Infosys Technologies, headquartered in Bangalore, India, provides
what it calls the "next generation" of IT, business, consulting,
and outsourcing services. With revenues of more than $4.8 billion,
Infosys works with major global companies and has 113,796 employees
in more than 50 offices worldwide.
The IT industry has changed and grown dramatically since the
company's founding 30 years ago. Following the dotcom boom and bust
of the 1990s, the IT industry double - growing from a $5.3 billion
to an $11 billion industry between 2000 and 2003. During this time,
the number of women in India pursuing engineering college degrees
also increased, changing the makeup of the IT talent pool. In 2003,
to attract the best IT talent - a growing proportion of which were
women - Infosys launched its gender inclusiveness initiative as
part of an effort to become an employer of choice.
The Infosys business model, which often meant working demanding
schedules, was a challenging one for working mothers. Barriers
included
- frequent travel to client sites
- continuous training to keep up with latest technology
- lack of client networks to work from home
- long work hours at the time of deliverables/project
implementation.
In addition, many of the women who did work at Infosys were often
in lower level positions and did not seek or move up into higher
levels. Infosys believed that traditional Indian attitudes about
women and appropriate work may have played a role in discouraging
women from pursuing management positions. Women were encouraged to
pursue typically female roles of teaching, support roles in the
hospitality industry, or healthcare professions, such as nurses and
doctors.
Infosys's three goals for its gender initiative were to:
- become an employer of choice known for its gender sensitive and
inclusive culture
- create an environment that supports women in balancing career
and life issues
- give women the support needed for promotion and advancement.
Gender inclusion effort
In 2003, a core group within Infosys used research, focus group
discussions, interviews with senior management, and networking with
clients to gather data on the needs of working mothers and women as
well as best practices. The group used this information to make the
case for a gender inclusiveness effort.
The group presented a three-year plan to attract, increase, and
retain (AIR) women that provides practical assistance. In addition
to gender sensitivity workshops, special diversity weeks, and a
compassion policy to encourage community involvement, Infosys
created these programs:
- peer support, such as gender affinity circles and discussion
boards
- counseling, including hotline services for work-life balance
and personal matters; free 24/7 online help on parenting issues;
counselors who refer community resources if necessary; parenting
workshops for spouse and extended family
- wellness programs, including healthcare seminars presented by
doctors, nutritionists, pediatricians; Pregnacare, a special yoga
and fitness class offered daily on the office campus; and onsite
doctors to help with prescriptions.
These infrastructure and HR policies to support women include
near-site day care centers, nursing stations, satellite offices,
shuttle services, and travel support; and one-year childcare
sabbatical, part-time policy, flexible working hour policy,
telecommuting policy, satellite office policy, and alternate career
opportunities within the company.
The goal was to have women represented at all levels; however, most
women in the company were at the lower rungs. The diversity office
ensures that women are aware of their eligibility and encourages
them to apply for upperlevel opportunities. Programs to help
support women in their career and leadership development include
- IWINTOR, the mentoring program for women, which includes
virtual and group mentoring, counseling sessions, and seminars on
health, wellness, and parenting topics
- life coaching and training on managerial and leadership skills
through the Infosys Leadership Institute
- internal job postings, merit - and competency-based performance
appraisal system, and promotions based on nominations and
interviews.
In addition, all business units manage a quarterly dashboard to
track all gender inclusiveness efforts. Data related to career
advancement include the number of women joining at the entry,
middle, and senior levels; women's career progressions; attrition;
and the number of women moving into alternate roles.
Results
Infosys learned that gender programs must be aligned with business
needs and driven by the business to be sustained. In addition, for
gender practices to work, corporations need to engage key
stakeholders, including academia, industry bodies, and communities.
Between 2004 and 2010, Infosys realized the following benefits from
its gender initiative:
- 15.5 percent increase in the number of total women in the
Infosys workforce
- 21 percent increase in the retention rate of new experienced
hires over three years
- 23 percent increase in the number of women returning to work
following maternity leave
- 50 percent increase in the number of women holding senior level
position over three years
- 43 percent increase in the number of women in the pipeline over
three years