Rajnish Borah, Corp Sr VP Learning, Organisation Effectiveness & Diversity Equity Inclusion Head, WNS, talks about the initiatives taken by the organisation for women advancement.

With 45 per cent of workforce as women, and a great thrust on leadership positions for women and on creating safe working atmosphere, WNS demonstrates how equal rights for women is not just a catchphrase. Rajnish Borah delineates the steps that the organisation has taken to make it possible. Excerpts: 

What have been some of the novel initiatives in your organisation to ensure gender diversity and inclusion?

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) remains a critical agenda on the organisational roadmap. At WNS, we take pride in being an equal opportunity employer and ensure we practice it through the entire lifecycle of an employee’s journey. WNS has 55,000+ employees across 54 delivery centres in 17 countries. Of our total strength, 45 per cent employees are women. WNS’ DEI process and policies have three broad pillars: 

1. Building a diverse workforce 

2. Creating an inclusive workplace for all 

3. Ensuring a safe and equitable workplace  

Initiatives:

1. Conscious Diversity Hiring: WNS runs exclusive campaigns to bring talented women into the organisation, especially in leadership positions. Right from the sourcing stage, WNS consciously includes a diverse mix of candidates and even offers differential referral bonuses to attract women candidates.
2. Campus Programme: WNS has an internal mandate of recruiting 50 per cent women for fresher programme batches for business and enabling unit roles. 

3. Centurion: A WNS flagship programme focusing on leadership development exclusively for women in partnership with Cornell University. Through the programme, WNS envisions grooming 100 women employees in the next 4-5 years to take on leadership roles. 

4. 3-in-a-box Mentoring Programme: A grooming programme for women employees, providing them with opportunities to seek mentorship for career advancement. 

5. Fairness in Advancement and Growth: WNS’ policies and practices promote fairness and include required checks and balances to bring transparency.

6. One-to-one-help: Women employees have access to one-to-one support on a variety of issues, including maternity, counseling, returning to work support and mental wellness. 

7. Conducive workspaces: Through workshops on the subject, interactions with leaders who share their growth experiences and promoting a culture of mutual respect and inclusivity, WNS creates conducive workspaces for all to thrive and grow. 

What specific measures do you take in case of sexual harassment, or body shaming, or any other misconduct? 

WNS has zero tolerance for any kind of misconduct or sexual harassment. WNS has a strong governance body and a POSH cell. The Internal Committee (IC) has representation from across the organisation and renowned external members appointed by the company. Upon receiving a complaint from an employee, the IC investigates the matter and takes appropriate measures, including disciplinary action.

 WNS organises regular constant sensitisation workshops on workplace ethics and leading by example in creating a healthy and safe workspace for all. 

What has been the impact of the initiative/s taken? Has the organisation conducted a survey to assess the impact?

1. The Centurion programme helps create opportunities for growth for high-potential women managers. The net promoter score of the programme is as high as 9.3/10, indicating that it has added great value to the professional journeys of women who participated in the programme. 

2. WNS is among the only seven Indian companies that were included on the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index twice in a row over the last two years. 

3. WNS is the only company from the BPM industry to be recognised among the Top 25 Safest Workplaces in India by KelpHR. 

4. Efforts to improve the representation of women across the organisation have resulted in an increase in the percentage of women in the total workforce from 39 per cent in 2015 to 45 per cent in 2022. WNS’ diversity hiring and retention practices over the years have resulted in women making up 50 per cent of the workforce at entry-level positions in 2022.