Participants of Diversity Hiring in India

Like our foreign counterparts, India is blessed that it doesn’t have diversity on the grounds of ‘Race’. However, diversity on the grounds of gender, economic background, etc. is prevalent. We have identified three major sections for the purpose of diversity hiring in India. Diverse hiring may involve the employment of Women, People with Disabilities (PWD), and Members of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS).

1. PwD (People with Disability): The CDC report contains important details about people with disabilities in India. In India, 44% (1.18 Crore) of the disabled population are female, while 56% (1.5 crores) are male. Out of them, nearly 55% (1.46 crore) of the total disabled population are literate females. While 5% of the disabled population is a graduate or higher, 13% have completed matriculation or secondary school but do not have a degree. Graduates comprise nearly 8.5% of the disabled literate population. 9% of male disabled literate individuals hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Literacy rates among the female disabled population stand at 55%. Similarly, 3% of the disabled female population is a graduate or higher, while 9% have completed matriculation or secondary school but are not graduates.

2. Women: According to the World Equality Report, women earn ₹82 for every ₹100 earned by males in India. This is a major distinction between the two genders. Women in India are more likely to abandon their employment after marriage, having children, or due to societal pressure. Their comeback in the business world is tough. Work gaps and industry shifts are one of the reasons. However, the catalyst reports that companies with more female leaders have higher profit margins.

According to McKinsey, organisations with more than 30% female executives outperformed those with 10% to 30% women executives.

These companies were then more likely to perform well than those with fewer or no female executives. All of these figures are compelling arguments to bring women back into the corporate mainstream. Companies like Catalyst having more women in employees are earning higher profit margins.

3. (EWS) Economically Weaker Section: On January 14, 2019, the 124th Amendment Bill to the Indian Constitution was passed, paving the way for a 10% ‘Economically Weaker Sections’ or EWS quota in (a) Central government-run educational institutions and private institutions (excluding those managed by minorities), and (b) Union government employment. This quota was in addition to other quotas in the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backwards Classes categories, which have been in place for many decades. The EWS quota has been in place since February 1, 2019. But while this step filled the education gap for the EWS of the society, there is no data to state if the same gap has been filled in the corporate arena. Lack of opportunities, lack of initiatives, and biasedness might be some reasons for their absence from the corporate arena.

The term ‘diversity’ has gained popularity lately. But companies that just view diversity as fashion are losing out on various advantages and benefits that come from having a truly inclusive and varied workforce. Organizations with diverse natures are happier, more productive, and more competitive within their respective industries. Diversity refers to a team’s diverse perspectives. Diversity, racism, and social justice are part of a bigger conversation. The word includes sex, socioeconomic background, childhood experiences, religion, education, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and life experience. However, inclusion means that everyone should have equal access to education, resources, opportunities, and other treatment based on their unique attributes. A diverse workforce includes people from different backgrounds and countries. The organization also creates a sense of belonging that helps everyone feel like a team member.

What is Diversity Hiring?

Diversity in recruitment, often known as diverse hiring, is an unbiased employment procedure. The method guarantees that no one is judged based on their age, color, marital status, sexual preferences, or any other characteristics unrelated to the job description. Diverse hiring is the first step towards creating a more inclusive and varied workplace culture. To put it simply, diversity hiring occurs when organizations establish a hiring process that gives candidates of varied sexual orientation, gender, race, and other minority groups an equal opportunity to participate in the recruitment process and get hired. Not surprisingly, today’s millennials and Generation Z employees prioritize diversity and inclusion when choosing a company to work for. Furthermore, workplace diversity and inclusion provide numerous benefits to a company, including the generation of fresh ideas, new perspectives, untapped potential, and increased employee engagement, to name a few.