Empowering Every Voice: Leaders Uplifting Diversity And Inclusion

In the quest to create workplaces that reflect the rich tapestry of humanity, the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) have emerged as guiding beacons. As organisations navigate the ever-changing landscape of the modern workplace, the focus has expanded beyond mere diversity statistics. Today, the emphasis is on fostering an environment where individuals from all walks of life not only find their voices acknowledged but also their potential realized.

Priya Mathilakath, Head HR- retail, corporate and manufacturing, Titan Company delves into the intricate web of DEIB in the workplace, exploring the strategies, actions, and cultural shifts that are reshaping the world of work. 

How can leaders demonstrate commitment to DEI in the workplace? What role does the HR play in championing these efforts?

DEIB is a wide concept that acknowledges varied human behaviours that play a significant role in shaping the culture of any ecosystem. Individuals from different walks of life come with their own experiences, learnings and personalities. It is the responsibility of a good organisation to cultivate a work environment that provides a level playing field and brings out the best in them. An organisation sustains success consistently because of its culture where dignity and respect are accorded equally, and a sense of belonging is at the core of its values. 

Respecting employees across the hierarchy, making accommodations for equitable work considerations for diverse talent, and being comfortable in sharing their vulnerability while navigating unfamiliar ground (inclusion of women, PwD, LGBTQi, people belonging to marginalized groups) is a great way to lead by example. 

While the role of the HR has evolved into being a trusted partner of the business, acting as a change catalyst and being advocate of employee well-being, we envision that the DEIB values are infused in every employee’s way of life and in the future, there might not be any need for People Function (HR) to champion it alone. Each one of us will be sensitive and understand the importance of inclusion in all our work spheres.

How is accountability ensured for achieving DEI goals within different departments and teams? 

The DEIB journey for all organisations is a slow and steady one, as its success can be truly realized only when visible changes in the mindset of employees can be observed in the way they work and take decisions organically. While being persistent on this steady path of creating a culture of continuous improvement, accountability can be ensured through several methods such as role modelling by the leaders, setting clear goals and expectations, establishing regular check-ins to assess progress, challenges or roadblocks, providing training and resources, celebrating successes to stay motivated and focused, ensuring transparency with data and dialogue, and last but not the least, holding people themselves accountable. 

The HR teams should work alongside businesses to ensure goal alignment and actioning. To call out some of the work we have been doing- the talent acquisition teams are trained on inclusive hiring approaches and sourcing avenues to present diverse talent to the hiring managers; the employee experience team provides access to EAP services and designs the reward and recognition mechanism from an inclusive lens. We also conduct non-conscious bias workshops for people managers to help them lead their teams appropriately. In quarter 1 this year of the total new hires, we have hired 41 per cent women. We continue to focus on talent acquisition as one of the key strategic levers for women representation across all levels.

How can a company address the underrepresentation of certain groups, such as women and minorities, in technical roles and leadership positions? 

Companies can certainly play a role in this agenda through educational interventions for underrepresented groups to pick up skills in the technical domain. Acquiring talent at an early age through partnerships and providing them with the necessary resources for mobility, safety, financial acumen, health and wellness are essential elements to nurture their growth.  

Providing mentorship to these employees will act like a solid support system to navigate through work. Connecting them with industry stalwarts to draw inspiration, and have a role model to look up to, and facilitating leadership connects is likely to instil a sense of self-motivation when their eyes open to the opportunities that lie ahead. Organisations can also play a role by influencing the society & eco-system. Programmes that address families of these communities, giving them the confidence to take on technical roles, higher responsibilities, example women in manufacturing , women in sales, women in leadership roles, LGBTQi in leading roles. Ensuring early success in their career clubbed with the organisation’s effort to create an inclusive culture, invest in building their capabilities will surely turn the corner. 

What resources or support systems can be put in place for employees who experience or witness discriminatory behaviour? 

To address an untoward incident, resources and support systems such as grievance cells, policies, regular listening forums with leaders and conflict resolution mechanisms while adhering to confidentiality and transparent reporting are some of the robust steps that organisations should take. The critical element here is the trust that employees can place in their organisations to raise their hands and come forward to share about such incidences. 

Titan is a listening organisation and people-centricity is core to our value system. We have a dedicated department to manage workplace issues and ethical violations called the ‘Ethics’ function. In addition to this we have close to 100 Local Ethics Champions across the Organisation. Workplace issues like workplace climate, favouritism, insubordination, and communication issues due to cultural misunderstanding are dealt with by the People business partners. The Ethics team handles all cases related to Tata Code of Conduct (integrity, ethics & sexual harassment). Since Titan has a gender-inclusive policy to deal with sexual harassment concerns, the process followed is robust and compliant with the POSH Act 2013. The Ethics team also conducts workshops on the Right Way at Titan and uses effective ways of communication such as storytelling, theatre, short films and case studies to guide the employees about ethical and inclusive practices in the workplace. 

How can male-dominated industries address language or cultural barriers that may arise in a diverse workforce? How can women representation be improved in these sectors? 

Improving women's representation in these sectors is not easy to solve as it stems from biases that are deep-rooted in our society. However, some of the steps that can be taken to scratch the surface are employer branding to showcase the opportunities, infrastructure, and processes that are followed in your organisation and excite professionals to apply. Having inclusive policies to support women in these sectors and making them feel at ease to be part of your ecosystem is equally essential. Bringing in women in leadership roles in manufacturing and creating a programme for women in manufacturing that accelerates their journey (based on merit) will help move the needle faster.  Setting a realistic goal for this journey, sponsorship of the leaders and reviewing it regularly by establishing check-ins is the way to go. 

How can organisations support the professional development and career advancement of all employees, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds? 

The first step that organisations should take to support career growth and development is to identify the different talent groups that exist in the organisation and ensure all employee segments have equitable opportunity to perform and demonstrate their potential. After that it should be based on merit. Organisation’s role is to ensure there are no biases and there is equal opportunity for all. At Titan, we provide role and competency-based training to enhance the skill set of employees. There are programmes curated that support employees to take on higher-order responsibilities. Organisation’s should ensure equitable measures throughout the employee lifecycle. Our multi-level performance calibrations are aimed to address any possible biases or prejudices.  

For our first leg of the journey, Titan is looking to increase the representation of women in the workforce. To achieve this, we have undertaken various initiatives. For example, the new parent care support policy acknowledges all genders as primary caregivers, safeguards them against the lowest performance rating ensures no compromise to their growth, and bears the cost of travel of a caretaker and a child of up to 1 year accompanying them for work trips and extends flexi-work options based on the nature of their role. Another initiative that we are driving is the Women in Sales and Women in Manufacturing Program to nurture women’s growth in these areas through a dedicated learning and talent attraction programme.