For Teleperformance, 2016 started on a positive note supporting our #PledgeforParity, meaning equal representation of women with men across spheres, levels, and processes in the company, before FY 2017.
With our female employee count increasing every day, we understand overall transformation is key to achieving gender balance in any institution; reaping more profits and smarter teams. That transformation came about last year when we put gender on the agenda, with all guns firing in that direction.
Proud to lead the #GenderSmart revolution in the BPO industry.
It’s more than a social cause
Gender balance is no more just a moral imperative or a social issue, it has a greater linkage to the overall growth of the society and economy. On a macro level, a recent report from McKinsey Global Institute released estimated that high prevalence of gender inequality in society and workplace is depriving us of $12 trillion every year.
As largest private sector employers, BPOs can play a crucial role in this respect, wherein Teleperformance has been consistently working with the government of India to debunk the myths surrounding BPOs and present it as a lucrative career option for women; encouraging more and more to join the workforce. In Indore, we went a step ahead, creating a supportive ecosystem to encourage females working in night shifts with the support of local government and administration.
Starting Right
A Customer Care Executive working with us in Jaipur says, “We have so many female supervisors, mentors and team leaders which is not only inspiring but also says a lot about an equality driven culture at Teleperformance.”
Achieving this was not easy. 50-50 for a planned ramp is a tough task; which becomes rather tenacious for the urgent ramps especially for UK and US hour shifts, as the applications coming in are far away from the desired ratios.
However, to mitigate this-along with continuously investing in technology and training of our recruitment personnel to reduce gender bias at hiring stage, we laid a strong focus on back-fills, for the urgent ramps. All this was aided by our consistent marketing efforts in re-branding BPOs in India as an employee friendly industry.
With the results we have been able to achieve in this short time, we feel more and more committed to our transformation into a more #GenderSmart organization.
Values drive Culture
Taking up the baton for gender equality also drove us to ensure our efforts are concentrated on the bigger pain points hindering equal participation of women in the workplace. While the long overdue maternity benefits bill has finally been passed, Teleperformance has been ahead of the curve in introduced special initiatives to help new mothers bond with their babies. The flexible ‘coming-back-to-work” policy is one such move.
A Manager for our solutions practice is one of the many women who has benefited from the above and says “during my maternity break, I was not able to join work after the stipulated period. However, I got the flexibility of working from home and later 4 hours a day until I was able to increase my work hours to ensure a smooth transition for my little one. Even today, I have the flexibility to work from home, and not necessarily come to work when I need to be physically present with my kid. I was promoted soon after I joined, reflecting the confidence my organization has shown in me.”
From the flexible maternity policy to a dedicated women concern redressal cell, we made sure our policies were sensitive to our female members’ needs and duly address their concerns.
Our operations head in Indore, entrusted with over 4,000 employees’ careers and professional growth, “balancing career with family commitments is a tough job as expectations from both ends increase simultaneously for women. Setting the right expectations at both fronts works but there are times, it adds to the stress. What works in such situations is the ability to kill guilt and think positively, creating a strong support system. People who understand your dreams, life and persuade those with you. I have been fortunate enough to have that support in form of family and leadership at Teleperformance. It has taught me that ‘Trusting your people’ goes a long way, same as the company has done with me at every single step.”
She further advises the ladies and especially working mothers, “irrespective of your role in the organization, being a working mom is more stressful than anyone realizes but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Mommy guilt is a real thing and you don’t need to die with it every day; learn to kill it. Remember, it’s not the amount of time that you spend with someone, be it your kids, family or team members at work, it’s the energy you bring to the table in that time. Make the most of it which demands your get-up-and-go levels to be high. That’s what makes us special and different from others.”
THANK YOU!
YOU MAKE US WHO WE ARE.
Visit us at: www.teleperformance.in
Contributor: Neha Sethi @nehacsethi