The role of women in India is undergoing a dramatic change. Today working women are no longer a rarity and are increasingly accepted as an integral part of the workforce. The process of integration has however been a gradual one and at the entry level we now have a healthy ratio (16%) of women managers at junior levels, while only 4% constitute senior managerial posts.
While the numbers are yet to demonstrate a wider reach, surveys already highlight interesting facts that the return of investments (RoI) of companies that have senior women leaders are 35% higher than other organisations. Given these constraints and the intensifying ‘war for talent’ in India, organisations are now faced with the unique challenge of building a ‘gender diverse’ workforce.

Erasing obstacles

The presence of social constraints and pre-defined roles imposed upon women by society, family and by women themselves form major roadblocks for women aspiring for success in the workplace. This has led several organisations to review their strategies with regard to employment terms and contracts. Employers today are reviewing their policies and practices to build a more inclusive and gender neutral workplace. They are offering differentiated employment propositions and policies to attract and retain women such as flexible work arrangements, maternity related policies and women’s networks.

At the same time women are also availing this flexibility to accommodate their lifecycle needs; many of them being young mothers who have opted for part-time working to achieve worklife balance. Women’s networks are also being used to provide a platform to discuss their career/personal challenges with like-minded women to arrive at win-win solutions.

Decision-making parameters

This brings us to the issue of what factors women should consider before they decide to join an organisation? While making career choices it’s imperative that women go beyond factors of compensation and job titles, and take an active interest in the management’s commitment to diversity and the policies and practices in the organisation, enabling them to etch a long term career here.

In a nutshell, I think for women to be successful in their careers and have a long stint in any organisation, it’s not only important for the organisation to evolve their policies with time, but it’s also essential for women to have proactive and positive discussions with them to drive a culture that supports diversity and inclusion.