Diversity in India- where does it stand

India has come a long way when it comes to diversity and inclusion, especially in the last few decades. From hardly having a 10% female employee average to women-led companies and opening the doors for other diverse segments of the society and making it a more and more equal space for everyone. We spoke to recruiters from some of the most renowned companies of the country to get their views on what’s their take on diversity at the workplace and the strategies they have been employing.

Broadening the definition of diversity at Equinix/h3>

Diversity in India for a long has just been about gender, female candidates specifically, but now we are moving towards ethnicity, people from a military background, people with disability, people with neurological issues.

At Equinix, we have a dedicated program called ‘Pathways’ where we look at diversity as a whole and not just focus on filling in 30% of positions with female candidates. Instead, we look at 30% diversity, including but not limited to veterans, people with disability, the LGBTQ+ community and gender.

So, if one of the criteria fails to provide the required diversity at the workplace, we try to look for others. We have many programs to include diversity at all levels, right from entry-level to leadership.

Dennis Wilfred

Talent Acquisition – APAC at Equinix

Advocating diversity at PayPal

At PayPal, diversity and inclusion is a vital component when hiring. Having a global presence puts in a lot of responsibility. We do our best to advocate for diversity, be it the LGBTQ community, the black lives matter movement, or people from different races and ethnicities. PayPal does have a program in place for becoming a more and more diverse and inclusive company as we continue to grow.

Chandrashekhar G.

Manager Talent Acquisition at Harness

Supporting women employees with dedicated programs at Harness

Harness has about 21% of the employees who belong to the diversity segment. We have women at Harness initiative that focuses on helping our female employees optimize their potential. We conduct seminars and workshops with the women leaders to help our employees achieve a healthy work-life balance while continuously progressing in their careers.

Chandrashekhar G.

Senior Manager – Talent Acquisition at Harness

Focusing on diversity right from the beginning at YML

We closed the year 2021 with a 48% diversity ratio. However, we would love to have more female leaders in the firm; currently, we stand at around 30-35%. The primary focus, whenever I have to hire for diversity purposes, is to reach out to the right candidate and then closely engage with the candidates found.

Vijay Arcot

Director – Talent Acquisition at Y Media Labs

Key Takeaways:

• India is redefining diversity and inclusion and making it a broader spectrum expanding to the LGBTQ+ community, physical and neurological disabilities, veterans, etc.
• The women in the workforce have seen their all-time high contribution in 2021.
• Diversity needs to be rooted as a significant aspect and should be right from sourcing.
• There needs to be a well-defined hyper-personalized focus on engagement with diversity candidates.