Letters of the month

Driving a KPi LeD Diversity agenDa

Several organizations today are simply hopping on the D&I bandwagon without giving thought to the vision, scope, and true impact that they seek to create. For such firms, DE&I remains a number game, rather a tick-in-the-box activity with little to negligible cultural change. These are the organizations that rush to hire without actually pausing to realize if their organizations are actually inclusive enough to accommodate diverse groups, be it culturally, through policies and benefits, or even just how people interact. For organizations that put sincere thought and time into building inclusive workplaces, the suggested metrics are a great place to benchmark where they stand, the progress, and the gaps that demand tailoring strategies to better attain DE&I goals. Given the emphasis on D&I post the pandemic, it is in fact critical to keep track of progress and modify plans on the go to stay relevant and sensitive to employee needs.

- SHaSHaNk kaul

'I believe with certainty that the future of work is hybrid'

Very relevant and forward-thinking inputs. The future is indeed hybrid, and any attempts to return to earlier ways of working is almost akin to setting up employees, and the larger team for failure. The world as we know it is not the same, why are some leaders pushing for a return then? Sure certain roles are required to operate from office premises, but there are ways to work around it, instead of summoning all employees to return to the workplace. Arrogance to shift from draconian to agile ways of working will cost firms dearly, and not just monetarily.

- RauNak SaPRa marCh 2021 issue

Fair is foul - if profit’s the purpose

The business case for diversity and inclusion. That’s what I think about as I flip the pages on this piece. Having to give financial reasoning for acting human, rather than respectfully treating one another, where are we headed? Are financial gains the only grounds to convince leaders across the globe to value diverse thoughts and experiences? Is human value not enough? I wonder what crisis next awaits the remainder of Earth’s inhabitants, and what gains will then decide who comes at the top of the food chain.

- RICHa BHaTIa

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Make use of this time to reboot learning

With the healthcare sector worried about redundancy and upskilling amid the unprecedented chaos that the pandemic brought on, their focus on learning is definitely a reminder for employers and leaders across industries to not lose sight of the reskilling urgency. Transition to digital for survival is just one phase to stay relevant in the future. For sustained business health, organizations can no longer de-prioritize learning. What they must also cater to through these learnings is the wide array of conceptual, cultural, and collaborative rewiring that is needed to progress together in an equitable, creative, innovative, and well-being focused workplace.

- SEElaN NaYagam

'The pandemic has exposed inequities like never before'

“As businesses, if we only celebrate how technology brings us together and not address how COVID-19 has also differentially affected those that are disadvantaged, we will have failed.” Makes me feel relieved to see leaders acknowledging and addressing this, however few they might be. Granted every organization had a different experience through 2020, with different capabilities to succeed or struggle through the disruption, nonetheless, it’s high time for employers to recognize that they weren’t alone in facing the struggles.

We have a level playing field for marginalized groups today

The approach by TCS towards inclusion has been truly commendable. The company has led by example. Public-private partnerships will indeed be critical to hitting the accelerator on the DE&I agenda. Be it in terms of resources or governance, collaboration between corporates and the government will be key to bringing about monumental change going forward. The only way to counter the gap deepened by 2020 in societal and cultural inequities is by bringing forces together to strategize and attack regressive and damaging mindsets, behaviors, and practices.

- SOuRISH mOHaN mITRa

Getting realistic about achieving diversity and inclusion

Despite years of evidence surrounding the business imperative of DE&I, there persists a gap in recognizing and accepting the fact. It continues to be the right thing to do, and while it gains the attention of a few eyeballs, the rest continue to roll and either do their bit or blame unconscious unrecognizable bias for their ignorance. If we want to see change, we need to get much more serious and not just encourage eliminating bias but showcase the realities consequent to continued ignorance of basic societal, cultural and workplace norms. It indeed is time to get real.

Mark Stelzner @stelzner Proud to be joining friends and colleagues such as @williamtincup, @jasonaverbook, @JohnWBoudreau and so many speakers for @PeopleMatters2 "TechHR 2021 SEA" event. I hope to SEA you there (clever, right?). :)

EY GdS Careers @EY_GdSCareers In a video interview @PeopleMatters2, Mary Elizabeth Porray, EY GDS Client Service Leader and Sreesukhi Sudarshan, EY GDS Global Talent Acquisition Leader shared few best practices applied at #EYGDS for improving women representation in the workforce. spr.ly/6018HSBhG

Twitter Singapore @TwitterSG The pandemic has affected all of us, but not equally. Women in the workplace have been hit the hardest. Here’s what @ preet_oG shared in her recent interview with @PeopleMatters2 on how companies can better support individual needs in the organisation

Bain & Company @BainAlerts Julie Coffman, our CDO, talked to @PeopleMatters2 about how last year’s events exposed inequities & ignited a necessary discussion about DEI, including the roles that companies can play in addressing these topics internally as well as in their communities. atbain.co/3r0Zy4U

siddharth mishra @MishraSpeak The webinar was excellent and I found it very fascinating and insightful. Thanks @warikoo @PeopleMatters2

Prabir Jha @PrabirJha My article in the current issue of @ PeopleMatters2 .. #RethinkingWorkforceStrategies is a huge strategic mindset shift... are we willing to shift ??? #PrabirInsights #Leadership #Transformation

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