Women in IT: Adding care in culture
India's IT industry is the torchbearer among other industries when it comes to gender equality. Simply put, there are more women in IT than in any other industry. This is not by chance the government, industry bodies, and companies have all made conscious efforts to encourage equal opportunities. However, the number of women in leadership roles is still a major area of opportunity for many. A look inside Allstate - one of India's Best Workplaces for Women by the Economic Times shows how caring is making the difference.
Hemlata Nevetia, chief financial officer at Allstate feels everyone's opinion is respected. As I was interviewing and evaluating other options, I did my research on the overall culture at Allstate and saw that diversity was central to the value system with several women leaders in senior roles across the globe. This reaffirmed that Allstate stood for diversity, and it makes business sense; not simply to posture to the world. In my view it is very important that businesses understand that diversity also means long term sustainability. Because our end customers are also women, it is important to have women represented in all roles, including product design. Inside the company, I have experienced diversity of all kinds including gender, culture and race, making for a truly inclusive environment.
Besides aspects like maternity and paternity policies, insurance benefits, health and mental wellness initiatives, Allstate also makes extra efforts to empower real choices for women. Clear communication and transparency is encouraged, and special emphasis is taken to support women employees at all stages of their lives.
Sheela Nagaraj, senior manager, Data Analytics at Allstate says, Individuals may or may not have support from their families and we as organizations and leaders are making efforts to support them. Women need to know that making a conscious choice to continue their career is important, valid, and possible.
When confronted with opportunities that juxtapose family with career and when taking a leap of faith, Sheela's advice is, Be focussed and have an objective in mind, get the support you need from your organization, and stand up for yourself. The times have changed a lot for women, whether they want to pursue their individual skills or take up leadership roles and lead corporate lives there are individual challenges, but nothing that we can't overcome if we want to.
Giving the needed confidence at a time when someone is at crossroads for making career choices can help them make the right decisions. Manjula Nanjappa, director, Delivery and Risk Management, who joined the company in Bangalore soon after it started in 2012 feels privileged to be one of the founding members who've experienced trust and confidence.
Tasked with setting up a new unit she chose to take up this high-stakes opportunity. Manjula says, You make the decisions that are important for yourself and for the organization. This was an important project for the organization and there was a lot of pressure as we were setting up from scratch people, processes, technology, and infrastructure. Personally, it was a difficult decision because I had to travel to the US with my young child and leave my family at home. It was also a new area for me I had to discuss healthcare with doctors, so I spent many hours learning about it. But this was a success it makes me believe it is possible to achieve the impossible if you are self-motivated and determined. The organization gave me support and confidence, and I am grateful for this.
Allstate also has been actively investing in developing leadership skills among women. Srividya Subramanyam, senior manager, Operations, has been part of these initiatives and says leadership is a key focus for all of the activities around gender diversity. Through our Allstate India Women's Network (AWIN), we have four focus areas career development, readiness for leadership, culture and commerce and community. We organize conversations with men as allies, global leaders, and industry leaders throughout the year. We have other activities such as WINSpire, which is a leadership programme for women who are first-time people managers, and Re-Winstate, a program that is focused on women returning from maternity or other career breaks.
Along the journey to leadership, the women of Allstate have several important lessons to share. Srividya says that for her, besides striking a balance between work and home responsibilities, passion serves her well. I enjoy what I'm doing, so I don't feel like there is pressure if I have to log in out of office hours. Doing things that you have passion for helps me also draw the line on when to say no and choose projects that I enjoy.
Taking up wider responsibilities is encouraged at Allstate, and taking on challenges where one may not have any previous experience are all important development opportunities on the journey of leadership.
