People and Management March 2019 | Page 14

DIVERSITY BEING In their words, this unique approach is not charity, it is their business model. Today Lemon Tree employs 550 specially abled workers — mostly hearing and speech-impaired; nevertheless, there are also wheelchair users and amputees. Together they account for 12 percent of the chain’s 4,600-strong workforce. Their spellbinding act of social inclusion has delivered superior business results, reduced attrition rates and significantly increased effi ciency amongst the employees. While some organizations are championing the cause of including the differently abled as a part of their workforce, some of them are taking massive strides to bridge the gender gap, one of the most talked about, but the least acted upon area. Ajuba Solutions is one such example. Currently, 49 percent of Ajuba’s workforce comprises women, which is one of the highest in the industry. To promote gender Amarnath Verma Anand Pillai Abhijit Bhaduri Our methodology focuses on narrowing disparity, cherishing the vision to create a diverse workplace culture and embracing inclusion. Sounds like an uphill task to accomplish? Fret not, we have a roadmap charted for you: Creating a robust governance structure-Diversity Committee and Diversity Offi ce Initatives to be led by the Top Management diversity within their organization, they have created a Women’s Forum called “Shakti” which is a cross-functional team of and for women. Nurturing the lesser represented gender and providing them the springboard for growth, development, and success is surely a commendable act of inclusion. While we extol the initiatives taken to create a diverse workplace, the underpinning idea is to ensure that inclusion and diversity become synonymous to an organizational culture rather than being an element of uniqueness. 14 | Vol. 10 Issue 3 • MARCH 2019, Delhi NCR Make Diversity and Inclusion as a part of your key strategy. Stronger Diversity, More inclusive Workplace. Position equality in hiring as a part of your brand message. Great Place To Work® For All envisions a workplace culture with a consistent experience for all their employees. Our methodology focuses on narrowing disparity, cherishing the vision to create a diverse workplace culture and embracing inclusion. After all, where shackles of biases and exclusions break free; agility, cooperation and success follow. P & M