Tata Technologies has launched a gender diversity hiring campaign focusing on a structured and comprehensive approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Naaz Mushrif, AVP & Global Head-Talent Management and L&OD, told Mobility Outlook that the company’s DEI initiatives could be seen through its EVE (Empower via Education) programme for underprivileged girls and the ready engineer drive. These aim to provide STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education and employment opportunities to young individuals.
Consequently, Tata Technologies has expanded its global presence and is now catering to a diverse clientele across cultures and age groups over the past three years. This growth has also fuelled the demand for skilled engineers and spawned this gender diversity hiring initiative in the process.
Targeted Hiring
Last May, the company set itself a target to appoint 1,000 women and Mushrif said it was on track with this drive. The focus for the second half of this fiscal year would be on strengthening and boosting lateral hiring efforts.
“The support from business leaders and employees has been substantial with widespread participation and referrals,” she added. Tata Technologies is also planning to recruit women engineers globally through various channels overseen by the executive leadership team.
According to Mushrif, the DEI programme is built on four key pillars: communication, growth, enabling and support. The company conducts workshops for managers to address biases, provides targeted leadership development programmes for aspiring women, offers mentoring opportunities with business leaders, and facilitates insightful conversations with women leaders.
Additionally, it prioritises state-of-the-art infrastructure, flexible policies, childcare benefits and wellness services like gym, yoga and counselling to enhance support for women employees.
Tata Technologies caters to the automotive, industrial heavy machinery and aerospace sectors. Its focus areas are determined based on talent availability and upcoming ramp-up plans for the next six months, with active collaboration from the talent acquisition team. Its diversity hiring champions are working within their respective areas to enhance representation of women in the workforce.
“While our historical expertise may lie in a few sectors, which has allowed us to tap into existing talent pools, we are exploring opportunities to tap talent by upskilling and cross-skilling women on career breaks through our skill-building hub, TechVarsity. This strategy broadens our focus and optimises talent, supporting growth and innovation in emerging sectors,” said Mushrif.
Unique Value Addition
Women, she continued, bring diverse strengths to the workplace and excel in multitasking, a critical skill in today's dynamic environment. Their adeptness in managing priorities is invaluable in the company’s 27-country virtual team setting. Celebrating women's innovation, “we initially sought 1-2 standout individuals but received numerous nominations”.
Women leaders effectively navigate collaboration challenges due to their nurturing and empathetic approach. They excel in engaging and retaining a multigenerational workforce, enhancing work standards and ethics. Talented women engineers drive innovation and uphold quality.
Mushrif said TechVarsity and LeaderBridge Academy provide diverse learning opportunities through various mediums and thereby integrate learning into key performance indicators. Individuals can delve into a broad range of technologies and domains which is in sync with the organization's emphasis on continuous learning and skill enhancement.
“We have seen women leaders who initially joined as campus recruits progressing to become integral members of the executive leadership team. The fact that we have three women at this level is a testament to the growth opportunities that Tata Technologies offers its women talent,” she added.
The leadership development programmes specifically cater to aspiring women, helping them carve out their unique leadership styles. These initiatives have been “highly successful on a global scale.”
The company also offers various flexible options including accommodation of project assignments, childcare needs, career breaks and promoting the DEI culture.
Unlike some organisations which have compensation disparity, Tata Technologies’ prioritises equity, reiterated Mushrif. Its approach centres on fair performance assessments using common measurement parameters and skill/role-based reward systems, promoting a level playing field for everyone.
The company reviews promotions, assessments, and rewards, focusing on DEI perspectives. The findings are consolidated into a formal report submitted to the Chief Human Resources Officer to prevent conscious/subconscious biases.
Career Path
Mushrif said Tata Technologies is implementing an organisation-wide career and competency path framework, which empowers individuals to define their career paths. It encompasses competency-based training and role-specific learning pathways, enabling individuals to pursue their goals. Proactively identifying potential leaders involves regular talent review forums and formal assessments of leadership competencies.
“We facilitate opportunities for individuals to express their interest in various roles aligned with their career aspirations through internal job postings, job rotations, and the GROW Policy,” she explained.
Additionally, there is a deliberate effort to tap into the top diversity talent pool for upcoming positions by leveraging talent review forums as a platform for talent identification and development. “This approach ensures a clear and supported career progression for women within the organisation,” signed off Mushrif.
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