. While at work, she seeks flexibility, templatised work with little goal pressure and prefers to remain an individual contributor life-long'. Hence the study feels that companies should not waste their energies on this category and instead focus on the first category of female employees that is those belonging to the ‘Career Primary’.

Despite this blame-game, several companies have taken wonderful initiatives for their women employees. CSC has not only flexible hours for women but they have also launched an exclusive website for its women employees called Planet W. The site acts as a discussion forum to exchange ideas and get useful tips on diverse issues. Google has taxis on call for employees, a particular draw for women who may need to rush home to care for a sick family member. German drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim, mindful that families frown on young women traveling alone, will pay for an employee to bring her mother along on longer trips.

Tata lead in many ways the business scenario in India. They are truly the captains of the Indian Industry. When it comes to the issue of women equality & diversity as well they are miles ahead of others. They provide a beckon of light to those women who are talented and want to make a successful career. Talk about a pioneer in India, in terms of engaging the hugely talented women workforce in this country, Tata's are leagues ahead. Here is a snapshot of various initiatives of Tata Group of companies in India and away –

 Some women in top roles across Tata Group (2011 data, Source ET) - 

• Simone Tata, Chairperson, Trent
• Ritu Anand, VP & deputy global head of HR, head global talent management, TCS, India
• Deborah Hadwen, CEO, TCS, Australia
• Delna Avari, Product Head, Tata Motors
• Veetika Deoras, Deputy VP (brand Marketing), Tata Captal
• Jia Maheshwari DGM Tata Reality & Infrastructure
• Sohini Thakur head of Business HR, Tata Steel
• Jyoti Narang, COO, Taj Hotels
• Deepa Harris, Senior VP – Marketing & Sales, Taj Hotels
• Renu Basu, Head – Sales, Taj Hotels
• Suma Venkatesh, Director Development, Taj Hotels
• Mridula Tangirala, Director – Operations, Tajsafaris
• Ashrafi Matcheswala, GM, Taj Group
• Ritu Chawla, DGM, Taj Krishna, Hyderabad

While there have been some companies in India that have similar stories to share, yet there have been very few who have been able to emulate what Tata group has been able to do in terms of engaging the female employees.