BT MPW 2023: Unconscious biases hinder women’s progression in workforce, says power-packed tech panel

A power-packed panel of women leaders from the tech industry — Rekha M. Menon, Arundhati Bhattacharya and Sindhu Gangadharan — discussed how technology can mitigate unconscious biases working against the ascension of more women in the Indian workforce, at Business Today’s 20th edition of the Most Powerful Women in Business event on Friday in Mumbai. 

In a panel discussion titled ‘The ‘IT’ Women’, veteran banker-turned software firm top executive Arundhati Bhattacharya said she was surprised to discover biases within herself during training to address the issue. “After all, we are products of the society. When women feel they are not valued, (when they see) people who are obviously less capable than them are getting ahead, they have a tendency of dropping out due to sheer frustration,” said Bhattacharya, Chairperson & CEO, Salesforce India, discussing some of the reasons why women drop out of the workforce in India which has an abysmally low level of women’s participation in the white-collar workforce of around 22 per cent. 

Sindhu Gangadharan, SVP & MD, SAP Labs India and Vice Chairperson, NASSCOM, chipped in saying that technology can address a lot of those biases, such as those that creep in during hiring. “We are a product company that takes its products to 180 countries. Our consumers are extremely diverse. So, it is super important to have that diversity in the organisation to make sure it is reflected in the product, in our thinking and the respect we have for our consumers.” She added that diversity, including gender diversity, in the top leadership and board positions is no more a question of how it should be done, but how quickly can it be done.  

Rekha M. Menon, Former Chairperson & Senior Managing Director, Accenture in India, pointed out that gender diversity in the boardroom has undergone a massive shift over the past decade from it being a mere regulatory requirement. “There is increased awareness that women bring something to the table, that diversity is important and a lot of times consumers are women themselves. But a lot more things need to get done in each organisation because it cannot be an HR problem. It has to be driven by the leadership.” 

The senior leader also said that having business metrics to measure not just the percentage of women in the workforce and leadership, but also an organisation’s promotion pipeline and gender pay gap are crucial to address the issue. “Policies have to change, support systems have to be created and women have to learn how to dream,” she said. 

The session concluded with a quick debate on the importance of role models and mentors while rising up the corporate ladder. While Bhattacharya and Menon said they came from a generation which didn’t have many women role models, leaving them to figure out the paths for themselves, Gangadharan pointed out that visible role models make a lot of difference to girls and young women out there to dream big.  Bhattacharya, however, concluded the session by making a crucial distinction that while it was crucial to have mentors and sponsors at work, they may not necessarily be role models.  

“Mentors are people you go back to when you have a doubt, when there is a fork in the road and you don’t know whether you should turn right or left. Sponsors are those who are maybe 3-4 steps ahead of you. They will bear testimony about your capabilities and push you in the right position. But they may not necessarily be role models.”