An equal world: Experts suggest ways to address bias, foster inclusion at work
Taking the diversity charter beyond tokenism, Tina Vinod, Founder and CEO of Diversity Simplified, Sarika Naik, CMO and Chairperson of Diversity India, Capgemini and Neha Bagaria, Founder and CEO of HerKey (formerly JobsForHer) shared their insights at SheSparks 2024.
As of December 2023, women held 18.8% of board seats in the BSE 100, of which about 14.1% were independent directors, according to Corporate Governance Scores 2023 report released by proxy advisory firm Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS).
The report mentioned that while corporate India has used the regulatory push to increase the number of women on boards, the pace of growth has slowed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite efforts to promote diversity and comply with regulations, women's representation in leadership roles remains low, with many women being like token figures. However, the true potential of inclusion can only be unlocked when it goes beyond tokenism.
To take the diversity charter beyond tokenism, Tina Vinod, Founder and CEO of , Sarika Naik, CMO and Chairperson of Diversity India, Capgemini and Neha Bagaria, Founder and CEO of shared their insights at SheSparks 2024.
Need to tackle the unconscious bias
Vinod explained that inequality in the workplace is a harsh reality that often showcases deep-rooted social disparities. She believes that this lack of diversity not only reflects systemic barriers but also fosters them, as men continue to dominate the corporate world.
“We need representation, more women in the boardrooms, more women at the leadership level and more people from underrepresented intersectional backgrounds, people with disability, people from the LGBTQ plus community, different people who are underrepresented,” Vinod said.
Adding to the same, Capgemini’s Naik says that unconscious bias is the reality. Offering solutions to mitigate the bias, she says that it all starts from the top.
“We have a lot of fancy promises stating that we are an equal company and we hire equally. All that is fine, but who really is your top C-suite? If you don't see women represented there then those are empty promises made by the marketing team,” she said.
She also suggested adding aligned KPIs. “We are all KPI-driven people and having aligned KPIs is important to overcome biases,” she said.
Levelling the playing field for all
Bagaria of HerKey recalled that she started with 20 companies on the platform and today the figure has increased to 15,000. She highlights that about 10% of these companies are large enterprises with 500-plus team size, but the bulk of them are MSMEs and startups.
Delving deep, she emphasised that diversity is an important tool for startups and MSMEs as well.
“All the companies are looking for good talent and we all know the benefits of unlocking this massive talent pool that is lying outside the workplace. I think for SMEs and startups, anybody who wants to win the war for talent has to be able to access diverse pools of talent. That's where diversity becomes extremely important,” she explains.
Agreeing, Naik added that hiring is the first milestone where women witness bias. Pondering upon the tools organisations are using to mitigate it, she added that most large organisations ask for a balance in the number of profiles that they seek for critical roles.
Additionally, organisations make sure that the interviewer or the key decision maker has gone through all relevant training on unconscious bias.
She further elucidates that technology can play a critical role in masking certain details of an employee and instead focus solely on their skills.
Referring to a LinkedIn analysis of key skills for 2024, adaptability emerged as an important factor. She opines that if organisations consider this, women will likely excel. Additionally, various psychometric tests can help mitigate gender bias in hiring.
A two-way road
Calling tokenism a two-way road, Vinod elucidated that tokenism can work positively in some cases. She cites an example of a trans woman, someone from the LGBTQ+ community, or a single woman being hired or being on the board, and notes that the presence of one individual also has the potential to bring about significant changes in the outcomes and decisions the company makes.
“When it doesn't work positively is when DEI is an HR Initiative, or a marketing initiative and it's not the leadership agenda and the business agenda,” she adds.
In the end, she urged the leaders and founders to foster inclusion from the first day of the organisation.
“It's imperative to try and inculcate these practices from day one. You will see benefits in innovation, growth strategy, and even the ability to attract diverse talent and enhance your brand. There are significant benefits to it,” she said.
Echoing the same, Naik added, “It's not just about having women in the room but it is about creating an equal world where we need to have men as well.”
Edited by Affirunisa Kankudti