How Will Flexi Working Model Impact DE&I Agenda?
The pandemic has challenged the traditional ways of working. We are now seeing a high appetite from organisations and employees to adapt to the new ways of working. Depending on the nature of the role, there is a shift towards hybrid and flexible working. Employees can now leverage office space to collaborate and network, while continue to retain the flexibility to work from home to suit their needs. The new ways of working provide a great opportunity for organisations to have a significantly positive impact and tap on a diverse pool of talent and bring the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) agenda to life.
Persons with Disabilities (PwD)
India has a huge PwD talent pool, and many are employable. However, only a small fraction of that pool has been employed. Commuting poses a barrier to many PwD, depending on the type of disability and mobility challenges they might have. Even though the impairment might not truly limit their ability to work, for many the daily commute to and from work is a challenge, along with the dependency on an escort. While many organisations ensure appropriate work environment and infrastructure support for PwD colleagues, there are still several employers out there which have limitations despite the right intent. In the absence of a disability-friendly infrastructure, adjustment to workplace becomes considerably challenging for such colleagues. Hence, for them flexibility and accessibility play a big part here. Hybrid working benefits disabled colleagues, who can be employed for roles which predominantly can be performed from home.
Female Workforce:
Women in our society shoulder majority of the home and childcare responsibilities. This was especially evident during the pandemic when many female colleagues had to take on additional responsibilities, like homeschooling and elderly care to name a few. The flexi working support extended by organisations gave them an opportunity to balance their home and work lives. As they say gender balance begins at home, we also know many male colleagues who did not hesitate to share responsibilities and play their parts aptly through the entire lockdown period.
The hybrid/flexi work culture has been a boon especially for women who are returning to work post maternity break. While many organisations in India now have a 6-month maternity leave policy, it is often difficult for nurturing mothers to return to work. Hybrid working enables them to work, while still providing the necessary childcare for their newborn babies, thus, leading to an improved work-life balance. We hope that this will allow us to have more women take up senior roles in organisations and not compromise on their careers for the sake of their families.
Multigenerational Workforce
Gen Z workers, the newest generation to enter the workforce, have a once in a lifetime opportunity to permanently influence the way they will work in their entire professional career. Before the pandemic, the uptake of flexi working and work from home was very limited, and Gen Z was predominantly working from office where they learnt a lot by networking, which included face time with leaders.
Hybrid working will give us the perfect opportunity to meet the needs of our young workforce, along with the needs of a growing multigenerational workforce. This will help them to be more productive by reducing commute time and mental stress, thus, ensuring they focus on their wellness.
The move to hybrid working has redefined the way managers connect with their teams and value them. With the right inclusive culture, organisations must leverage the opportunities that the hybrid working brings to further the DE&I agenda.
(The given article is attributed to Maneesh Menda, Head of HR, India, NatWest Group and has been exclusively created for BW People website)
