Humanistiq Issue 1 | August’ 21 - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

AUGUST '21 | ISSUE I

HUMANISTIQ

The

R Magazine

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

ABOUT HUMANIST We are a diverse team of individuals from different backgrounds, bringing together the best of our talents to assist the student community to transcend their limitations to become industry-ready and better versions of themselves.

We passionately work on coming up with highly engaging and interesting activities for students where they can apply their management knowledge and can come up with their own unique solutions. We represent the student HR Committee of K J Somaiya Institute of Management.

OUR VISION

To see every member evolve as an eminent leader and develop necessary soft skills to excel in the corporate world OUR MISSION

To facilitate an understanding of the HR Stream through various demonstrations, events and activities and in turn groom our students and members to become more effective MBA Students and responsible potential corporate leaders.

We focus on bringing quality knowledge to students by conducting events based on course related and Industry centric topics throughout the year like, Transcend to equip students to ace their GDs & PIs in the placement process, Case Rachna a pan India unique competition to develop the skill of case writing, and Crescendo an event with distinct themes each year managed by our Junior Team.

We also support & facilitate events conducted by the HR faculty like CDMI, a panel discussion with industry experts on the topic of Diversity & Inclusion and The International HR Conference wherein industry stalwarts, dignitaries, and students are invited to showcase their research works.

The last year has proved to be a very successful year for the committee. While we all had to face the challenge to transform from offline to the online platform, the Team worked with great enthusiasm and as a result great learnings and takeaways were a reward. Now, as seniors we continue the legacy of bringing initiatives for the student body to make them industry ready by introducing Humanisitiq - The HR Magazine.

Himani Atray Co- Convenor

Sanchita Agrawal Convenor

Manali Kale Co- Convenor

THE

Editors

TEAM

SHIVANI

RIYA

Designers

MANALI

Writers

( She/Her )

ARPITA

( She/Her )

( She/Her )

( She/Her )

MEGHA

SANCHITA

( She/Her )

( She/Her )

GAYATRI ( She/Her )

ISHA

( She/Her )

SAUMYA

PRANAV

( She/Her )

KIRAN

( He/Him )

LEON

NAMRATA

SHRUTI

( He/Him )

( She/Her )

( She/Her )

( He/Him )

KRITHI

( She/Her )

SUSHMITA ( She/Her )

EDITOR'S NOTE

D

ear Readers,

Welcome to the Premiere Edition of Humanistiq - The HR Magazine by Team Humanist.

2020 has been game changing for everyone in the most unlikely ways. Even as the rebound process gains momentum through 2021, the pandemic has left a mark on the way we live and work. With the uncertainty still persisting as the new strains of the coronavirus continue to ravage several countries, the rate of change across industries continues to accelerate, thus driving organizations to increasingly rethink their approach to work. So with these seismic shifts in the world of business, we at Humanist believed there was no better time to bring to you our student e-magazine that highlights the changing role of HR in the post pandemic era for our young leaders of tomorrow.

“A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.”

— Sundar Pichai In this edition, we are hopping right into the theme of the month: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Inspired by the recent celebration of the Pride month and as India is striving hard to create a footprint in the diversity and inclusion bandwagon, this month’s issue reflects on insights from industry reports and explores the finer nuances of workplace culture and practices that are counterproductive to the ongoing LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts. The crisis has set a reset button to this concept which needs to go beyond gender. Organizations need to create an open and inclusive work environment removing the stigma and discrimination barrier to embrace diversity and inclusion at the workplace.

But, what exactly does inclusion entail? Are you bringing your ‘true self’ to work? Can you freely discuss your experiences and unique point of view? Are you truly taking steps to promote inclusivity in the workplace or your social life?

Our contributors have set the stage for some of this information by providing insight into how to foster inclusion, dispelling myths of millennials, discussing diversity as a strategy in the workplace and highlighting what’s needed to help more women become leaders in the workplace.

Working for the first issue of Humanistiq has been an exhilarating experience. We would like to extend our heartfelt and profound gratitude to our approachable and highly motivating HR Faculty guides of K J Somaiya Institute of Management whose constant guidance, encouragement, insightful suggestion and constructive criticisms have contributed immensely to the evolution of this magazine. We had fun writing it and we hope you enjoy it and find it insightful.

Happy Reading !

Editors, Shivani & Riya

CALL FOR ARTICLE WINNERS A very hearty congratulations to the winner and the runner up of this month’s Call For Articles.

WINNER

RUNNER UP

Moksha Choudhary ( She/Her )

Aradhana Mohapatra ( She/Her )

SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (SIBM), PUNE

XAVIER SCHOOL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (XAHR), BHUBANESWAR

Thank you for the overwhelming response that we received from all the participants and we encourage you to write to us with the same enthusiasm for all further editions as well and get a chance to be featured in the magazine.

DIVERSITY AT SOMAIYA Through the enriching case-based and experiential learning curriculum, one will build and demonstrate deep management knowledge, skill-building, and competencies that will hold true in building a career in management with a lifelong impact. The diversity within the campus that hosts top students from every corner of the Indian subcontinent will enliven your experience at K J Somaiya Institute of Management. We have sector-specific MBA programs that attract students from diverse educational backgrounds and regions. Apart from this, we conduct profile based shortlisting for candidates with outstanding academic / co-curricular / extracurricular records. Also, the institute has diverse faculty from across all sectors, who are passionate about teaching.

North-27% West- 51% Female-39% Male-61%

East-15% South- 7%

50%

Science 8%

40%

Management 12%

30%

Engineering 47% 20%

10%

0%

20-22 years

23-24 years

25-27 years

28-32 years

Commerce 28%

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Humans of Somaiya In Talks with Dr. Megha Gupta (She/Her) Assistant Professor (OB/HR) at K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management, Ph.D (IIT Delhi)

Our premiere issue features a candid conversation with Prof. Megha Gupta, Assistant Professor (OB/HR) at K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management, Ph.D. (IIT Delhi) as well as the Faculty Head of Humanist, wherein she deep dives into the theme of this edition “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” and talks about her experience on this emerging topic in the world of academia. She is one of the most beloved and empathetic professors of KJSIM. She has shaped many management students to be better corporate leaders and encouraged them to show more sensitivity to individual differences. Here are the edited excerpts of the interview.

1. What is your definition of diversity and how do you encourage people to honor the uniqueness of each individual?

Diversity, according to me, is appreciating and acknowledging the fact that people are extremely diverse be it in terms of gender, sexuality, religion, region, race, abilities, mental capabilities, ideas, thought, intellect, personality etc. The best way to be able to have a conversation about diversity is to start by questioning ourselves.

It begins with us.

What do we understand by diversity and what are our own opinions about the people who are from different cohorts and how comfortable do we make them feel when we interact with them? Because you know when we talk about diversity of course inclusion goes hand in hand. How accepting are we of other people who have different opinions or who look different or who are from different backgrounds or those who identify as different genders? Are we respecting and valuing that uniqueness? I believe the more diverse people we surround ourselves with, the more sensitive we become of making them feel inclusive and eventually we experience growth - both as an individual and as a professional.

2. How do you challenge stereotypes and promote sensitivity and inclusion?

Luckily I have a job wherein I get to interact with students like you, who are very open and receptive to discussions, new ideas and thoughts. First, I try to sensitize people through my classes. Since the last two years I have started to incorporate more discussion on D&I in my sessions in an attempt to increase awareness, sensitivity wrt inclusivity and practices in organization. Second, I have been reading a lot to broaden my understanding and interact more with people who are passionate about D&I to get their perspective. For instance, many organizations have now enforced a rule that employees start using our preferred pronouns which gives everyone a clear understanding about their respective identity.

This avoids misgendering and miscommunication.

Further, if we share our preferred pronouns, others feel comfortable, accepted and perhaps a sense of ease about sharing the pronouns that they identify with.

Recently, I started taking OB lectures and my first class was with MBA HR. I started using she/her pronoun on my zoom account and that itself created some curiosity. In fact some students, voluntarily, also added their preferred pronouns to their zoom handle. So, I think these small changes really help. Because when we have these discussions, students are likely to discuss this with their families, friends etc and thus it starts a ripple effect and hopefully that will have a really good impact.

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Lastly, our Centre for Diversity Management & Inclusion (CDMI) at KJ SIM plays an active role in generating curiosity & spreading awareness about various aspects of D&I through panel interactions and round table discussions.

3. Can you tell something that you have learnt while working with diverse people, even say Faculty members?

Definitely, it's great that I get to work with people who are from diverse age groups, backgrounds and ethnicities. What I have realised is that working with diverse cohorts has made me more sensitive. It has definitely made me more empathetic and more understanding about where the other person comes from, in terms of their thought process which can be a function of their backgrounds, experiences & conditioning. Usually when we meet someone, we have this urge to judge them instantly or make an impression of them...however, exposure to diverse cohorts helps me to take a pause and not do so immediately. This automatically makes you more sensitive, empathetic and emotionally sound as a person.

4. Have you had a situation to handle where an individual was being culturally insensitive or racist or homophobic?

Once a friend made a derogatory comment and I had to obviously address it right there. We had a very candid conversation about it, and how it was not the right thing to do. I think the way we address it is also important. It was an uncomfortable conversation,but you have to call out and address certain behaviours.

One needs to listen to the other person and have a respectful conversation because if we just shut down someone or yell at someone or react very strongly, that person is most likely going to go into a shell or be defensive, and they are not going to appreciate your perspective. When you have a meaningful conversation about how it was inappropriate, the other person tends to understand better which can lead to change in their thought process and actions.

5. How do you create a classroom environment that is very welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.

What are your unique ways to make that happen?

In terms of inclusion, I’ve always believed that be it online or offline- creating a sense of comfort, relatability, connection & building rapport is important. Once you create comfort with students and they know that they can trust you to speak their mind, either privately or publicly, they know that their thoughts and ideas are going to be heard, valued and respected. They feel they can be their authentic selves and be welcomed in the classroom and be absolutely comfortable in their own skin, without fears of discrimination or harassment. I encourage them to share personal experiences, stories and insights as much as they can. I believe that creates a sense of inclusion.

5. Do you have a message for our management students to be more sensitive towards the LGBTQ or diverse people in general?

I think students are the real change makers- the movers and shakers. And the good news is that there are a lot of young students who are very enthusiastic, extremely positive and open minded. Many of them are very well in sync with what is happening in the D&I space, and the importance of valuing, respecting & accepting people for who they are. If the management students can take this forward, spread the good word, have conversations and bring a shift in perspectives to steer it towards a positive & constructive direction, it is going to have a significant impact. Generally, we like to be in our comfort zones and be around people like ourselves.....so make that conscious effort of meeting people who belong to diverse cohorts across the board because that is going to enrich you immensely both as a person and a professional.

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HR WORLD HIGHLIGHTS Life and Work Thirty-eighth of employees say the pandemic contributed to a career setback: Survey.

According to a new analysis from international staffing firm Robert Half, 38 % of Executives said their career has stalled since the beginning of the pandemic — which range jumps

to 66 % for those ages eighteen to twenty-four. In a separate poll,

59 % of senior managers unconcealed that they delayed promoting high performers because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 78 % of those respondents worry about employee retention.

Nearly one in three respondents mentioned that they had a shift in perspective because of the pandemic and the need to pursue a significant or fulfilling job.

Diversity

Talent Acquisition

Solely half the employers have created progress on inclusion: Report.

HR Path raises €113 million and acquires an American company, Whitaker Taylor.

Despite efforts to create a comprehensive work culture, several corporations still struggle with diversity and inclusion, per a replacement report by culture coaching platform Emtrain. The news that analyses information from over 83,000 current staff between September 2019 and Apr 2021 found that solely half the staff believed that their work culture is

HR Path, a member of French tech, has proclaimed a €113 million funding from banks.

This new round of funding came in from Société Générale,

healthy in terms of D&I or that their organisation includes a genuine commitment to inclusion.

BNP, Crédit Agricole, Banque Palatine, LCI and Caisse d'Epargne. Hr Path plans to expand its price proposition to all told countries wherever the cluster is already a gift, with priority given to the US, UK, Germany, and Spain. Hr Path also proclaimed that Whitaker-Taylor’s acquisition is Associate in Nursing hr technology firms like an expert in SAP SuccessFactors and SAP HR.

Compensation & Benefits 7 in 10 organisations in Australia plan to increase their salary this year.

New unbiased studies via way of means of Robert Half exhibits that over four-infive (82 per cent) Australian groups are worried approximately dropping their pinnacle skills because of the effect of COVID-19, using a reappraisal of remuneration.

For many companies, residual sales loss from 2020 blended with lingering financial uncertainty As a part of a competitive recuperation plan, 70 per cent of Australian groups are persevering to provide remuneration at high than preCOVID-19 tiers to maintain the professional body of workers with critical abilities for post-pandemic recuperation.

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HR WORLD HIGHLIGHTS HR Technology Gloat - HR tech business raised $57 million in Series C funding.

The platform for the Talent Marketplace Gloat has raised $57 million in a Series C funding round. The company will use the $92 million in capital to accelerate product innovation and market expansion, to bring workforce agility to every

business and more dynamic careers to every individual partner. The current investment will continue the company's development into new markets supported by its platform.

Recruitment

Working women

Job Loss

Amazon hiring 75,000 employees withinside the US and Canada

Deloitte Global study shows 51% women are not optimistic about their career

Amazon has announced that it is hiring 75,000 people in its fulfilment and logistics community throughout the United States and Canada, much less than a year after its ultimate major North America hiring spree. The new roles will, for the top part, be permanent, with standard beginning pay of US$17 consistent with hour–up from US$15 consistent with an hour at some point of its closing mass hiring, following the advent of

According to a new Deloitte Global report, the pandemic has had an extensive effect on ladies and work,

The development of 'work from anywhere' threatens 6 million professional jobs in the United Kingdom.

salary will increase in April. In addition, people in a few places will acquire sign-on bonuses of as much as US$1,000.

developing an “ideal storm” of more significant employment, accelerated caregiver duties, and non-inclusive behaviours withinside the workplace.

The worldwide survey of 5000 ladies throughout ten international locations exhibits that in comparison to pre-pandemic days, 51 per cent of those polled feel less hopeful about their job prospects now, citing a 35point reduction in mental health and a 29-point drop in work motivation.

Unsurprisingly, the extraordinary circumstances harm employee retention, turnover, productivity, inspiration, and overall happiness.

5.9 million "anywhere" workers, ranging from graphic designers to software programmers, are at risk, according to the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, with many of them based in London and Southeast England. 1.7 million jobs in banking, science and real estate are also at stake. According to the research group, outsourcing and offshoring these jobs would have political, economic, and

societal ramifications akin to the loss of industrial jobs in the 1970s but on a far faster timeline.

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Diversity and Inclusion: Best practices through pride month

J

une is LGBTQ Pride Month all across the world, commemorating the Stonewall Uprising, a watershed moment in queer history. Everyone can and should celebrate Pride irrespective of whether one is straight or doesn't know how they identify.

To recognize the victory of the gay rights movement and appreciate our brave LGBTQ advocates is of utmost importance, which is why we must celebrate Pride month in the workplace. It's about the LGBTQ community and our supporters who have fought for equality and continue to do so.

As human resources leaders, it is our responsibility to recognize the brevity of our people and appreciate the effort by them, and thus encourage diverse voices.

Assimilation of personnel from varied origins and gender identities into the general business culture is an issue that firms encounter. Small changes in behavior and words can have a big impact.

Best Practices for Workplace Inclusion Some best practices for creating a safe and supportive workplace for all employees, irrespective of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, are listed below.

|

Namrata (She/Her) MBA-Core, 2020-22

Use your rewards platform to support the LGBTQIA+ causes

Workplace rewards that are closely connected with employees' views and values have significantly impacted engagement.

Update your company email signatures

Add your pronouns to your email signature and the statement, "I am an ally of the LGBTQ community and a member of [company]."

Encourage and support LGBTQ Employee Resource Group.

Besides offering a safe space, they positively impact workplace climate, allow for ongoing educational opportunities, and help LGBTQ employees identify supportive allies among their coworkers.

Ensure that your organization's non-discrimination policy includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression and display it prominently and proudly in a high-use area.

Create inclusive workplace forms and official announcements that reflect everyone's identity, sexual orientation, and family structure. Add LGBTQ statements of inclusion to mission statements, service literature, and policies.

Getting educated

One can't be a leader unless they know the path they will take or the history thereof. Provide your employees educational chances. But first, familiarise yourself with the history and significance of Pride and the LGBTQIA+ rights movement.

Change Your Hiring Strategies

Even if you haven't been intentionally discriminating, your job postings may have sent the wrong message, or you may have succumbed to unconscious bias throughout the hiring process. So look over your ad copy again. Make a point of stating your dedication to equality and diversity and discussing other company's principles or LGBT-friendly advantages that illustrate that commitment. Subsequently, ensure that the interview and selection processes are completely transparent and free of bias.

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Organize mandatory professional staff development Vodafone has been named a Stonewall Top 100 Employer training on LGBTQ identities to create safe and inclusive for its outstanding contributions to achieving universal acceptance for all LGBT+ individuals. workplaces.

It's vital to remember that no matter what regulations or training an employer provides, they'll fall flat if they're not fully aboard and expressing their support.

Maintaining an LGBTQinclusive workplace entails communicating with and soliciting feedback from your LGBTQ employees regularly.

To enhance LGBT+ workplace equality, Vodafone LGBT+ Friends also received Stonewall's Network Group of the Year Award.

Let's look at a few instances of firms that are attempting to establish an inclusive culture throughout the year.

MetLife tries to foster a diverse and inclusive culture The corporation provides a number of health and other benefits to its employees in the United States and their LGBTQ-friendly workplaces boost employee productivity, domestic partners. which benefits businesses as well. Many of the steps we've Capgemini's LGBT+ network discussed are neither costly nor difficult to adopt.

Out-front supports the company's Active Inclusion They take time and dedication, but they are well within ethos to drive an reach of any company, big or little. Recognize that as a human resources leader, you have a unique amount of organization that is more authority to ensure that your workplace is not just safe, inclusive and better equipped to support colleagues and but also celebratory for everyone. clients in an increasingly diverse global marketplace.

“In order to build a rewarding employee experience, you need to understand what matters most to your people.”

– Julie Bevacqua

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Unconscious Bias : Discovering & Overcoming

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Gayatri (She/Her) MBA-HR, 2020-22

“Oh, she has a tattoo and short hair! She definitely is not the sanskaari type” “He is old! He is so not the right fit for the upcoming tech driven project” “You just had a baby, you definitely are not looking for a promotion this year. Are you?”

I’m sure all of us have heard these and many more things around us everyday. Ever wondered what makes these stereotypes so deeply ingrained in our minds, that we do not even realize that there is no logical connection or pattern between the two things we end up comparing.

How can the tattoo on your neck and length on your hair determine if you are ‘sanskaari’ enough or not? How can a person’s age determine his technical abilities? How can having a baby equate to not wanting career growth? To understand this let’s take a look at the concept of ‘Unconscious Bias’ and further discuss ways to discover and eventually overcome these biases.

What is Unconscious Bias?

Unconscious bias is also called implicit bias. It is what happens when we act on the basis of our subconscious, deeply ingrained biases, stereotypes, and attitudes formed from our inherent human cognition, experiences, upbringing, and environment.

Unconscious bias also shows up in big ways. It affects how one evaluates talent, performance, assignments, and also promotions. Employees who face prejudice actively isolate themselves and reduce contributions to work. Feelings of isolation, withdrawal, and withholding take a toll on such employees.

Is it okay to have biases?

Yes, it’s absolutely okay to have biases. Biases are natural. Our brain uses common mental shortcuts to reach faster conclusions and decision making. These are mental heuristics used by the human brain.

Let me explain this to you simply - Unconscious bias denotes prejudice that we are not aware of. They are beyond our control and are automatically triggered by our brain making fast decisions. Often we form our biases because of certain deeply ingrained societal stereotypes, or as a result of some childhood experiences or teachings or because of some form of a media, maybe a movie that we watched, a news that we read or a rumour that we heard about a particular group.

For example, let’s consider First Impression Bias. You don't consciously make first impressions. They are natural. If people make a good first impression, they don't have to work as hard for us to like or trust them. If somebody doesn't make a good first impression, everything they do to get along with us is going to take more work. They will have to put in more efforts to prove themselves to us. Biases may surprisingly turn up in different ways. For example, an assumption that an older employee might not be able to handle a very technical job or presuming that a woman manager is incapable of leading a team.

While it is okay to have biases, it is NOT okay to be unaware about them. Only and only awareness can help us overcome our irrational biases. For example, you don't have to stop forming first impressions about people, but you consciously need to be aware of the impact it has on your assessment of somebody you meet for the first time, as some of these impressions you form may be based on irrational & illogical stereotypes.

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How to discover your unconscious biases?

1. Take a look at your past decisions: Introspect on who your friends are? Who do you generally hang out with? Do you find yourself distancing from certain groups of people? Do you see yourself discriminating against people belonging to certain groups - like people of a particular age, people with a particular sexual orientation, a particular race, weight, height, etc? As a manager, analyze who do you normally hire? Whom do you promote? What does your workforce look like? Watch all the decisions you made in the past and look to identify patterns in these decisions.

2. Be in the moment, be aware: When you encounter someone with different skin color, dialect, language, weight, height, gender, country of origin, etc - what is your first perception about them?

What is the first assumption that comes to your mind about the characteristics they possess? What is the first thing your mind goes to? What is your first thought? That The FIRST thought is possibly a red flag that could reflect a bias lurking inside you.

Overcoming Biases Once you are aware of your past decisions and patterns and your first thoughts and assumptions, then you can begin the journey of overcoming these biases.

1. Pause Pause before you make a decision. Give yourself the time to move from an emotional and irrational mental zone to a more rational and practical zone. This pause could be a 30 second break or a deep breath. Whatever it is, give yourself that minute to think rationally.

2. Apply logic When you understand your biases, apply logic to them.

Ask yourself how many people do you really know who conform to the generality or bias in your mind? Is the source of your bias credible? E.g. Were you randomly told by your neighbour, in your childhood, that members from a particular community kidnap children and hence you developed a fear against this section of the society?

Many times we form biases because of what the media shows us, maybe a news, or a rumour we heard about a particular group. We need to consciously apply logic to our biases and also ensure that we do not extrapolate particular experiences or stories and generalize them to identify and defame any specific groups or community of people.

3. Seek Commonality Focus on what you have in common with people from diverse groups. Look for commonalities in every new person you meet. As humans, we all have many things in common. It’s just a matter of looking out for them.

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HR TRENDS EMPLOYEE WELLBEING AND MENTAL HEALTH Owing to the pandemic, business leaders and HR departments are prioritizing workplace wellness and employee mental health. There has been an overall increase in adoption and investment in mental health programs.

HR professionals are focusing on building resilience and promoting flexibility to help ensure a good work-life balance.

Organizations are investing in employees’ wellbeing initiatives and rethinking holistic ways to recreate employee wellness programs and benefits, including confidential helpline, physical wellness, mental health, flexible work schedules, child care, better health plans, elder care, paid time off, etc.

EMPLOYEE UPSKILLING

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

To stay agile and adapt to external market challenges, organizations are now taking up upskilling initiatives to help their workforce stay competitive in the job market. For instance, the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has spent around $3 billion on upskilling employees that have been working at company for the last 3 or more years.

Onethecan witness automatio n and AI, shifting marketpla ces, and changing workplace roles.

The concept of employee experience has slightly shifted to the life experience which isn’t associated with an office or physical presence with a team. In the current virtual age, HR teams are redesigning employees’ journeys while measuring the virtual employee experience from hiring the employee to their exit. Employees are looking for more personalized experiences in remote environments.

Focusing on employee experience, especially around issues like emotional drivers and value alignment, organizations can encourage a culture that emphasizes employee value and employee contribution. Companies are experimenting with informal ways of team-building and socialization. Employers are working towards creating tailor-made experiences for their employees on an individual level. While implementing an employee experience strategy, all stages of the employee’s career path are taken into account: job interviews, onboarding, integration, daily management, career development, and management, up to the employee’s departure.

To respond to these, leaders are pursuing a broad reskilling agenda that develops employees’ digital expertise and their cognitive, emotional, and adaptability skills. Workers across industries need to adapt to rapidly changing conditions. Upskilling empowers workers to maximize their performance during times of transition and to develop agility to work in different areas of the business and the readiness to learn new skills

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HR TRENDS REMOTE WORK The Covid-19 crisis has forced employers to switch to a remote working model to keep employees safe while ensuring business continuity.

They are trying to encourage remote and flexible work environments for the current and future times. As lack of physical presence may significantly impact individual and team performance, organizations are emphasizing more on agile goal setting, continuous feedback, ongoing performance reviews, and continuous employee development.

With people working remotely, companies are rethinking their strategies on maintaining the company culture, team collaboration, technology infrastructure, and work-life balance.

Organizations are exploring the concept of a hybrid working structure, allowing employees to work from home or come into the office. Long-term considerations like new in-office layouts, splitting time between remote and in-office work, rightsizing and relocations are being made.

H STANDS FOR HUMOR

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Role of Gender Diversity In Workplace

A

dherence to rules in organizations is not the ...........only reason businesses should have women in executive positions. Firms with a reasonably balanced gender ratio are better managed and provide greater outcomes than those dominated by males, according to research.

Even if you strain your ears, you will not be able to hear it. The ever-present glass ceiling on women entering corporate governance is either not being broken or is not being broken loudly enough to make a significant effect.

The Companies Act (2013) makes it necessary for publicly traded enterprises and companies with a turnover of over 300 crore to nominate at least one woman director in order to promote gender diversity in the workplace in India. It sets off an upturn.

According to the Prime Database, a detailed analysis of the board composition showed that female representation rose from 5% in 2012 to 13.8% in 2017 for the top NSE listed 500 companies. Having said that, there was a loophole here. The criteria may easily be satisfied by assigning a seat to a member of the promoter's family.

Considering this, SEBI then ruled that every firm listed on stock markets was mandated to have a minimum of one independent female director. According to Prime Database, this resulted in a roughly 17 percent rise in the proportion of women.

However, going by the numbers of the Credit Suisse Gender 3000 report in 2019, Indian meeting rooms have nearly one woman each for every six men, while the worldwide number is around one for each four.

Whichever way you take a gander at it, the proportion is far removed from the desired number and hence infuriating.

Other than the ongoing conversation about the fact that

|

Shruti (She/Her) MBA-IMC, 2020-22

all positions of power must reflect gender equality, a general concern is whether or not having more women control and guide an organisation helps it perform better? Yes, in broad terms. There is undoubtedly considerable worldwide research that shows a strong link between more gender diversity and better financial outcomes.

To that aim, a McKinsey research found that the top 25% of firms with gender diversity on executive teams were more likely to have aboveaverage profitability.

This hints to a crucial trend: diversity and inclusion are required for a firm to prosper in today's market climate, particularly during and after a crisis like the current one.

Other studies have found a strong correlation between having women directors and ethical corporate behaviour along with an overall better governance.

Furthermore, according to a study published in the International Journal Of Business Governance And Ethics, a single female director can reduce a company's risk of bankruptcy by a fifth. Those figures are selfevident.

In addition to gender diversity, inclusion too is a necessary aspect, which talks about retaining and developing diversity in organisations thereby creating an environment where they are inspired and motivated to reach their true potential in turn helping them achieve their personal and professional goals.

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In the workplace, both diversity and inclusion are critical.

Diversity invites everyone to the party, whereas Inclusion requests that everyone bring their own music so that we may all dance to it.

One broader takeaway here is we must learn that success in these complex times calls for wide and diversified perspectives and varied voices in organisations to sail us through it seamlessly. And unless we experience it, we wouldn’t be able to reap the benefits out of it.

“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.” ― Emma Watson

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Diversity as Strategy

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Sushmita (She/Her) MBA-HCM, 2020-22

For a long time, diversity models have primarily focused on easily visible diversity indices, such as race or gender presentation. While these indicators are still vital and valuable, they have become increasingly unreliable as a sole means of recruiting for diversity because many attributes that encourage a broader cultural viewpoint are not visible. For example, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and country of origin are difficult to spot in a potential hire.

Challenging Unconscious Bias:

All of these characteristics are valuable, regardless of how difficult they may be to identify at times. Every difference a person has in their perspective and having various worldviews helps us comprehend our reality better; it makes it more essential for us to be mindful of our preconceptions and biases. Rather than focusing on finding disparities, today's diversity programmes must focus on recognizing our cultural viewpoints and enhancing our knowledge of different perspectives. In other words, we should demonstrate a growth attitude by focusing on diversity.

Checking Social Media Activity:

Companies that are diverse and inclusive produce innovative results. Despite this, many industries are failing to attract diverse talent due to workplace inequity. Change may be difficult — and beneficial — for firms striving to improve their diversity and inclusion initiatives. Not only does workplace inclusion enable such employees to thrive and feel comfortable in the modern workplace, but it also helps them feel safe.

Diverse teams also achieve more remarkable results, and diversity and inclusion help attract and retain top personnel.

It is a good idea to conduct a personal inclusiveness audit before discussing global policies. This might help you understand your unconscious prejudices and the language you might use. Following are some measures to understand how to be more “woke”:

The majority of our free will is exercised unconsciously.

This leads to a phenomenon known as unconscious bias. Find it, spot it, change it.

Using Inclusive Language:

For example, a greeting such as "hey guys" is noninclusive because it is male-centric, or such is the norm.

Such language use, particularly hyper-casual language, may appear insignificant yet hold meaning.

Small shifts in who you retweet, and follow can help minority views get traction, promoting important yet underrepresented debates.

Educating Company Leadership:

C-level leadership and management should attend diversity and inclusion workshops. First, it is one of the least diverse fields of work. Second, leaders can have a significant impact on the values of a firm. If diversity goals are defined from the top down, they are more likely to be adopted throughout the firm.

Building a Mentoring Community:

Mentors are essential in every thriving community. They express their worries and help their community members overcome obstacles.

Creating Cultural Events:

The team’s diversity should always be celebrated.

Collecting Inclusion Feedback Regularly:

Regular feedback events or town hall-style meetings should be included to determine what is and is not working. One-on-one meetings between employees and community members will ensure that they have a secure place to express their opinions.

Language Training Empowerment

Today's workforce is international, and English is the common working language. Non-native speakers might gain confidence through online training.

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Remembering Remote Workers:

Small businesses are a viable business structure.

However, this tests the limits of what it means to work for the same organization. An effort to keep the nittygritty in mind will promote more inclusivity.

Creating Core Company Values:

Before applying, candidates should get to review the company's values and mission statements.

Inclusion in the workplace is something that every company should strive for. It eventually leads to higher productivity and employee satisfaction. A focused inclusion strategy can go a long way toward building long-term diversity and inclusion in the workplace culture.

“I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people.

At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies.”

– Lawrence Bossidy

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UPCOMING EVENTS We, Team Humanist facilitate a better understanding of the HR steam through various events & initiatives like: Transcend - With the placements around the corner, we conduct mock GD sessions for the first & second-year students to equip them for the upcoming placements, followed by an expert speaker session on acing GD & PI. Crescendo - A fun stress-buster event with varying themes every year with an opportunity for management students to win exciting prizes, organized and managed by the junior Team Humanist.

Humanist also supports & facilitates the following events conducted by the HR faculty of the institute: Centre for Diversity Management & Inclusion (CDMI) - CDMI hosts a panel discussion with distinguished industry stalwarts on topics of ‘Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace and society.

International HR Conference - The HR Conference is a two-day event wherein various dignitaries, industry experts and students can showcase their findings and research on a predecided topic. The “9th International HR Conference” is scheduled from 3rd-5th February 2022. The theme of the Conference is “Positive Psychology and Modern Organizations: Western and Oriental Approaches”.

How to Ace Interviews?

-The Millennial way Prepare well so that you are a (little) less nervous.

Mock PIs and practicing in front of a mirror would help you gain confidence.

Be thorough with your CV. Make sure you are able to justify any part they ask you about with incidental evidence.

Avoid interrupting the interviewer. Start speaking once they finish.

Imagine yourself as a brand and bring your A-Game to the table.

Don’t answer questions monotonously like you have memorized the answers (even if you have).

Take appropriate pauses, moderate your tone and show emotions.

When asked about your strengths or weaknesses, always include examples from your recent past.

Maintain eye contact with the interviewer (look at the camera). However, you can look somewhere else occasionally, it’s not a staring contest.

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CROSSWORD

Down

Across

8. a person who attempts to profit from the purchase and sale of securities such as stock shares (2 words) 10. A ___ is the highest-ranking executive in a company, whose primary responsibilities include making major corporate decisions and managing the overall operations of a company (abbreviation) 11. _______________________ specialists are responsible for recruiting, screening, interviewing and placing workers. (2 words) 12. The virus that caused the 2020 pandemic (1 word)

3. the availability of liquid assets to a market or company (1 word) 4. People who set up a business(es), taking on the financial risks in hope of profit (plural, 1 word) 5. Job Descriptions are based on objective information obtained through job analysis, an understanding of the _______________ and skills 6. the 4 P's of marketing include price, placement, product, and ____ (1 word) 9. _____ science is the field of study that combines domain expertise, programming skills, and knowledge of mathematics and statistics. ( 1 word)

4. ENTREPRENEURS 5. COMPETENCIES 6. PROMOTION

7. you can earn an income from shares by either selling stock, or receiving ___ (plural, 1 word)

1. companies like McDonald's are known as ____ (1 word)

1. FRANCHISES 2. DESCRIPTION 3. LIQUIDITY

2. A job _________ will tell you what your employer will expect from you, as well as what you can expect from your employer (1 word)

7. DIVIDENDS 8. STOCKTRADER 9. DATA

Crossword Answer Key

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10. CEO 11. HUMANRESOURCES 12. CORONAVIRUS

FEAUTRED ARTICLE

What makes the world a beautiful place?

I

have a twin sister. I absolutely love Math, she would .... not be able to solve an equation if her life depended on it. If two people as genetically similar as us can have different preferences and skills, is it really a mystery that every person has their own individuality? No two people have the same thoughts, same beliefs, same actions.

Isn’t that what makes us special? In fact, that is what keeps life interesting.

Every living soul spends a fair share of their lifespan in a work-related environment. In fact, the work place is now figuratively a second home and well, from what I read, home is a place where you can live, laugh and learn. We may not necessarily have the same ideologies as everyone, but for our loved ones, we learn to embrace the differences. Why not bring this same attitude to our second home? It’s simple- we just have to practice the same thing in a bigger and more variegated group of people. Yes, the differences may be more, the cultures may be vastly diverse, even the most basic choices may not be the same but that simply means that the learning will be as much. We are an ambitious generation, we want accelerated growth. It is no surprise that knowledge shared is knowledge squared. We have something to learn from every single being but what we must learn first and foremost is how to respect individuality and welcome new cultures and lifestyles with open arms.

Keeping an open mind will help both parties and result in direct development.

"Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance."

-Verna Myers

Moksha Choudhary (She/Her) Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune MBA Flagship 2021-23

Today most work places encourage diversity, people from various cultures and orientations are employed to enhance the work culture. Women are getting slightly more recognition than in the past, people of different colors are working under the same roof. But as it is rightly said “Diversity is being invited to the party but inclusion is being asked to dance.” Diversity is very important, but clearly it isn’t enough.

Discrimination, verbal harassment, non involvement in social groups, no recognition in company policies owing to any shift from the so called “conventional individuality” are all very serious problems and its time that we address them.

Let me help you with some statistics- As per some surveys conducted in 2019, nearly 57% of participants responded negatively to a statement that their companies openly recruited LGBTQ+ candidates. Around 42% of working women said they face managerial bias. More than 55% said they still experienced bias at workplace over gender and sexual orientation. And the list just goes on.

Secondary to compassionate and humanitarian reasons, there lie several other rationales for companies to strive to be more diverse and inclusive. Dissatisfaction by workplace culture is an important cause of inducing and aggravating mental health issues. Not only does this reduce productivity but also creates a toxic work culture for employees to perform at maximum efficiency. The root of the problem lies in the lack of awareness of different individual types and hence lack of acceptance.

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Companies must introduce mandatory learnings to create more awareness about LGBTQ+, transgender community with elaborate examples thus, creating sensitization towards this matter. It is extremely critical to educate and sensitize employees and encourage them to create an inclusive environment. It is the responsibility of the company to break the barriers of discrimination and initiate inclusion with modifying outdated company policies and include fair and specific benefits for all types of individuals.

In a country as diverse as ours, can we really afford to discriminate on the basis of caste and religion? We are a beautiful country gifted with such a rich culture. If anything, we must embrace this diversity. Every single individual has something new to bring to the table and we may be surprised with what we can collectively do if we begin to welcome everyone. After all, we all grew up learning the same thing “India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters”. I say let’s tweak this a little and make our new motto – “This world is my home and all humans are my family”. Because that’s what makes the world a beautiful place.

This world is my home and all humans are my family.

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FEAUTRED ARTICLE

Rise and Break the Barriers

"Diversity: the art of thinking independently together" -Malcolm Forbes Nowadays, LinkedIn, Webinars, Podcasts, Leadership Talks are streamed with Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

Diversity and inclusion aren't just for high-performing businesses in good times. They're a tremendous lever for enhancing performance, and they're more important than ever as companies try to get out of the slump.

Recently we have seen many women leaders who have bagged the top management positions of an organisation, for example. Hina Nagarajan, A woman at the helm in India's largest liquor company and the world's second-largest (by volume), United Spirits Limited, has recently been appointed as the managing director and member of the global executive committee board of directors for the listed Company. A BCG research report shows that Diversity and inclusion research demonstrates that diverse organisations outperform their less diverse counterparts on various parameters.

When we talk about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the workplace, the first thing that comes to mind is gender diversity. But numerous areas must be considered, such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, etc. We must have to normalize the situation in the workplace about Diversity and then think about expanding it.

Industry leaders are putting significant effort into catering for an inclusive society. However, because of the coronavirus epidemic, social upheaval and economic instability, workplaces are battling to stay solvent, safe, and inclusive, according to a new report released by SHRM's Blue Ribbon Commission on Racial Equity (BRC).

Aradhana Mohapatra (She/Her) Xavier School of Human Resource Management (XAHR), Bhubaneswar XIMB 2020-2022

According to the panel, the consequences of racial inequity go beyond employer- employee relationships.

Organisational success is also threatened by racial inequity- related absenteeism, productivity loss, and attrition.

Employees can express themselves freely in a diverse and inclusive atmosphere, adding to their viewpoints and collective wisdom. So, there are some recommendations to create an inclusive workplace.

Share ideas with your employees about what it means to be a part of your Company. This effort will showcase where your current strategy is effective and where changes can be made. Interact with all of your employees about this so that you can grasp the concerns of inclusivity and equity from all sides of the equation. And make sure that everyone is aware of your anti discrimination policy.

Using candidate data, standardize data collection, analysis, and process improvement.

Make no assumptions about people's gender identities. Transgender people may use he/him, she/her, they/their, or other combinations of pronouns, so follow their lead.

Make it acceptable to discuss the accountability: Ensure that the recruiters, hiring leaders, and interview team are at the forefront of increasing Diversity, knowing the importance of the role they play and are clear about the goal.

Avoid using euphemisms (for example, using varied adjectives) that exclude people from the conversation.

Define a 21st-century strategy for dealing with bias in organisational culture. This is going to the era of Perennials which is based on talent capability irrespective of age, gender, language, religion and so on. This generation is more focused on acquiring knowledge. Our organisation strategy should be in line with their thoughts and beliefs.

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Outline a comprehensive set of initiatives to help push a long-term agenda on prejudice and inclusion, focusing on how activities will support a holistic plan for fostering and embedding a corporate mindset towards authentic change.

Create metrics to ensure responsibility at all levels of the Company, such as defining which diversity dimensions you will monitor and designing metrics for diagnosis, tracking progress and measuring return on investment.

Engage HR professionals with acting as change agents and leaders in the pursuit of inclusive and fair workplaces.

H Stands for Humor

So, If we have a clear, proactive and accessible diversity and equality policy that embraces and supports people across the spectrum, we can prevent the discrimination that employees are suffering. This policy should transparently outline the support we are offering and the steps our organisation is taking to avoid bias, and the processes we follow if employees feel that they have been discriminated against, bullied, or experienced adverse treatment.

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Team Humanist 2020-22 Steering

Manali Kale

Himani Atray

Sanchita Agrawal

Co-Convenor

Convenor

Co-Convenor

Vertical Heads

Shivani Jadhav

Magazine Head

Namrata Priya

Conference Head

Leon Benjamin

Riya Talwar

Magazine Co-Head

Megha Khandelwal

Isha Juwekar

Co-Conference Head

Treasurer

Saumya Purwar

Pranav Nair

Content Head

Creatives Head

Krithi Kuppanda

Communications Head

Somya Sinha

Sponsorship Head

Events Head

Shruti Jain

Social Media Head

Senior Team

Lochan Vadher

Shubham Parakh

Prajwal Srivastava

Sushmita Priyadarshini

Gayatri Avarsekar

Madhura Khare

Arpita Mishra

Kavya Jaiswal

Kiran Paliakara

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CONTACT DETAILS Humanist - Official HR Committee K J Somaiya Institute of Management Vidyanagar, Vidyavihar (E) Mumbai - 400077 Email ID: humanist.simsr@somaiya.edu