Tata Steel targets 20 pc women in workforce by 2020

Tata Steel targets to have 20 percent women in its workforce by 2020 as gender diversity ensures availability of different mindsets to deal with challenges, a top company executive said.

"Gender diversity is essential, and not having it can bedetrimental to business. A diverse workforce ensures that wehave different mindsets dealing with challenges in differentways, and this helps us strategise better," Tata Steel ChiefDiversity Officer and Chief Group HR Atrayee S Sanyal told PTIhere.

She said Tata Steel has a target to have 20 per centwomen in its workforce by 2020, from the current level of 11per cent. "We are definitely planning to employ a large number ofwomen in the coming years. Tata Steel, as an equal opportunityemployer, believes that women can perform any role with equalcompetence as that of a man.

"We have not restricted ourselves to defining certainroles or levels where we will employ women. Our diversitytargets have been taken for the overall organisation and weare open to employing women across all roles and levels," sheadded.

When asked about the difficulty in finding women with therequired skills in manufacturing, mining and engineering, shesaid the availability of women is gradually improving. "It is supply-led demand to a great extent.

Engineeringinstitutes need to have more women and only then companies canrecruit women in these areas. We engage early with variousleading institutes that helps us capture the best women talentin the early years of engineering," she added.ity.

"Our recent Take 2 policy aims at filling these gaps dueto maternity and child care leaves by hiring women who areexperienced professionals on project basis for short-termengagement. "This is a mutual benefit as we have a good replacementresource for a woman and it also becomes a platform for thosewomen looking to resume their careers," she added.

She said when diversity is recognised and employees feelincluded, they have a better responsiveness to changingcustomer needs. Everything, cumulatively, helps us progress and developas a company, she added.

"Workplace diversity attracts the best talent and retainsthe same. It builds a great reputation for the company. A mixof people with diverse views encourages innovation and problemsolutions, thereby leading to increased profitability andopportunities for business, she said.

However, for this purpose the company will compromise onmerit at any stage of selection or promotion. "Our recruitment sensitisation handbook clearly mentionsthat at an equal level of merit and competence, we wouldprefer a female candidate but we consider merit as theultimate criterion for selection," she added.