From a dedicated Web site to mentoring programmes aimed at engaging women employees, HCL Technologies has been rolling out initiatives to recruit and retain women. Earlier this year, it organised a ‘women only' recruitment drive across Delhi NCR, Bangalore and Chennai and received an overwhelming response — over 2,500 walk-ins. Ms Robin Abrams, a board member at HCL Technologies and a champion of gender diversity, says the company has reached a tipping point. Almost a quarter of its workforce is now women — compared to 21 per cent two years ago. Ms Abrams spoke to Business Line on why having more women on the rolls makes good business sense. Excerpts:

Is gender diversity more of a social cause for HCL Tech?

It is not about filling vacant chairs. Diversity is important as it brings multiple ways of looking at issues, raising tough questions and resolving problems. All kinds of studies have established a direct co-relation between the number of women in management (positions) and the financial success of companies. That is what we fundamentally base our programmes on.

And it makes good business sense. Today, women are making financial decisions for themselves, their families, and they are influencing decisions. So why on earth will you not have diversity (within a company)? Think of it as a holistic way of looking at strategy, for development of products, even in dealing with customers. You create more value for global customers because you present a diverse workforce. In fact, in the last 12-18 months, we have seen customers asking in Request for Proposals (a document that elicits bids from potential vendors) information about the percentage of women in the workforce.

Is 24.5 per cent a good proportion of women employees in a company?

So 24.5 per cent female workforce is a significant achievement. It is a tipping point. About 80 per cent of the women who work in the company are at entry level, and the other 20 per cent are spread through the ranks. Within this 20 per cent, about 15-18 per cent are first or second level managers; the rest are senior managers.

Do you see this proportion of women workers going up? What is the target?

Look, I am not the head of HR. That said, we do set a goal every year. I personally think 25 per cent is still low. I would think it (a good proportion) would be something in 30-35 per cent range. Of course, it is not achievable in four quarters but it should be achievable over 3-5 years.

We know diversity pays off. It works for us, and so we will have to experiment with some of these programs. I live in the Silicon Valley, and it has been challenged over the years in terms of getting its technical (women) workforce beyond 25 per cent. In other areas like sales and marketing, we push it up. But in technical workforce, it is a challenge. In many cases, these women also go off to start their own companies.

What new gender diversity initiatives will you like to see in HCL?

They could experiment in mentoring within the organisation to move more women to senior roles. As an employer, we need to reach further across the table and ask them (women professionals) where they see their career in 3-5 years, do they aspire to become a Director or Vice President in a few years. And thereafter craft a program that will work for such entry-level managers.

And there are other things to think about. If a female employee is worried about taking a break because she is starting a family, then somewhere she is also comparing herself to peers. She is asking herself whether she will be assigned the same project once she returns, what happens to her position, her aspirations. What a company like HCL needs to do is (create) a program that reaches out to such women and talks about how to think this through. We have not done this yet.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW