Fostering Inclusion and Empowering Diversity: Insights from Uma Rao

“In an enlightening dialogue with MBA HRM students from the School of HRM, XIM University, Uma Rao, the Chief Human Resources Officer at Sekhmet Pharmaventures Pvt. Ltd., shares her expert insights on creating inclusive workplaces, advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) practices, and the strategies for supporting career development among diverse groups within organizations. Through a series of thought-provoking questions posed by the students, Rao delves into the nuances of building an inclusive mindset, enhancing support for the LGBTQIA+ community, overcoming common pitfalls in diversity and inclusion, and the pivotal role of leadership in fostering a culture where every employee feels valued and empowered to thrive. This comprehensive interview sheds light on the innovative approaches and initiatives that can lead to more equitable and inclusive organizational environments, ultimately driving success and innovation in the modern business landscape.”

I believe that Inclusivity is a mindset and not just something that can be read from books and articles. How do organisations build an inclusive mindset within the workforce to make DE&I practices more fruitful and help employees fully internalise it?

Increasing inclusivity in an organization requires a concerted effort to create a welcoming and supportive environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered such that they can contribute their unique perspectives and talents. There are several ways in which leading organizations build an inclusive mindset that goes distinctly beyond diversity. They foster a culture of inclusivity starting from the top. Leadership demonstrates a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through their actions, policies, and decision-making processes. They implement practices to attract and hire a diverse workforce, including using inclusive language in job descriptions, expanding recruitment channels, and ensuring diverse representation on hiring panels.

Organizations offer training programs and workshops to raise awareness of unconscious bias, privilege, and microaggressions and provide employees with the tools and skills to foster inclusivity in their interactions and decision-making processes. These organizations encourage the formation of affinity groups based on shared identities or interests to provide support and networking opportunities.

Organizations regularly update policies and benefits to ensure they are inclusive and equitable for all employees, including flexible work arrangements, parental leave policies, and accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Opportunities for open dialogue and feedback where employees feel comfortable expressing their perspectives, concerns, and suggestions for improvement without fear of retaliation or judgment are also great ways to build inclusive organizations.

By fostering a culture of inclusivity, organizations can create an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to thrive, leading to improved morale, productivity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

How can we go beyond providing benefits to employees of the LGBTQIA+ community to make them feel more included within organisations?

Organizations can celebrate diversity and cultural awareness by organizing events and activities to celebrate diverse identities, fostering a sense of community and appreciation for the richness of diversity within the organization. They can offer mentorship and sponsorship programs to support the professional development and advancement of these employees. It’s important to take proactive measures to prevent and address harassment against them promptly through clear reporting mechanisms and appropriate disciplinary actions.

What is the biggest mistake organizations make regarding diversity and inclusion?What is the biggest mistake organizations make regarding diversity and inclusion?

Organizations that do not display leadership commitment towards diversity and inclusion suffer badly in business, and it haunts them. Another mistake is “tokenism”, whereby organizations make a tick in the box by hiring a few underrepresented groups and expect to be seen as advocates of diversity and inclusion without really making any efforts to correct the situation systemically in terms of equitable policies, opportunities for growth and the like which makes the whole exercise very superficial.

Apart from this, the bias at workplace plays up and takes ugly turns especially during performance appraisal cycles and promotions and career growth opportunities. Many times, value judgements are made on the capability of the individual even before checking for the same.

In what ways does the company support women in pursuing career development opportunities, such as sponsorships for conferences, leadership training programs, or mentorship opportunities with senior women leaders? How do these initiatives contribute to building a solid pipeline of future female leaders?

Companies that value diversity and inclusion create the right opportunities for women to learn and grow. These happen thru external training programs, attending conferences, mentorship and networking opportunities. These opportunities help women employees expand their horizons and learn more. It also exposes them to how other women are managing their career and their life. A renewed sense of purpose and confidence is displayed by these women employees and that makes them aspire for more in their career. Owing to these experiences, the women employees communicate more and raise their hands when opportunities arise, a little more than before.

Beyond traditional job boards, how does the company actively source and attract qualified female candidates for open positions, particularly leadership roles? Are there specific partnerships with organizations or initiatives focused on women in your industry?

Organizations put out an Employee Referral Program which aims to have existing employees refer good women candidates for selection for a higher referral fee. There are organizations that are specialized in diversity hiring and they partner to fulfil the need to have more qualified women. Some organizations in the pharma sector start early and have bootcamps specifically for young girls who get trained thoroughly for a couple of years at a company provided residential facility to become ready to enter the workforce.

Does the company offer unconscious bias training not just for leadership but also for all employees? How does the company address the issue of “mommy penalties” or career roadblocks faced by women with childcare responsibilities?

The Code of Conduct clearly specifies the behaviours expected at work and the value of respect for all. There are specific clauses on anti-harassment which must be signed and adhered to by each employee. Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) trainings and awareness sessions are conducted at specific periodicity to reiterate the message of fostering a safe workplace. In addition, there are policies that ensure women do not get a raw deal upon going on maternity leave or caregiving break. These are specifically monitored during the performance appraisal and promotion exercise. In terms of policy support, women can take a longer maternity break and can also have more flexible work timings for the initial months after they return from maternity leave and managers are encouraged to be more empathetic and supportive.

How frequently do women raise concerns about unequal pay within the same job profile? What underlying factors might contribute to these issues, considering that organizations are now aware of women’s legal rights regarding pay?

Women hardly raise any concerns on pay parity in my experience. More and more organizations are aware of the legal implications of the same and do not discriminate on this account too much in urban organizations. The concerns of women employees are more towards flexibility, not wanting to travel much, working in places closer to their home in case of any emergencies, benefits like pick up and drop from home and the like. In the era of shortage of good talent, organizations cannot afford to displease any constituency and pay is, therefore not a subject of discussion on account of parity. Therefore, they do market benchmarking on a regular basis to ensure pay is competitive. The case of the unorganized labour population is different, and they may be subject to rampant unfair labour practices including of pay parity.

Are there any innovative approaches you recommend incorporating into HR practices to address the gender bias that occurs across departments?

Rewarding of managers who are espousing the cause of the female gender at work is one of the biggest motivators. This sets the other managers into a healthy competition. Taking prompt action against anyone who harasses female employees sets the tone for non-tolerance of any discrimination in the organization. Every female employee must be spoken to at specific intervals to hear what they are saying, hearing and feeling at the workplace. An internal networking forum for women goes a long way in creating a safe place for women and helps them develop and grow. It’s important that woman employee is deployed in a cross functional team where the learnings are phenomenon and help the employee to climb the professional ladder.

What new initiatives have organizations implemented to ensure women feel supported in their career paths after a break, such as during pregnancy, to maintain their motivation and commitment?

As mentioned earlier, organizations are framing policies that help prevention of discrimination and harassment. They assign mentors for high potential employees some of whom are women too. These organizations are competitive and expect their female employees to work shoulder to shoulder with the men and create an environment of high performance which certainly help organizations grow. Towards this, they sponsor some specific courses, certifications and degrees of education which may be a personal pursuit but keeps the woman employee remain invested in the organization.

What strategies does our company employ to foster a culture of flexibility and work-life balance, especially considering the unique challenges faced by women, such as caregiving responsibilities or maternity leave?

Companies consider extra leave/flexible working after maternity leave to allow for the transition with the new responsibilities. They also consider change of location for a short while till the issues are resolved and the woman employee does not need any further dispensation. Many times, office timing have a flexibility build around it to help employees manage their time and responsibilities.

In case of Talent crunch of diversity profiles for niche roles, is it a better choice to lower the bar just to meet the requirement or what are the alternate options?

Talent is the backbone of any successful business. Lowering the bar to meet diversity requirements may seem like a quick fix to address talent shortages, but it can have long-term consequences for organizational effectiveness and diversity initiatives, which may be detrimental to the organization.

Instead of compromising on standards, we can consider expanding recruitment channels to reach a more diverse pool of candidates. These could be specialized job boards, diversity-focused organizations, professional associations, and networking events. We can forge partnerships and collaborations with universities, community organizations, and diversity-focused initiatives to attract diverse talent.

As per personal experience, it is always a good idea to invest in building and nurturing diverse candidate pipelines by participating in career fairs, internships, mentorship programs, and other initiatives aimed at cultivating relationships with diverse talent early in their careers. It is important to train hiring managers and interviewers to recognize and mitigate unconscious bias in recruitment and selection processes.

Leading organizations invest in upskilling and reskilling programs to develop existing employees and enable them to transition into niche roles or take on new responsibilities. This can help retain and advance diverse talent within the organization. With all these measures we will not lower the bar but be conscious to make more efforts to become more diverse and inclusive.

How are organisations working towards making an inclusive environment for diversity profiles especially in the Production department where the majority of the employees are men?

It has been challenging to hire and retain diversity profiles for the production department due to the various biases in organizations. Stereotypical thinking that they cannot work in shifts, can’t come in night shifts, cannot carry heavy equipment, cannot walk around the large factories, cannot reach the workplace on their own, etc., has plagued our thinking in many ways.

Organizations that are making strides in this aspect have found ways to overcome these limitations of the mind. They are investing in ergonomic machines and systems which can be operated with ease; they are working on creating more washroom facilities near the production area. Some of them provide transportation to the doorstep and provide restrooms in case someone is feeling unwell or fatigued. Regular sessions on health and wellness and medical checkups are conducted to ensure the employees are taking good care of their health. Gender sensitization programs help create an inclusive environment, too.

Several organizations have adopted cross-functional working, and they ensure these teams are well represented by all constituencies to get the whole brain thinking, which is very essential for problem-solving and innovation, the hot skills for progressive organizations. One other thing which I have found to be a big leveller is the uniform. Once in uniform, all employees are equal, and it leads to more bonding and integration at the workshop.

How is the organization ensuring the tasks and performance are not compromised in the unit level when the female employees return to work after special leave like maternity, as they may need additional assistance after the prolonged duration of being away from work

Most of the time, the roles and responsibilities of the units are well-defined to ensure efficiency and productivity. No employee is given a task that is not meant to be in the overall scheme of things. Hence, there is no question of compromise. It is definitely incumbent on the organization to display empathy and sensitivity to a young mother in case she has an acute requirement to be with the child for legitimate reasons. They may also need to be brought to speed on work for any changes that may have happened in their absence from maternity leave.

Proper training and orientation must be given to the employee to perform at par with others. Some flexibility to accomplish a part of the task from home may also be considered for some time to help make the transition smooth. My own experience as a woman professional is that women are looking for respect and trust to perform well rather than concessions. Once trusted and valued, they generally go out of their way to prove their worth and earn a right on the table.