‘Women are more loyal to their organisations than men’

With the economy doing well, and jobs back
in the reckoning, companies are again feeling
the pressure of talent crunch.

And a key solution to talent problems in India can be found in the 5.5 million educated and ambitious women entering the workforce each year, says Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy, a US-based think tank, where she chairs the “Hidden Brain Drain”, a task force of 60 global companies committed to talent innovation.

In an interview with DNA, Hewlett says that if India is to continue its growth momentum and emerge as a power, it has to constantly keep encouraging its female talent, rather than letting go of its women because of family pressures. Excerpts:

How crucial is female talent to the growth factor in India?
Indian firms keep talking about talent crunch. I think the best way to battle the crunch is by getting the maximum out of the women employees, who tend to get jolted with family pressures. Over 40% graduates are female.

India can’t let go of that talent. Or even under-employ that talent. You cannot afford to remain calm while the female employees taper out because of family pressures. Firms have to constantly bring out initiatives to encourage their female workforce. Women are more loyal to their organisations than male employees and will stick longer if their firms support them when they face pressure on the family front.

What are Indian companies doing to encourage female talent?
There are pockets of excellence here such as Infosys, Genpact and Tata Group, which have programmes to support women employees. The Tata Group has a programme, SCIP (second career internship programme), where they invite women employees, who have taken a break due to marriage or children to return.

They give them the necessary training at that level. Such a programme helps in infusing confidence into women who look to get back into a career after a short break. Even Infosys is doing a good job with providing flexibility to women. More firms need such programmes.

How do Indian companies need to improve when it comes to its female workforce?
The problem is that women here are not getting to the top. There are hardly any women at the management level. After 5 years of working, they get stuck at a particular position, mainly due to family commitments.

Indian firms need to provide women with a constant supply of training, which can help them broaden their ambitions. Secondly, women also need some kind of a sponsor or a mentor; usually a senior who can advocate their career advancement and guide them wherever necessary.

I also feel women need help in dealing with extreme jobs—where performance pressure is high and she is expected to work for 50-60 hours a week. This is tough with a family. That is why flexibility is important. I am not talking about reduced work hours. By flexibility I mean options to work from home.

Another tool needed to reach the top is international exposure. For women, an international assignment of two to three years is daunting. But now organisations such as UBS and HSBC are creating short-term global assignments of say three months, which a woman can easily take up. They are also providing subsidies for the family to visit. Such a tool could be very powerful in India.

How powerful is the public sector in India when it comes to caring about women employees?
For a 25-year-old woman, a public sector job may not be attractive, as salaries are less and there are limits to promotion. However, job security and flexibility which a public sector job provides is something that the private sector is yet to fully explore. Private firms need to learn that giving women employees the permission to work from home can increase their involvement and productivity.

What is the biggest discouragement for women employees here?
The biggest tension is that on one hand women have high ambitions, but are also simultaneously dealing with mounting pressures on the family front. Around 50 to 60% women feel the pressure to quit their jobs post marriage or after having children. Now this can have repercussions on the organisation.

When family tension rises, the individual may not be able to contribute fully at work. So its upto companies to keep inventing solutions for such issues. Companies such as Google and E&Y have started something called “Family Days”, when they invite the family members of women employees and explain to them the contribution of that lady to the organisation, and how she has the potential to further earn richer rewards, both for herself and the company.

Such activities help in breaking down attitudes that are prevalent in the Indian set-up. Some companies also have a kids centre during school vacation, where children of women employees can come and spend time. This helps in warding off the guilt factor of being far away from your children.

What are the lessons Indian companies need to learn from US counterparts with respect to managing women employees?
Indian firms need to be pro-active to help women climb up the corporate ladder. More companies need to provide training, senior level advocacy, remote working, etc. New Indian companies can be more vigorous and implement newer concepts that can help their female talent.