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The world of HR has been rapidly evolving, transforming the way we manage human resources and the employee experience. As the industry continues to grow, the need for diverse perspectives and experiences becomes more critical. Yet, according to recent studies, women are still underrepresented in the HR field, with men occupying most of the leadership positions.
Despite the challenges, many women have made significant contributions to the HR industry and continue to do so. They have brought fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a unique approach to solving problems.
Over the last month, we spoke with a number of women who are leading the charge and making a difference. In this article, we’ve put together their insights, and the opportunities and challenges that come with being a woman in HR. Let’s get right into it.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
Generally speaking, woman always face challenges our male counterparts do not. When we are assertive with our ideas, we are labeled as aggressive. When we lead with compassion, we are viewed as weak. Specifically speaking, I have been overlooked for promotion because leaders, who happen to be male, did not think I was ready, despite doing the stretch job for nine months. They did not have a problem with me continuing my work in the role, but they did not properly reward me for that effort. Had there been a female on that panel, perhaps the outcome would have been different. Like many women, I have also faced the day-to-day challenges of being interrupted, talked over, ignored, complimented on my looks rather than my work, etc. I see improvements in the workplace, but these challenges still very much exist today.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will be empowering to women?
In the near future, I would like to see the value of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion be measurable so organizations can stop thinking of it as just a KPI. So many organizations are focused on DEI goals because they need to keep up with their competitors. It’s great that we have the push but now let’s see the pay out for hiring more women and URMs (Underrepresented Minority).
Let’s see businesses make an effort to hire women because of the measurable productivity an inclusive and equitable workforce brings to the business.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
For women starting their careers in Talent Acquisition, keep everything you do above board. Act with integrity and bring value. If you experience something unjust, find a way to speak up. Even if you do so confidentially, doing the right thing is never a bad choice. You are entitled to the same standards given to male counterparts – don’t take that for granted or use it in a negative way.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
Of course, I did. I was with a tech giant leading the Employee referral program for 5000 employees, during the time I became pregnant and was also due for a promotion. The role was to be based in Pune; however, when they figured I was applying for the role, location was changed to Mumbai overnight. I did not want to uproot myself and did not want to experience motherhood and a new location at the same time. I took some time off. I am certain this would not have happened had I been a male.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will be empowering to women?
It’s easy speaking about diversity, however diversity is in many forms: colour, religion, gender (biggest one). Inclusion is different from diversity. I would someday want to see both like hand and glove. It’s good to have women in leadership positions, and why not? What’s the big deal right.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
Never give up on your dreams, be resilient. Do not give up only because you have gotten married or have a baby. These are milestones and these would only make you grow and make you more YOU. Lastly don’t fear to voice your opinion in a room filled with men. The strong ones would love you; the weak ones will envy you, but no one would ignore you.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
Gender bias, stereotyping, and discrimination exist – being denied equal pay, being passed over for promotions are still prevalent and quite common. To make it worse, women are often subjected to gender-based stereotypes in the workplace; they are expected to conform to traditional gender roles, which limit their opportunities and growth.
There is a lopsided representation of Women in leadership positions especially in Tech. Women often have a lot of work life balance issues – as they are supposed to be primary care givers to the family and handle domestic responsibilities along with their work. This results in a growing imbalance and limits them to pursue their careers and achieve their full potential.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will be empowering to women?
I believe it is super important to implement anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies to prohibit discrimination and harassment based on gender. Furthermore, firms have to walk the talk. Be it intentionally promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion by having guardrails, policies, or continuous reminders to address any unconscious bias that may exist in language, behaviour, and processes within the organization. They should offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote working, flexible schedules, and provide resources and support to foster a healthy work life balance.
Mentorship and sponsorship programs work great in providing women with opportunities to connect with senior leaders and create visibility and personal brand. Moreover, firms should have equal pay practices to ensure that there is no gender-based pay disparities and take steps to address any disparities that are identified.
Provide leadership development opportunities to develop leadership skills and actively work to promote women into leadership roles. Also, providing supportive networks for women, such as employee resource groups, a community for women to connect with each other, share experiences, and support each other in their careers are also a great way of empowering women and creating gender inclusion.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
Be a learner, keep yourself updated with the latest developments in your field and actively seek out new opportunities to learn and grow. Build a strong network, connect with contacts and mentors who can offer guidance and support.
Nothing beats operating with a lot of self-belief and confidence and don't be afraid to take calculated risks. Keep a positive outlook, even in the face of challenges and setbacks. Remember every crisis is an opportunity.
Lead by example, be a role model for others by consistently demonstrating the qualities and values that you believe in. Be very aware of who you want to become and how you are transforming and evolving and strive to be the best version of yourself.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
Luckily, I work on a environment were I don’t feel any kind of challenges for being a women. Capgemini promotes a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are. This isn’t just a powerful moral responsibility – it’s also a source of competitive advantage and we feel that on our daily basis. We live and have a diverse workforce that represents our society; and by fostering an inclusive culture, we feel that we can build a place where our people can thrive.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will empower women?
“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” – Albert Einstein
The bigger factor in creating empowerment for women is a sense that pay schemes are fair, they are rewarded by merit, and they’re reasonably free from bias. Also, developing mentorship programs to support women’s career growth and providing them with opportunities for advancement will go a long way.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
Start identifying your passions, this will help women to stay motivated and committed to achieving their goals.
Set goals: create specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound ( SMART) goals to help you focus your efforts. Learn continuously, never stop learning and develop new skills. Build meaningful relationships with mentors, colleagues and peers in your industry. Develop resilience, learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.
Always believe in yourself! Stay positive and confident on your talent and abilities!
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
Yes, this was the time when I had to decide whether I must extend my maternity leave or continue the job. It was a tough decision, but I decided to return to office after three months of absence. Life wasn’t easy after that, shuttling between office and home to take care of the baby; I was blessed enough to have supportive family members and understanding team at work who made it possible to balance it out!
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will be empowering to women?
The three cultural changes I’d like to see in the future are:
Closing the Pay Gap: I still find many times that women are in lower pay scales, considering the fact that they had taken a break before or after maternity or have taken a sabbatical to attend to something important personally. It becomes nearly impossible to catch up with the pay scale after that.
Easy Re-entry: In the same line as the point above, many women struggle to get back to work as the gap in career becomes a humongous reason for rejection. This has to change; Capabilities should be evaluated, not Gaps!
Flexibility of work: To support women in managing additional responsibilities tied to them on a personal front, we need to create a flexible environment. I believe that’s important.
With skills-first approach, do you think organisations can overcome bias in hiring and other talent decisions?
To an extent yes, but the D&I DNA has to be imbibed in each and every move viz. neutral recruitment process, creating awareness on unconscious bias, having diversified panels, etc.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
Own your decisions: there is an entire world out there to say/direct what a woman has to do or what not to do. It’s our responsibility to move forward and guide yourself to chase your dreams.
Practice gratitude: I approach every single day and task with gratitude. It’s a self-motivator by itself and had always given me the strength to look at things in a very different perspective.
Help/support someone: “Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown, without telling the world that it was crooked”.
Numerous women leaders have provided me with guidance and mentorship that has helped me reach my current level. As a result, it is now my utmost responsibility to replicate this support wherever possible on my journey.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
Absolutely! Once, I was denied promotion after I came back from 5 months maternity leave despite being one of the core contributors of a project.
Later, I wanted to extend my coaching skills by coaching internal mid managers. But I was denied the opportunity by a senior leader who stated, “my team will not be comfortable to be coached by a woman”.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will be empowering to women?
Give women a seat at the table, provide opportunities in positions of power
Encourage women to speak up, support them with mentorship opportunities. Women should feel comfortable expressing their opinions and ideas in the workplace and should not face negative consequences for doing so. Mentors can help to provide support and guidance to women in navigating workplace challenges and can also help to open doors to new opportunities.
Stop using words that evokes gender stereotypes. Using language that evokes gender stereotypes can be harmful and create barriers for women in the workplace. Gender-neutral language should be used wherever possible, and gender-based assumptions and biases should be challenged and avoided.
With skills-first approach, do you think organisations can overcome bias in hiring and other talent decisions?
While a skills-first approach provides a more objective assessment of candidates, human biases can still influence the decision-making process, especially during interviews or discussions. For instance, a recruiter/hiring manager may unconsciously rely on their initial assumptions about a candidate or fall prey to confirmation bias, leading them to reinforce their preconceptions about a candidate's suitability. For example, a newly married woman may be assumed to take maternity leave soon.
Overall, while a skills-first approach can be a significant step towards reducing biases in hiring and talent decisions, organizations must continually assess and refine their recruitment practices to minimize unconscious biases and ensure they are selecting the best candidates for the job.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
Be proactive, stay curious, keep learning. Staying curious and maintaining a love of learning by staying up to date with new developments in their field and actively seeking out new knowledge, young women can expand their skill sets, stay relevant, and develop a competitive edge in the job market.
Organizations must provide a safe and inclusive environment that promotes equal opportunity and fair treatment for all employees regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, or any other protected characteristics. This includes providing equal access to training and development opportunities and promoting a culture of respect and inclusion where everyone feels valued and supported.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
Early on in my career, I faced several challenges working with engineering teams, not only because I was a woman, but also because I was part of the HR team. I often found myself having to prove my worth to my colleagues, who regularly dismissed my knowledge and expertise, and didn't engage with me as an equal in conversations. Despite the challenges, I persevered and eventually gained their trust. But it wasn't easy, and I often heard comments like "I'm surprised you get this," which is a clear indication of the bias and microaggressions that exist in the workplace. These issues are particularly heavy for women, and they can have a significant impact on one's growth and development in their role. It's important to recognize and address these challenges, so that we can create a more inclusive and supportive work environment for all employees.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will be empowering to women?
In the near future, I would like to see workplace cultures that are more inclusive and empowering to women. One of the key changes I would like to see is an end to stigmatization of having kids. This is a personal decision and should not minimize the position or contribution that a woman brings to the workplace. Moreover, if women choose to dedicate some years to being with their children, there needs to be a more open work culture that allows them to return to work without being discriminated against or undervalued.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
For young women who aspire to be in a similar position as mine someday, my advice is to put in the time and work, be as curious as possible, and never feel bad or ashamed to ask questions or say you don't know something.
Always be willing to learn and grow and seek out mentors and role models who can guide you along the way. Additionally, it's important to persevere and not let challenges and setbacks hold you back. Believe in yourself and your abilities, and never give up on your goals and aspirations.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
Over the years, I’ve seen women not being trusted with leadership positions, not being promoted to C suite, all because there’s a pre-existing bias in our society. Right now, if we look statistically, 50% of women leave their career at the mid stage, and approximately women only represent 3% of the C suite. So, I'm sure my journey, too, would have been smoother had I not been a woman. However, we must acknowledge that things are changing drastically now, I’ve been in the UAE for the last fourteen years and women are not being relegated to just mid management now.
I believe women, in general, are multitaskers. They balance family, children, career, personal work, and much more, and that makes them great leaders. I always say wherever there’s a decision to be made, women should be involved.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will empower women?
Having worked in HR transformation for a decade, I wholeheartedly believe culture is a very important part of HR because that acts like base for transformation. To empower women, organizations should be investing heavily in L&D and provide education and/or certification opportunities and add more skill sets. There should be open policies for women to take sabbaticals for education, family, and personal reasons – without negative perception of the same.
Some other measures organizations should be working towards are providing equal education to women and creating a safe working environment for women. Companies and organizations should take steps to ensure that their workplace policies and practices do not discriminate against women. In short, I would say include women in everything.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
I say the sky’s the limit! We often talk about thinking outside of the box, but for women, there is no box. It's important to explore without limitations and see the sky as the canvas. Embrace change as it is inevitable, especially for women, as we experience more frequent changes in our physical, educational, personal, professional, and marital lives. Therefore, my advice is to keep an open mind, study, and take steps forward without holding back.
As we can see from the experiences and challenges, it's essential to continue to promote diversity and inclusion and ensure that women are provided with equal opportunities to lead and excel.
Women bring a unique perspective to the table, bringing a balance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and technical skills. Despite facing challenges such as unconscious bias, imposter syndrome, and lack of representation in leadership positions, women continue to make a significant impact in the industry. By recognizing and valuing the contributions of women, we can create a more inclusive and innovative industry that drives success for businesses and employees alike.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
Most of the challenges that came my way were on personal front rather than professional front. I ensured quality of delivery, always asked for more opportunities, and delivered them. In turn, the colleagues who worked with me never treated me differently. Whenever I looked at new opportunities, the leaders looked at my past performance, my ideas for the new role rather than my gender. I did adjust with my timings, communicated my lack of availability for specific hours, even if I handled multiple geography and multiple teams. As far as discrimination goes, there was one instance where I missed an US opportunity because the HR Head was not convinced about my suitability as my husband was not going to be at the same location. He believed that being alone with a kid would mean that I would not be serious about my job.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will be empowering to women?
I see organisations making a lot of cultural changes, flexible hours, opportunities for women who want to start their career after a break, investing in trainings to enable women. Post covid era, the commitment to these changes have become more pronounced. We, as women, also must imbibe a few cultural changes. Like being convinced that our career is as important as the other genders, not being hard on ourselves, take breaks when our personal life needs it, keeping our learning curve on and asking for help and sharing responsibilities.
With skills-first approach, do you think organisations can overcome bias in hiring and other talent decisions?
Today, with the extreme shortage of talent and increasing cost of talent, in a way organisations are forced to remove biases in hiring and other talent decisions. You cannot ignore a large segment of talent.
In fact, today the boundaries of geography have diminished. But with back to workplace phase, we need to have differential policy guidelines for people not wanting to relocate or come back to work. It can be in terms of roles or allowances.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
You are as powerful as you think you are, if you are convinced about something, keep negotiating until you attain your goal, but never be too hard on yourself if you need a break take it. When you have the scope, run a sprint; but career is a marathon, and you should pace it out.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a challenge, but I've encountered some questions that have upset me and provoked anger. In certain instances, I've engaged in lengthy discussions lasting up to two hours with male counterparts or leaders about the importance of diversity in hiring and the value it adds. I've also had to put in extra effort to dispel biases about being available to work long hours or being open to travel jobs despite being a mother of twins. Despite these obstacles, I'm delighted to observe that organizations are increasingly open to discussing topics such as "Men as Allies to Women" and breaking down unconscious biases that persist in people's minds. I'm confident that we will gradually be able to effect change by embracing equity and eliminating myths, biases, or any form of discrimination.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will be empowering to women?
We’re already working on gender equity, but I believe that our focus on gender equity necessitates considering that every individual has unique circumstances, and ensuring equal access to resources, technology, and tools required for producing equitable outcomes, thereby promoting better inclusivity. This represents a positive step and progress in the right direction.
Therefore, instead of offering identical opportunities to all, it is important to provide women with the necessary support to succeed and flourish, which will subsequently empower them. Whether through mentoring, coaching, upskilling, or implementing a minor policy change that fosters equitable outcomes, we should strive to facilitate their growth and development.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
My advice to young women would be, “dream on, have clear focus on what you want to do, work constantly to make it happen and cut all the noise around.” Nothing or no one in the world should be given any power to pull us down or make us realise we cannot do something. When we decide to do something, there’s no looking back for us and we’re unstoppable.
In your working experience, have you ever faced any challenges that you otherwise wouldn’t have had as a woman?
I’m fortunate enough to never have experienced any bias in my professional experience.
What workplace culture changes would you like to see in the near future that will empower women?
The motto should be "Continued Empowerment that Champions Women's Success." Women are increasingly driven by ambition and a desire for progress, resulting in a growing number of women leaders. Moreover, organizations that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are on the rise, which is advantageous for enabling the female workforce to return with greater determination.
What advice do you have for young women who aspire to be you someday?
The key mantra is "Never Give Up." Embrace challenges and embrace change. Be passionate about everything you do, maintain high work principles, and continue to aspire to greater heights, and you will undoubtedly soar to success!
As we can see from the experiences and challenges, it's essential to continue to promote diversity and inclusion and ensure that women are provided with equal opportunities to lead and excel. Women bring a unique perspective to the table, bringing a balance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and technical skills. Despite facing challenges such as unconscious bias, imposter syndrome, and lack of representation in leadership positions, women continue to make a significant impact in the industry. By recognizing and valuing the contributions of women, we can create a more inclusive and innovative industry that drives success for businesses and employees alike.
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