How Organisations Can Create Supportive Environment For Women To Take The Leap

As we try to build better workplaces and more equitable society the question that looms large is how do we empower women to further their careers? How can business leaders build a more supportive environment for women employees? What traditionally male-dominated organisations need to change in terms of policy?

Gender-inclusive parental policies, gradual return-to-work schedules, and work-from-anywhere are becoming a norm and encouraging women to further their careers. We spoke to  Michele Nyrop, Senior Vice President, Employee Success for India, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, Salesforce to understand what companies can do better to make workplaces more inclusive and equal. Some edited snippets from the interview.

What has stood out to you in terms of how women colleagues in India have succeeded or been challenged at the workplace?

We’ve surely come a long way and yet have a long way to go when it comes down to women in the workplace. In comparison to traditional sectors, the tech industry is one of the most rapidly evolving industries which provides women the opportunity and flexibility (resulting from the pandemic) to participate in the workforce.

Today, women are leading the change on some of the most groundbreaking and disruptive business ventures across the world - be it Whitney Wolfe Herd, CEO, Bumble on a global scale or Falguni Nayar (Nykaa) leading the way as the billionaire startup in India. Yet, attracting more women talent across levels and nurturing women in leadership roles requires change on a company-wide level.

A growing body of evidence shows how companies can benefit from investing in women as employees, entrepreneurs, customers, and community partners. Such investments help companies in several ways, from broadening the talent pool to increasing productivity, providing an opportunity to transform local and global markets. Organisations need to continue to invest in equipping women with the skill sets and knowledge to excel throughout their careers. Women are going to play a crucial part in shaping India’s economy moving forward and it is important for corporations and policy makers to create an inclusive environment in which women can thrive and reach their potential. As per data from the Inequality Report 2022, while women represent about 50 percent of the population, they earn only about one-third of the labour income for it.

Organisations need to invest, reward and recognise the diversity and perspective that women bring to the table with much resilience. A year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, women have made important gains in representation, and especially in senior leadership. But the pandemic continues to take a toll. We still have a long way to go for true gender equality at the workplace.

What have been some of your initial impressions about India with respect to women’s position at the workplace?

Currently, as per the statistics available, women's employability in India is at 51.44 percent for 2022, compared to 41.25 percent in 2021. The overall women's workforce participation rate in India is at 20.3 percent — 18.2 percent in Urban India. This estimates an employable available talent pool of women to be 9.2 crores in urban India.

Conversations around diversity, equality, and inclusion have become important boardroom discussions. Organisations are prioritising diversity and changing the narrative.

There is a need to change the perception that women lack career progression opportunities, and that the industry is male-dominated. We also need to showcase the opportunities available to women to participate in the future of work and more importantly a work-from-anywhere world. While the low absorption of Indian women in workforce could be attributed to lack of jobs, dearth of time due to domestic chores, cultural norms and patriarchal culture; the employment levels can be improved by implementing more inclusive workplaces policies across sectors.

Organisations need to find ways to fill these existing gaps in workforce security for women while also developing new policies to meet the needs of workers. There sure is a long way to go. Nevertheless, a lot of organisations have already taken a lead in this aspect, resulting in more such gender-inclusive policies becoming a norm in the Indian Workforce, for instance at Salesforce our parental leave policy provides the primary caregiver 24 weeks of leave and the secondary caregiver 12 weeks of leave.

Women were initially considered to be less skilled to succeed in tech. How have you seen this changing in the span of your career? 

The last decade has seen an increase in women’s participation in the IT (information technology) industry. A March 2020 NASSCOM report “India’s Tech Industry: Women For The Techade” says that women constitute 35 percent of India’s technology industry. While the trend is encouraging, albeit gradual, in order for it to continue, women must be empowered with new opportunities to take on tech roles, as well as access to ongoing upskilling opportunities.

Our new digital world presents a major opportunity for companies to rethink what agile teams look like. By building tailored development programmes based not on what they think workers should know, but on what workers actually want, and need to know, companies can create a flexible working culture that empowers all employees to connect, learn and progress from anywhere.

Companies nowadays are proactively building an ecosystem that facilitates mentorship, peer groups, and re-skilling. Salesforce is one of the companies at the forefront of championing equality and diversity, through our various inclusivity initiatives, events, and Equality groups.

Organisations that build egalitarian work environments where everyone can thrive are likely to be the most resilient in the future as they begin new ways of working.

What have been some of the milestones in your journey that young women who want to make a mark in the corporate space, could learn from?

With over 24 years of experience across the globe, I’ve had the opportunity to learn and work with several people across the business who gave me the opportunity to learn, grow and create lasting impact. I look back at the years, with gratitude for the growth and pride in the impact I have been able to make. My biggest lesson has been continuous learning, having the opportunity to live and work in different locations around the world has been the most enriching and enlightening part of my journey (both professionally and personally). Through these experiences, I have been forced to be very self-reflective on my leadership and how I need to adjust to meet people and teams where they are.

Can you share your thoughts on mentorship and how women can support each other to navigate through a traditionally male-dominated industry?

I believe everyone should have a mentor and a sponsor. Personally, I have had admirable mentors and sponsors throughout my career, who have helped me advance my profession. Mentors are the people who know the ropes and the unwritten rules to help you succeed in your job today. Sponsors are the people who have your back when you're not in the room. They're usually more senior. They're in the room and saying you're ready to tackle that new opportunity or ready for that promotion.

Sometimes, mentors are more important earlier in a career and then sponsors become more critical later on. But I’ve found you need both. And everyone should constantly be cultivating those relationships to drive their career. You have to own your employability.

For an organisation, mentorships embedded and formalised in strong networks can provide women with access to knowledge, a network of skilled individuals, and financial resources to help them pursue long and rewarding careers in technology.

Who have been some of your personal role models?

My mother has taught me to be humble, happy and live a life of adventure and learning. Without her, I wouldn’t have had the courage to experience all of the things that I have.

Work from home

What kind of specific policies do you think that need to change in India for stopping women from dropping out of the workforce?

Business is the greatest platform for change. At Salesforce, there is a strong focus on policies that support D&I at the workplace. We’ve made investments in key areas to try and bridge the gender gap. Including: Investing in Equal Pay - we are committed to Equal Pay for Equal Work. Till date, we have spent a total of more than $22 million to address any unexplained differences in pay.

Our parental leave policy helps in addressing work-life conflicts which are a reality for both men and women after the birth of a baby. All our male employees are also entitled to paid parental leave as either a primary or secondary caregiver. Salesforce offers primary caregivers 26 weeks paid parental leave and secondary caregivers 12 weeks paid parental leave. We also provide free daycare facilities for all employees. In India we work with KLAY to support our employees. We are constantly working towards eliminating bias throughout virtually all stages of the employee journey. From the initial interview, through onboarding and training, including the departure of the employee. Salesforce isn’t afraid of making investments in equality. We also launched a pilot program to support women to get back to work post a career break.

Suggested Reading:

Cost-effectiveness Is Most Critical Aspect In Agriculture Sector: Dr Shital Somani Kasat

How can tech organisations, such as yours create a supportive environment for women to really take the leap?

Organisations need to make a conscious and sincere effort towards nurturing women in the workforce. The #1 thing we’ve heard from employees is that flexibility is very important to them. Last year we introduced Success From Anywhere, which offered people more flexibility with three new ways of working. Today, we’re empowering teams to decide how, when and where they work. We’ve redefined the way we work with Flex Team Agreements. Teams can decide which work they’ll prioritize in the office vs. remote. They can also align on things that matter to them: like preferred ways of working, communicating and connecting. We’re also encouraging employees to prioritize wellbeing with Flex Behaviors: no meeting Fridays, async weeks, “Focus Time” etc.

By leading with flexibility, we’re also able to attract and retain a more diverse workforce. Over the last few years, we’ve been deeply focused on reimagining our hiring systems with equality at the center. We’ve welcomed talent from new geographies and communities.

Work from home

Tell us about a typical day in your life.

There is no typical day in the life of a HR professional. Every day provides new challenges, new opportunities, and a lot of gray areas that give me the chance to grow in many ways. Today as the Head for Employee Success at Salesforce across the APAC region I have the opportunity to be a part and carve out the growth story for the company in a growth market. The opportunity to drive a stronger and deeper alignment between business functions, the opportunity to impact employees, communities and the industry in such a material way definitely raises the stakes for me.