HR conclave provides a primer on DEI

HR leaders speak about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion at The Hindu Opportunities HR Conclave organised in Chennai

The Hindu Opportunities HR Conclave organised on October 18 had something to offer everyone on a DEI journey, significantly those embarking on it and those who have travelled far into it.

The event, which pivoted around the necessity of organisations being rooted in a strong culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), got off to an engaging start with Thamizhachi Thangapandian, South Chennai Member of Parliament, giving an exposition on the applicability of DEI in all areas of human existence.

Meena Sinha, vice president and head of Human Resources at RR Donnelley (RRD), noted that for DEI initiatives to be sustainable they should be intricately woven into business processes.

Meena elaborated on RRD’s work on impact sourcing and how it has helped the organisation achieve DEI goals organically. She recalled how eight years ago, Kausani, a hill station nestling at the foothills of the Himalayas, witnessed social empowerment, particularly of the young women who suddenly found themselves financially independent, all because RRD decided to take work to the place where the people were, and not demand they they come to where the work was. She said the centre that RRD established at Kausani and its success stories served as a spark for a series of similar DEI initiatives in other parts of the country.

The centre at Pudukkotai district in Tamil Nadu is focussed on accessibility remediation work, one that makes documents more accessible to the visually impaired. Though its location and work, the centre achieves two goals that fit into the DEI narrative: creating employment in a rural setting and promoting inclusion by helping the visually impaired. Another intervention is “Women’s Own Network”, a support group for women going on a maternity break and also an exercise in preparing women for leadership roles.

Saundarya Rajesh, founder-president, Avtar The Power of Diversity, busted myths around DEI. She called out erroneous notions that DEI is only for large organisations and is a Western idea. Her speech provided a primer on DEI, one punctuated with visual commentaries, before proceeding to introduce the audience to the larger picture involving DEI.

Kartik Kumar, centre director, Saint-Gobain Research India, spoke about the organisation’s efforts at bringing more women into R&D. Through this intervention, the organisation was emphasising the need to ensure women go on to develop niche STEM skills.