Complete and committed
India Inc is proud of its multi-tasking, dedicated and hardworking women’s workforce
Is a positive ‘ can do despite all odds’ attitude enough to surmount all challenges in a women’s professional life? Most women agree that while a determined and positive attitude is the starting point, not much can be achieved in the absence of a robust support system.
In the words of Puja Marwaha, chief executive officer, CRY (Child Relief and You), “I know from experience that for most professional women it becomes a lot easier if the husband and the immediate family are willing to negotiate and help build a sound support system at home. This is fundamental to achieving work-life balance.”
As women’s day approaches there are plenty of reasons for women in corporate India to cheer about. “One big reason that calls for celebration is that today while the social pressures and odds are not very different from what they were 20-odd years ago, there are many more women who are managing to pursue careers and reach positions of authority and influence,” says Kavita Sharma, who works at Saffire Consultants , a career counselling firm in Noida.
“A fair degree of credit can be attributed to corporate India. Today, an increasing number of organisations are instituting a set of policies that enable women employees to work in a manner that seamlessly incorporates their personal and professional commitments,” she adds. What works, says Marwaha, is “Providing flexibility to working mothers or shrinking deliverables to suit their requirements .”
Swati Bhattacharya, vice president - corporate relations, branding and gover nment affairs, Ingersoll Rand, adds, “Technology has given a tremendous fillip to the concept of flexible work timings.”
In the words of Neeraj Dutta, a Delhi-based wellness counsellor, “By and large when compared to men, women have to cater to a greater number of social responsibilities. She is expected to be the ideal mother, wife, daughterin-law, daughter and sister. And when any of these roles get sidelined on account of work commitments, a woman tends to feel guilty. Eventually, this guilt interferes with her productivity at work.”
Human resource professionals agree that women employees have some inherent qualities that organisations benefit from. For instance, women can multitask better than men. “We also tend to maintain our focus on the bigger picture while making small everyday decisions at the workplace. Also, women are intuitive and have an ability to see beyond the obvious. This helps them take decisions in the current business environment that is largely uncertain,” says Bhattacharya.
The best part is that today women are challenging stereotypes when it comes to selecting careers.
Sakshi Vij, executive director, Carzonrent, a leading car rental company, is a case in point. In her words, “I work in an industry where most women have not been employed/ or wanted to be a part of for a long time. Since I am part of an industry (cab rental industry) where you don’t hear of many women leaders, I am doubly conscious of giving my best performance at all times.”
Today, the professional world is fast taking cognizance of the fact that people with high EQ (emotional quotient) can offer a lot to their organisations. It is believed that women in general score well in terms of Emotional Quotient (EQ). “I don’t think we can strictly attribute a particular gender as having better EQ but I do know that women, in general tend to take decisions that accommodate the requirements of multiple stakeholders,” says Marwaha.