Organisations that design with and for women see a business impact: Cisco’s Trehan

All around the world, there are fewer women than men in technology fields. While history has shown that a lack of diversity limits one’s way of thinking, there appears to be a paradigm shift taking place in major tech companies.

At Cisco, the conversation has moved to making the workplace a more inclusive place for women to advance their careers.

As Anupam Trehan, Director, People and Communities, Cisco India & SAARC, points out, “The need to have diverse representation in the workplace supported by an inclusive culture is no longer an option but a business imperative across all industries.”

At Cisco, inclusion and collaboration is charting the future growth story. “We see inclusion as a bridge,” Trehan told BusinessLine , “a way to connect diverse perspectives, spark new ideas, explore new possibilities, and inspire innovation”.

True collaboration, true leadership, and true success are only possible when one values and embraces a full spectrum of diversity: gender, generation, race, ethnicity, orientation, ability, religion, background, culture, experience and strengths, Trehan adds.

Cisco boasts of one of the most diverse Executive Leadership Teams in the industry ― 46 per cent women and 54 per cent diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity.

At the company, innovative talent practices like ‘Employee resource groups’ or ‘Men for inclusion’ or even the ‘Multiplier effect’, wherein Cisco’s leaders act as sponsors for diverse talent, have been creating an inclusive environment.

A recent study by the McKinsey Global Institute showed India could add up to $770 billion ― more than 18 per cent ― to its GDP by 2025, simply by giving equal opportunities to women.

If not anything else, the financial impact of having a diverse workforce makes the imperative for diversity a no-brainer. There is enough research too demonstrating the impact of a diverse workforce on revenue, profitability, innovation, and also on being a great place to work, says Trehan.

Trehan insists it is the work culture and sense of belonging that has positioned Cisco as the No 1 Great Place to work globally.

But does bringing more women into the tech ecosystem help create a wave of innovation? Trehan is of the firm belief that “organisations that design with and for women can see a business impact with new markets opening up, while making existing markets more profitable. Whichever way we look at innovation, diversity is a key driver.”

Trehan has been a strategic part of Cisco’s operations for over a decade, having worked across different roles.

Referring to a Boston Consulting Group study that said companies with more diverse management teams have 19 per cent higher revenues due to innovation, Trenhan points out, “In 1965, the average tenure of companies on the S&P 500 was 33 years. By 1990, it was 20 years. It is forecast to shrink to 14 years by 2026.”

The executive believes innovation, the creation of disruptive new ideas, gives organisations a competitive advantage.

“Diverse teams perform better than homogenous teams by bringing in diverse perspectives and thoughts versus group-think, have better problem-solving skills, which in turn leads to innovation. Homogenous teams can also have difficulty attracting diverse talent because candidates are more likely to join teams where they see themselves represented,” Trehan adds.

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