According to a recent Grant Thornton report, India holds the third rank globally for women working in senior leadership positions, with 39% representation of women compared to the global average of 31%. This indicates that the country is well on the path of gender diversity and inclusivity, though there is still a long way to go for women to be at par with men in senior leadership roles.
Ritu Mehrotra, Regional Manager – South Asia at Booking.com believes that the Indian travel and tourism industry is on a similar growth trajectory, owing to a progressive mind set and push for women representation in the space. She tells Vinita Bhatia that having female leaders on board helps companies head towards greater creativity and less groupthink, besides getting a broader view while making key decisions. But most importantly, they are strong role models for younger women.
While more women are entering the workforce, are they underrepresented as they rise up the corporate ladder?
As per McKinsey and Lean In’s ‘Women in the Workplace’ study, for the sixth year in a row, women continued to lose ground at the first step up to manager. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 85 women were promoted. It also found that if women are promoted to first-time managers at the same rate as men, there will be one million more women in corporate management positions in the next five years.
Research shows that company profits and share performance can be almost 50% higher when women are well represented at the top. Additionally, senior-level women have a meaningful impact on the organisational culture.
How can inclusivity influence overall employee satisfaction and retention?
We are passionate about ensuring that Booking.com is one of the most diverse, inclusive and gender-balanced companies globally. Our workforce consists of 150 nationalities, with women comprising more than half of our employee base.
We believe that a diverse and inclusive team fosters an incredibly dynamic culture that celebrates different ways of thinking, opinions and ideas. Our employees’ myriad backgrounds and life experiences has a tremendously positive impact on the familial nature of our organisation.
How can employers ensure that their companies do not have either a glass ceiling or a broken rung?
Our company strongly believes in equal access and opportunity for all, regardless of gender. Recognising that female representation in technology is lower than it should be, we are committed to bolstering female tech talent, eliminating obstacles and challenges they face, and fostering diversity.
We have taken several initiatives to encourage gender diversity, build awareness on possible gender bias and empower women to pursue and advance their careers. This includes the ‘Gender Diversity Research’ to identify the barriers faced by women, opportunities available and how we can make impactful, positive change.
How can companies set gender representation goals for better inclusion and advancement of women into first-level management?
Many companies today strive for workplace equality but not all are able to achieve this. Ultimately, to reach this goal, companies should be invested in recognising the bias that exists and find ways to tackle it. Every organisation today should have a comprehensive plan for supporting and advancing women.
Can these be critically evaluated to ensure it is fair and get the desired results?
Organisations need to have certain practices in place that align with its over-arching purpose. This could include training sessions at all levels to uproot stereotypes and ideas that people may have.
Steps can also be taken to provide employees with parental leave for both parents, provision of daycare centres for working mothers and transportation facilities. These can go a long way in empowering women.
Moreover, companies can provide scholarships and incentive programmes for women to give them a chance to rise up the ladder. To supplement that, there should be goals and activities put in place for development over time.
Last year, ElsaMarie DSilva of Red Dot Foundation India won the Technology Playmaker Awards 2020 in the ‘Social Impact’ category. This agency has created an online crowdsourced platform that documents incidents of sexual harassment and abuse in public place.
To better understand the benefits of gender diversity and why tech companies are struggling to achieve this, Booking.com has invested in multiple research projects. Combined with third-party studies, this research helps to identify three things – What barriers women face, what opportunities are available to women and how positive changes can be made.
What is your advice to organisations and leaders on creating an equal workplace?
Gender equality is not just a number’s game but also about organisations fostering a culture that offers equal opportunities, including encouraging more women into leadership positions. Businesses must take a strong stance in supporting gender equality and openly discuss diversity. They should make improvements within their own systems through enhancing career progression policies, assuring equal pay, and conducting unconscious bias training.
We have to keep this conversation – and actionable steps that come from these talks at the top of our mind, in order to continue to make improvements. We must continue to encourage diversity and inclusion, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because businesses ultimately benefit from a diverse workforce.
The visibility of female role models across business is important, and this belief is reflected in our company’s internal programmes, and wider initiatives that focus on female mentorship and celebrating women who are advancing and disrupting the world of tech.
