Top leadership must push for pay parity

TNN

Mumbai: One of the factors that impede growth of women employees in the workforce is

gender pay parity

. Regulation alone will not resolve this issue, say experts. The matter requires action from leadership across organisations.

During a panel discussion at The Economic Times Women’s Forum, Adobe India MD Shanmugh Natarajan said, “In technology, especially, the spotlight has come on all of us. In January, we got to 100%

pay parity

.” Closing the wage gap between its male and female employees was a milestone in Adobe’s efforts to create a productive environment. For a lot of other companies, it’s a long journey.

Accord Group India managing partner Sonal Agrawal said it’s equally important to have the conversation about outcomes. “A lot of managers don’t see the bias (while hiring). So it’s important to point out,” said Agrawal, during the discussion on ‘Gender and Pay: Towards greater parity’.

Given the tough norms in developed countries, hiring managers cannot even ask sensitive questions to an interviewee, including questions regarding pay levels. In India, Agrawal said, hiring managers are in a hurry to hire, making it difficult for recruitment firms to change the metrics.

One of the reasons being cited for gender disparity on salary is that women don’t speak up. If they do, they are labelled “pushy”. Mindtree CEO & MD Rostow Ravanan said, “When you notice something unfair, keeping quiet will only perpetuate it. If someone calls you ‘pushy’, push back and tell them you didn’t ask for a label… Have a little power.”

Facebook India head of staffing Archana Vadala said the company runs initiatives on how to manage and minimise bias at the workplace. Narrating her own example, Vadala said a few years ago, she was “happy to get a job offer” and did not feel the need to negotiate with the employer. “If you don’t ask for it, ask for help,” is Vadala’s advise to women employees who hesitate to ask for a raise/negotiate a job offer.

In an earlier session on ‘mansplaining’, a phenomenon where a man speaks over a woman or explains to her about something in a patronising or condescending manner, journalist and author Bee Rowlatt said women can fight this by amplifying each other’s voices.