In Conversation with Anupama Singh, Vice President HR, Concentrix

Anupama, first of all, a big congratulation to you for winning the Best Allyship & ERG Award at BW People Ask Insights Disability Positive Summit 2023. How have you and your team at Concentrix implemented D&I initiatives, both, in letter and in spirit?

At Concentrix, we have DEI inbuilt into our vision statement: We will be the greatest customer engagement services company in the world rich in diversity and talent. Our journey in the last 3 years has been about laying the foundation in 2021, crafting a superstructure in 2022 and we are focused on solidification in 2023. 

Concentrix, as an organization, has pledged to be an equal opportunity employer, to nourish the extensive skill pool within the PwD category. To make a meaningful impact in the lives of the PwD skill pool, we have followed a 3-step approach of HIRE – EMPOWER – ENGAGE.

HIRE: It has been our continued focus to strategize and bring more and more PwDs into our family. This we do through a multi-faceted approach: virtual & physical hiring drives; hiring participations in Job Fairs across the country exclusively organized for PwD, campus hiring from PwD Educational institutions etc.

EMPOWER: As an organization, we are not only committed to increasing our diversity count but also to creating inclusive behaviour within our leadership group – we have hired 2 dedicated sign language trainers and have certified 30 ‘People Leaders’ to ensure our HI ambassadors are always heard. 

Additionally, we have our In -house PwD exclusive career growth -oriented learning Program TAKE FLIGHT; MS Office suite accessibility training is also facilitated to educate how best can we make systems user friendly catering to VI and HI ambassadors; this is not all, we have our PWD stream deployed into banking and other complex processes through effective training facilitated with the help of SLTs.

ENGAGE: Diversity and Inclusivity is at its best when heard, acknowledged, and acted upon – we take this seriously – our constant and persistent endeavour is to make time to engage, to listen to talk; this approach has not only helped us get closer to our PwD community but has also given us direct insights from our ambassadors on what can make our workplace truly inclusive! 

*Image: D&I Initiatives at Concentrix

2. Could you please give us a sense of the kind of research done regarding different disabilities, so that appropriate education and training can be provided and specific job roles can be assigned accordingly?

We followed a systematic approach to understand the suitability of Job Roles for PwD, reasonable accommodations, assistive tools & technologies required to enhance the efficiency of PwD. We also partnered with specialized organizations that assisted us in this activity. 

The 3-step approach involved: 

Step 1:  

• Mapping CNX Job roles with the degree (high, medium & low) of functional requirements (mobility, hearing & vision)
• Identifying Unique Job roles- Vendor partner will assist in identifying 5-7 unique job roles such that their functional needs are unique and distinct

Step 2: Identifying unique job roles inclusive by a desk review of the job descriptions, interactions with staff & managers working on that role 

Step 3: Mapping Jobs against disability-type wise accommodations requirement 

At the end of this exercise, we were able to have the following output:

• Inclusive job description
• Mapping the role to the degree of functionality
• Disability-wise reasonable job accommodations
• Indicative list of assistive technologies, pre-selection & onboarding accommodations

Example: 

3. What are the top three challenges that organizations may face in implementing a D&I policy?

Unconscious Bias: Unconscious biases can have a negative impact on various aspects of work life, including hiring decisions, performance evaluations, and promotions. Addressing and mitigating these biases is a significant obstacle in successfully implementing D&I policies.

Tokenism: There exists a potential pitfall when organizations promote diversity merely for the sake of maintaining a certain image or ticking boxes. This approach, often termed "tokenism," can lead to negative repercussions or feelings of exclusion among staff members if not carefully managed. 

Failure to Link D&I with Business Strategy: Integrating a D&I policy with the company's overall business strategy is crucial for its success. Without this connection, it can be difficult to remain committed to D&I, especially during economic or other pressures.

Q.4. Do you think having a diverse and inclusive workforce can make for a good business case for companies?

Absolutely! Fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce presents a compelling business argument, enhancing a company's employer branding and effectively addressing its social obligations towards the wider community.

A robust D&I policy can enhance a company's reputation, making it attractive to a broader pool of potential employees.

Similarly, encouraging diversity and inclusivity in the workforce is important for companies to fulfil their social responsibilities. Beyond employer branding and social responsibility, research has also shown a link between diversity and better financial performance.