An ode to women

Pratima Harigunani



Here's a bouquet of compliments -- and criticisms -- from men.

"Women don't drink."

"Women are emotional."

"Women carry an attitude that reeks of feminism."

"Women, specially unmarried and engaged ones, pose more attrition risk."

If you thought that's all we have gathered from men in the IT corridors, check this out too:

"Only a woman can make a workplace feel alive."

"Women add care to their chairs."

"Women are inimitable organizers."

For men in IT industry seem to be replete with both, thanks to the objective, no-words-minced, honest observations that the voices that follow have kindly shared with us on Women's Day.

From code jockeys to CEOs, these men have squeezed out their observations from their experience of working with women throughout their careers. So, here's the Vox Macho:

"My experience of working with women has been varied. They add new facets to a team. They are disciplined and sincere but they are not so prone to taking risks and adapting to exigencies," says Gaurav Roy, a seasoned software engineer who is now a team leader.

Amol More, another geek sums up his experience in the BPO industry: "Women are indispensable when it comes to organising things. It's a natural flair and hence they are good managers, but not necessarily better than males. They are very caring and add life to the workplace."

But he points out snobbishness as a negative area. "Some females carry an attitude that they are doing something phenomenal by being on their own. It's time that we get rid of the man's world hangover. Everyone is equal and is here because of talent and merit. Just keep doing great work and there's no stopping you."

"We can't afford to lose our women team members,” says Muthu Logan, CEO, Brovis Wireless Networks. “They, though quite a few, have been involved in areas like finance, HR, R&D, Front Office, etc. And they have been really outstanding. We can't let them go. In fact, we would like to have more women in our workforce."

"I have worked with women on all rungs of the corporate ladder. It's has been a pleasant experience and I see no difference between a male and a female at the workplace today," asserts Vivek Marwaha, country marketing manager, UGS India.

Men definitely are no more blinkered and stereotyped towards the fairer sex. At least, most of them, if not all, see them as no different from males and shrug off when asked to do comparisons. No doubt it was hard to get them to do some off-the-cuff balance on the scales. First the Thumbs down:

Next page: Ladybugs, Girl power

Ladybugs

Do women gossip more? Yes, admits Roy, but hastens to enlighten that it is innocuous. "Guys do more of the rumour-mongering about the company when it comes to gossip."

But women pose some inhibitions on other communication aspects, he adds. "If there is just one or more female in a team, guys would tend to alienate her, though unintended. They would talk to other guys more rather than including the girl in the conversations. The result is that the female feels out of the group. It's hard to break the ice when the ratio of male to female workers is skewed. It could be hesitation or typical Indian mindset of refraining from talking to opposite gender purposelessly," explains Roy.

That is quite a revelation. And it seems there are more workplace dynamics for females that we have heard of.

Women for instance, might not fit in sales functions. Roy alludes to networking dynamics as an area that limits a woman in sales roles. Ask why and Roy answers, "Males naturally bond faster and better at joints like sports or bars, and thus they are better disposed to hobnob and increase their sale output. Women are handicapped here as they don't drink!"

So, does being a woman really confer some inherent advantages or disadvantages at the workplace?

A BPO Professional in voice function tells that promotions and career advancements are also fetched by unfair means. "Though such cases are sporadic, being well-dressed and visible has its own virtues," is all that he can explicitly share. "Such cases are driven by both ends, however, and it would be wrong to blame just one gender here."

Smacks of the casting couch, did someone say?

On the downsides, there are more issues like risk-appetite. For Roy, women are safe players and might back out when it comes to pluck. "Women are great at doing jobs that are regular, well-defined. When it comes to doing just one thing, or task, they are good. But males are better, faster and more risk-hungry than female counterparts."

A software professional adds another dimension. Women, when engaged, raise alarm bells along with wedding bells. They have natural attrition risk and productivity problems in Roy's opinion. "Most of them have to relocate with their prospective groom."

Alok Rai, a product development pro in Pune, summing up his experience of working with co-women workers so far, hints at technical flair as a deficit. "The tech savvy, technical inclination and passion that define a great software culture are wanting (more so in women) to a certain extent. Sometimes they look misfits in the geek culture that software is generally associated with. But this might be only because software until recently (except for a few exceptions) has been a mostly male domain."

No Woman's Day poll can be sealed without the perennial pall of the Glass Ceiling. While many admit that progress has been made on this front, hopes are still ripe to see this roof shatter sooner.

Umesh Wason, Director Human Resource, GlobalLogic India, citing super CEOs like Indra Nooyi, for instance, believes that the ceiling is breaking down very fast. "The ceiling is there but more in a perceived notion than in reality."

Have the cuffs that come on account of societal or family responsibilities really unlocked? Women, specially the married ones, have to juggle many things together.

Roy says that software industry per se doesn't face this problem as it is a profession that is looked up to rather than stereotyped vocations like hotel management or entertainment that are looked down upon.

â€Å“But for company outings or onsite projects women are still advised to be more careful," Roy adds.

Logan admits that restrictions on travel times and frequency as well as additional family responsibilities are still there. "But women, commendably, handle these issue more pragmatically," he explains.

The only difference, in his opinion, that the society or family angle tags on women is the fact that women are brought up differently, and at times a little regressively. "This is not necessarily bad. But women are more practical. They know how to balance family and career."

Next page: Girl power

Girl power

Quiz our male friends on the advantages of being a woman, and you are flooded again with diverse opinions.

Women are cordial, politically correct, people friendly and more, says Alok Rai. "They bring a human touch to this hitherto male bastion. They have the required soft skills as one might put it."

Women add value, commitment and reality to the workspace, adds Logan.

Women also bring an eye for detail to their work, feels Wason. "They have a heart for people and have an richer perspectives when it comes to roles in HR and people-oriented positions."

He points out that women have an interesting knack of saying the right thing at the right time.

Discipline and sincerity are other attributes that women bring to workplaces in Roy's opinion.

Certain roles seem to fit women naturally. Marketing and customer support functions, for example, are handled better by women due to thee inherent relationship-building ability. Marwaha says that he has observed women getting better reception and edge in such positions.

They can add more value in positions like HR or in front-office functions owing to their distinct personality, observes Logan. "Maybe they are more pleasing, more sympathetic and more understanding."

At the same time, doesn't the gender difference apply otherwise to aggressive positions?

To some extent, yes, says Logan. "Women might not be at par with their male counterparts, barring some exceptions. There are natural limitations in areas like field engineering."

Women, as professionals, have turned more competent in the past few years. Kishore Velankar, vice president, Human Capital Management for Integreon India, admits that specially in the BPO industry, constraints, parental and other pressures have eased on the area of late working hours and nocturnal shifts.

In terms of competencies, again, not many see a gender differential. Velankar points out that owing to our education system, women don't at all lag behind men on deliverables and knowledge. Ditto, feels Marwaha. "As a knowledge worker, there is absolutely no difference between a male worker and a female worker."

Velankar adds: "Hats off to their parents for breaking the traditional stereotypes that stifle professional growth."

So are women listening?

Do they agree with what the males around opine about them? Or should they care at all? They have sallied and conquered their work aisles after all. It hasn't been a cakewalk for sure.

Keep walking. Happy Women's Day!

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