We must kill the gender job capability perception

By OEM Update Editorial May 10, 2019 2:34 pm IST

In an interview with OEM Update, Sudeep Sen discusses and emphasises on gender parity and equality in organisationswhere there has been a change in perception of job roles for women in factories and how they are taking up more roles and responsibilities and even supervising high end jobs. discuss the impacts of Union Budget, job generation and.

What according to you were the factors that led to a subsequent growth in the manufacturing sector in the last quarter? How would you define Union Budget 2019-20?
The industrial and manufacturing companies have welcomed the announcements made by interim Finance Minister, Piyush Goyal during the interim Union Budget.

The auto industry is a huge contributor to the country’s GDP and PM Narendra Modi’s mission of bringing an Electric Vehicle revolution in India by 2030 will be a big game changer.

It will give the required stimulus to the industry and to the employment generation by the industry as well. It shall also create jobs in the likes of sales, services, technicians, engineers, mechanics and assembly workforce at plants. The focus on EVs will ultimately provide energy security; reduce India’s dependency on import of oil and also economic deficit.

Small and medium manufacturing setups also seem to be happy with the announcement of special benefits and incentives to them, simplification of the regulatory compliance framework, reduction of tax rate for companies with turnover of up to 250 crores, which was also applicable to new manufacturing companies without any turnover limits, are some of the positive moves that will positively impact the small and medium manufacturing industry.

Usage of modern digital technologies in terms of expansion of rural industrialisation will also lead to good rise in jobs on short term and long term basis.
Enhancement of the digital infrastructure would also mean more and more implementation of IIoT, which in turn will benefit the factories and manufacturing units.

It will positively impact the productivity of staff and their safety. It will also offer higher predictability and reduce the loss of inventories. In fact, if the proposed connectivity and cohesiveness are implemented, it will lead to digitisation of new geography, mobilisation of mankind, creation of jobs, creation of many more small scale industries and businesses and development of new tech horizons.

What kind of employee engagement programmes should be implemented in industries, according to you?
Some of the initiatives that can bring in positivity among the workers are introducing initiatives like a day in campus for the employees and their family members. It encourages employee engagement and binds the family of the employee with the organisation. It has positive impact and reduces attrition.

Another initiative that corporate could look at is provide incentives in kind like household goods, which employee can take home and family members can use it.

They could also look at appreciating performers in terms of productivity and attendance, publish the names within the organisation of those who have done remarkably well and also send a thank you note to the father or spouse of the family, organise free basic medical check-up camps for the parents and spouse, and sponsor school fees or study material of the children of high performing employees.

13 million jobs were supposed to be generated in the new renewable India. However, according to reports, India is still behind when it comes to offering employment. What is the ground reality?
The challenge is not jobs, but it is wages and skills. We need to ensure that the talent is trained at a younger age to get jobs and sustain them, and this call for a relook of our course curriculum.

Government authorities, private firms, and educationists should draw up the course curriculum in line with the expected skill sets. It should start now, and in the next 2-3 years we can see huge enhancement in employment.

The perception of job roles for women has undergone a major change in the last few years. What is causing this wind of change and what needs to be done to make it stable?
First and foremost, we need to kill the gender job capability perception; I feel it is men who need to contribute more to women employment than women.

Women with proven track record should be given greater roles and opportunities to further encourage women to take up roles especially in areas like shop floors, manufacturing units, and training units. Their stories need to be put up in social media; the viral effect will encourage more women to come forward.

Organisations need to play a very pivotal role in the safety and security of the employees and also initiate dialogues with the family members and take them also into confidence.

How is TeamLease adhering to gender parity and equality?
We are promoting it big time be it in our own organisation (core employees) as well as among deployed associates.

We encourage our clients also to consider women employees in various roles and functions, promote the achievements of their women staff, and more importantly we do not discriminate any job as a man’s job or woman’s job.

Women play a very important and critical role in our organisation, especially at leadership level. In fact, ours is a good example, which corporate in the industrial and engineering sector can look at to promote and enhance gender equality.

Usage of modern digital technologies in terms of expansion of rural industrialisation will also lead to good rise in jobs on short term and long term basis
Sudeep Kumar Sen, Business Head – Industrial, Manufacturing & Engineering Vertical, TeamLease Services