Reverse Mentoring – one more initiative to keep the millennials engaged or a business ‘must-have’?

In today’s workforce demographics, companies cannot ignore the large presence of the millennials (those workers born between 1980 and 2002). Within the next 20 years, more than 70 million baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1965) will retire. Organisations are introducing several initiatives to cater to these next generation workers – Reverse Mentoring is one such initiative that is fast becoming very popular. Reverse mentoring is an initiative where older executives are paired with and mentored by younger employees on several topics – the most popular ones being technology, social media and current trends. In today’s technologically advanced workspaces, reverse mentoring – or how I see it, ‘Flipped Leadership’ – is seen as a way to bring older employees up to speed in areas that are second nature to the millennials.

Mentoring is traditionally perceived and practiced as having a one-way benefit – younger employees learn from and gain valuable knowledge from older, more experienced colleagues. Today’s workplace has two very different generations working together and it is extremely important to ensure people belonging to both these generations understand each other to be able to work together. Organisations today realise the difference between millennials and their preceding generations and there is growing interest from leaders to learn from their less experienced colleagues. While in traditional forms of mentoring younger employees gain from their mentors’ experiences and knowledge, the concept of reverse mentoring is more reciprocal where both parties gain from each other’s knowledge and expertise.

Although the concept of reverse mentoring is not always easily accepted by senior executives because of their apprehension in learning from younger, less experienced colleagues, it was made popular by Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric back in the 1990s. At that time, the use of the Internet was becoming very prevalent and Jack Welch felt his management had much to learn, so he mandated that him, along with his top executives take on reverse mentors. Following Jack Welch’s example, several other senior executives have invited their younger colleagues to mentor them. The 2015 movie, The Intern, is a classic example of how the concept of reverse mentoring is catching up. The film depicts a septuagenarian taking up the role of an Intern at a Fashion start up where the majority of the population are millennial employees. He is assigned to work under the 30-something CEO. The film portrays how the septuagenarian’s experiences help the CEO and in turn the CEO teaches him about the current trends.

Organisations look at engaging in reverse mentoring programmes not as bridging the knowledge gap, but bridging the generation divide. This in turn ensures more collaboration between the two generations. While the idea behind reverse mentoring is to get senior executives on board with emerging trends, it is also a good way to get them to think differently and take into consideration its growing millennial employee population. Today every organisation is talking about innovation in every step of the way. A reverse mentoring partnership can be a good stepping stone towards innovation where the mentors help their senior mentees look at new and efficient ways of working.

Like any other partnership, there is a give and take in a reverse mentoring partnership as well. reverse mentoring can have huge impacts on organisations. While the senior executives learn about the latest trends from their young mentees, the millennials gain valuable insight and knowledge that their counterparts bring to the table following their decades of business experience. This results in both parties becoming more productive individually as well as strengthens the relationships between them to create more solid teamwork. The young mentor has an opportunity to learn more about the business and insider views on industry practices. At the organisation that I work, the CEO has been mentored by a millennial over the last 3 years. The CEO, in several of his recent blogs, has been talking about how this partnership has given him the chance to gain valuable insight into how the new generation thinks and works. This has allowed him to relook at his way of working and has also helped bring him closer to his employees. The mentor in turn has been learning from the CEO’s years of industry experience, which has been helping her take on more responsibilities, thus preparing her for leadership roles in the future. The partnership has also helped the mentor get inroads into the senior leadership at the company.

I recently read an article where auditing and consulting firm, Deloitte, shared their experience of reverse mentoring. The article talked about how in the early 2000s Deloitte was struggling to get its partners to embrace the power of the internet in business and look at new ways of doing business. Around the same time the company was also dealing with issues like war for talent and younger professionals demanding more time with company leaders. The team at Deloitte saw an opportunity here to pair up tech-savvy junior professionals with senior partners to resolve these issues. The pairs spent one-on-one time with each other where the partners learnt about newer technologies and the junior professionals learnt from their mentees’ experiences.

While doing some research on the topic, I came across a very different take on millennials. The authors of the article quoted the great German Philosopher, Immanuel Kant, in helping readers understand how to bridge the gap. Immanuel Kent said, “Immaturity is the incapacity to use one’s intelligence without the guidance of another”. According to the authors, if young people come across as immature, then older people need to help. Older executives should help millennials grow out of their immaturity. By engaging millennials in reverse mentoring relationships, senior executives essentially play a role in making the millennials more mature.

Another article I chanced upon spoke about another auditing and consulting firm, PwC’s different twist to the concept of reverse mentoring. While the teaching of new technologies, social media and current trends have been the main areas of focus for most reverse mentoring programmes, PwC made use of the concept to create a more inclusive leadership. The philosophy behind PwC’s initiative was if leaders were given the opportunity to see what life is like from other perspectives in the organisation, in particular of someone completely different from them, the those leaders would be more inclined to have emotional awareness. This exercise helped change PwC’s leaders’ behaviours and the way they led people, by becoming more inclusive in their behaviour and leadership style. The motivation behind launching this programme was to find a way to engage more women and ethnic minorities. As a result, younger / junior professionals from these two groups were targeted to serve as mentors. This is a very good example of an organisation taking into account the core issues they wanted to address and identifying people who embody those challenges within the organisation. The next step was to identify prospective mentors from the millennial population. PwC initially rolled out the programme at their offices in the UK, however, the success of the pilot led to it being replicated in other offices globally. By running this programme, PwC not only ensured more intergenerational collaboration, but also ensured diversity was being promoted within the organisation. It was no more left to the HR function to ensure diversity – in terms of gender balance and ethnic mix. The leaders, who participated in the programme, soon started talking about the importance of diversity and inclusion in case of recruitment, performance management and team building.  

While the concept brings about several benefits to the business, it is not always an easy programme to implement. One of the biggest challenges is the senior executives’ apprehension to learn from less experienced colleagues. To ensure a successful programme, it is important for leaders to have the right attitude about learning from somebody younger and less experienced because one can never stop growing and learning, no matter how prestigious their title is. In case of apprehension from senior executives, it is up to the CEO to set the tone at the top by becoming a mentee. The lyrics from Phil Collins’ ‘Son of Man’ resonate very well here – “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn”.

As more and more millennials enter the workforce, it is time more companies take note of the business benefits of reverse mentoring. Not only does it provide knowledge and guidance to older workers about emerging trends, but it is also a way to ensure more active collaboration between generations.

Employee Resource Groups – just another networking group or a think tank group that directly impacts business?

I recently attended an Employee Resource Group (ERG) Summit, where I had the opportunity to moderate one of the sessions. The theme of this Summit was ‘Maximising the Impact of ERGs in India’ and the speakers in the session I moderated shared their thoughts on ‘Launching an ERG’.

Employee Resource Groups are an important component of a company’s Diversity and Inclusion programme. An ERG is a group of employees who identify with others similar to themselves. This may include, but not restricted to, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, working parents, functional level, disability, veterans, etc. The group comes together and actively engages and gathers around a unifying mission. In most organisations, membership is voluntary and open to all employees. ERGs serve as internal communities, providing personal connections and affiliation for its members and with the organisation. The key mission of ERGs is to promote the well-being of the company and develop mutually beneficial relationships between its members and the organisation’s stakeholders. Previously known as “Affinity Networks” or “Employee Networks”, many organisations’ ERGs are now transitioning to becoming “Business Resource Groups”.

Enough has been said about organisations having groups for its women employees where they network with other women colleagues – often seen as a platform for women to crib about the lack of opportunities for them or another employee engagement initiative. While that is true to some extent, that is not all that ERGs do. Previously thought of as social outlets for race or gender based workplace communities, ERGs are now an important part of organisations that operate in an increasingly global marketplace. Over the years, the work of ERGs has gathered momentum by evolving from being grassroots networking efforts, into formalised business assets that affect workplace, workforce and marketplace results. ERGs are aimed at providing support, enhancing career development and contributing to personal development in the workplace. Potential employees trust and can relate to ERG members with whom they share affinities.

Although ERGs have been around for more than two decades, it is only now that Indian corporates are realising the importance of having these groups become part of the company fabric – something that was earlier perceived as just another directive from the parent company. Organisations in India are slowly realising ERGs assist in fostering an environment that excels in Diversity and Inclusion initiatives by serving as the common voice for employees who identify themselves with a particular diversity attribute. They enable organisations to increase employee engagement, connect to communities in which business is conducted and enhance the bottom line.

The transition from ERGs to BRGs reflects an increased business focus and ERGs can have an effect on several business areas, right from Product Development to Marketing to External Customers and Employees as Customers, from Government Relations and Policies and HR Policies and Benefits to Recruitment and Retention, from Professional Development to Global Development, from Community Outreach to Cultural Assimilation and Supplier Diversity.

So, how do these ERGs / BRGs benefit the business?

1. Talent Attraction – ERG members double up as recruiters by attending conferences and job fairs, promoting the company’s work and hosting networking events. Members of ERGs usually partner with potential employees who are within their area of affinity, thus serving as the voice of the organisation. Many organisations run special recruitment drives to target candidates from certain affinity groups, like women, military veteran or People with Disabilities. I have participated, along with our Disabilities ERG, in a few Job Fairs for People with Disabilities where my organisation has hired several people. During International Women’s Day in March, many Women’s Networks organise recruitment drives for women, where women are invited for interviews. Organisations also encourage their employees to refer candidates during such drives – an employee engagement strategy. 
2. Retention – when employees start feeling disconnected or they start thinking their careers have reached a stage where they feel their careers are stalled, ERGs can address these aspects and improve retention by offering development programmes or mentoring opportunities, thus helping employees realise their potential. One of the speakers at the aforementioned ERG Summit spoke about the Professional Development programmes they run for their women employees. These programmes include trainings and mentoring opportunities. She shared some statistics of women who took up senior roles after undergoing these trainings. It has been proven there are greater returns when organisations invest in their employees – productivity and retention levels are high, thus ensuring greater Returns on Investment. 
3. Talent Development – non-management employees often look to employee networks like ERGs to develop their leadership skills, an opportunity that might not always be available to them. As members of ERGs, all employees play on an even field, thus giving each member an equal opportunity to hone their leadership skills. ERGs are considered one of the best sources to identify leadership talent and nurturing it. Leadership opportunities in an informal setting like Employee Networks go a long way in preparing employees to take up new roles in their careers. Some speakers shared how their organisations consider contribution to an ERG when assessing their employees’ performance. Another speaker in my session, a fresh graduate when he joined his current organisation, shared how he launched the Indian Chapter of their global LGBT Network. He started this chapter as a platform for him to come out to his colleagues and provide others in the organisation and opportunity to come out, if they hadn’t already. Today, this gentleman, in addition to his day job, also leads this LGBT Network. This is a classic example of how an ERG has played a role in helping him bringing his whole self to work and showcase his leadership skills. Listening to this gentleman talk about his organisation supporting him when wanting to do something in a sensitive area like LGBT Inclusion was proof of the importance ERGs have gained over the years, even at the Indian workplace. 
4. Market Outreach – Organisations that are consumer-facing, count on ERGs because they serve as vital focus groups and innovators in terms of products, product placement and understanding the marketplace. These groups can help organisations in reaching customers in untapped or underserved markets. Several organisations today look to their ERGs focusing on generations when developing new products or services. These groups have the know-how of the current market trends. 

Now, more than ever, organisations are leaning on their internal employee networks to succeed in the marketplace. They are looking to solidify the value proposition of ERGs and work towards understanding how these groups can facilitate innovation. As mentioned above, ERGs have been around for more than two decades, but much work still remains in capitalising on the true power of ERGs. The true power of any ERG depends on a company’s business goals, where leadership must look at ERGs beyond networking platform to a strategic resource. As companies around the globe work towards integrating its multigenerational workforce in ethnically diverse markets, those that realise the value of their ERGs will be best positioned for success by using them for the business advantage they provide.

Art of pronouncing words incorrectly- confidently! (Part 3)

After publishing a few posts on some very serious topics, it’s time for a light-hearted post. Here comes the 3^rd edition of my personal favourite – Art of pronouncing words incorrectly – confidently!

As I get acquainted with new people every day, I also get acquainted with new words and phrases used by these people.

So, I met someone yesterday who was very excited about the recently concluded Euro Cup. We were casually talking about the results of the game and there goes my friend, “It was such a gripping match. I was literally on tenderhooks.” As expected, I have no idea what this person said after that. I was only visualising him hanging on “tender” hooks. Little background: The correct usage is “To be on tenterhooks”. This simply means to be waiting in anticipation of what is to happen in a tense situation. Literally, a tenter is a wooden frame used to hang newly woven woolen cloth in order to prevent it from shrinking as it dries. The tenterhooks, obviously, are the hooks on the tenter used to hold the cloth in place. The figurative sense, which developed in the late 18th or early 19th century, comes from the fact that cloth hung on tenterhooks is tense and stretched. Those adjectives might also describe the mental state of someone in anxious suspense over something. (Source: http://grammarist.com/)

Moving on, still reeling from the shock, it was time for another. This one came from a conversation between two girls that I overheard:

Girl 1: I have news to share... I am getting married!

Girl 2: Oh wow! Congratulations!!! Who is the lucky boy?

Girl 1: His name is … He works in … company. Here’s a picture of him.

Girl 2: My God! He is very good looking and looks very heighted.

This last statement piqued my interest. HEIGHTED??? Did she mean he was tall? Gosh! What’s with them people!

Anyway, here are some more words I have picked up since the last edition.

When someone leaves a place stealthily, please DO NOT say “They snuck out”. Although it might be sound like the correct past tense, it is not! Let’s stick to “sneaked out”, please.

Did you know there is a shopping mall just “acrossed” the road from my workplace? Please, let’s just keep the paths of “across” and “cross” from crossing.

I often come across people who are interviewing “cannidates” for positions in their teams. I am always left wondering how these people, who don’t even know how to pronounce the word properly, are fit to conduct interviews. Do these things just not matter anymore, “expecially” in organisations where employees deal with people from all over the world!

This next one can easily pass off as the correct pronunciation, unless there is a pesky Grammar Nazi around. The word “relevant” is often mispronounced as “revelant”. Let’s give people the benefit of the doubt and let it pass as a slip of tongue or is it tongue of slip!?  

Now comes the one that really annoys me. I have no idea why people call a photograph “pitcher” instead of “picture”. A pitcher is a serving jug / jar with a handle…

I had to save the best for last:

I am happy to discuss more over a pitcher of beer!   

Is Diversity a Business Imperative?

As a Diversity and Inclusion Practioner, I am often asked what ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ means and what my work entails. I usually have a standard answer, “We look at hiring people from various backgrounds – gender / ethnicity / physical ability / sexual orientation / age et al – experiences and perspectives. We also work towards building an environment where everyone feels included and empowered to contribute towards the overall success of the business.”

After my little “gyan”, I then get asked isn’t workplace diversity a virtuous business effort like CSR or employee wellbeing – the right thing to do! By this point my patience is usually wearing thin. The problem is this “right thing to do” is never at the top of the agenda in the boardroom. There are too many other pressing matters that need to be taken care of, rather than moving the focus to issues that are beyond hard-core operations.

However, it is only now that organisations feel the need to look at workplace diversity as an imperative to improve the bottom line. Having clearly defined strategic goals and targets around diversity will have a direct link to quantifiable business results.

One would think in the Indian workplace, Diversity and Inclusion would be looked at from a different lens and not just another initiative that we have to implement because of a mandate from our western parents. India is arguably one of the most diverse countries in the world, with as many as 22 official languages, 29 states – each with its distinct traditions and cultures, from a population rich with diverse religious faiths, customs to attire. India has long embraced this diversity and the principles of ‘equal opportunity’ and ‘inclusion’ are 2 pillars of the Indian Constitution.

Diversity and Inclusion is an issue that India as a society has struggled with for a long time. Many feel there is a large gap between the aspirations of the Constitution makers and reality. The legacy of the caste system and a growing divide between urban and rural areas mean gross inequalities exist in terms of access to opportunities – education, employment, health and wealth. At the same time, deeply entrenched cultural beliefs – like the role of women in the society or the inclusion of People with Disabilities – have prevented huge sections of the population from contributing towards the nation’s holistic social and economic development.   

Over the last decade, the topic of diversity has attracted increasing attention of the Indian corporate sector. Recognising the business case for diversity, large multinational companies, with expanding operations in India, have been keen to explore how to apply and adapt their global diversity principles to their local businesses in India. Indian companies too are taking interest in this topic. Keen to compete on the global stage, leading local organisations are looking to up their game when it comes to embracing different perspectives and harnessing the contribution of all to drive business success. In addition to this, changing dynamics in India – rural to urban migration, growth and influence of the younger generation etc. – are providing impetus for Indian companies to put diversity and inclusion on their corporate agenda.

The directive of the new Companies Bill of 2013 has further put light on the role companies have to play towards supporting the communities in which they operate and ensuring greater inclusion of the most disadvantaged in the society. Having at least one woman director on board or developing skills of people in marginalised communities are two aspects of the Bill. Although forecasts estimate the gender gap won’t close until 2133, many companies are taking significant steps towards building a workplace that is devoid of unconscious bias prejudice in hiring and promotion.

So, why are companies finally starting to realise diversity is no longer a “programme” to be managed but a business imperative? What’s making companies move from looking at diversity as compliance to a business strategy? Let’s examine some reasons:

• Access to top talent and clients: By looking at a diverse slate when hiring, companies will have the opportunity to recruit top talent from a globally diverse marketplace. In order to become an employer of choice, thus being able to attract the best people, a company has to ensure it showcases diversity across all levels. In today’s increasingly transparent world, when prospective employees and clients do their research, they want to get feeling of “fitting” in to the work environment.

• Employee Engagement: Employees will feel valued when their contributions will have an equal opportunity to develop. An environment where employees can thrive as individuals or as members of a team can be a big boost to motivation and productivity.

• Talent Retention: An environment where employees feel accepted, valued and challenged is somewhere they would likely stay longer at. Retaining and developing its talent is an opportunity for a business to grow and also reducing staff turnover. 

• Diversity of thinking and collaboration: When organisations broaden their understanding of diversity to focus on, in addition to, gender, race, age and physical ability, diversity of thinking. This means getting value out of people’s different perspectives and different ways of reaching solutions. In this increasingly complex global world, looking at diversity from this angle will help an organisation see value and take cognizance of risks associated with homogeneity. Diverse teams are more innovative and will perform at higher levels.

• Company Reputation: A company that promotes workplace diversity and inclusion will be more favourable for businesses as well as customers. A company’s reputation plays an important role in its success – a company with a strong programme for hiring diverse talent, recognition and acceptance can improve internal and external stakeholder relations. A diverse workforce will ensure opportunities to create a diverse customer base.

Although diversity at the workplace is a wonderful thing, it also challenges many of today’s business leaders. For managers and team members, it can be difficult to navigate in a truly diverse workplace made up of people of different cultures, races, creeds, body types, hobbies, genders, religions, styles and sexual orientation. But understanding cultural and social differences is a major key to a high-performing, merit based work environment. In the global marketplace, it is important than ever that we understand and are conscious of our differences to work together effectively. We all bring our conscious beliefs and personal narratives about who we are and who others are with us to work and, with diversity in place, we can no longer ignore them. Truly effective leaders cannot pretend that we are all the same or that our preferences and preconceptions don’t exist.

Legislation can lead to a surface oriented diversity, wherein the numbers look good on paper, but the culture remains unchanged – what matters is results! In such an environment, the only change takes place within the minority individuals, who may likely “adopt the behaviour and attitudes of the existing organizational culture”. Improving diversity “in a statistically objective sense” matters, but leaders must also elevate an organization’s internal “perception of diversity”.

Diversity is not a recruitment campaign, but a strategy where high performing organisations recognize that having a diverse workforce doesn't only meet compliance targets, but allows them to tap into diverse perspectives and approaches employees bring into the workplace, which eventually leads to solving complex and challenging business issues. While many organisations are taking note of the importance of having a diverse workforce, many others are still at early stages of the journey in understanding that diversity is a business strategy. 

Brexit – moment of caution for millennials!

The recent referendum where the United Kingdom voted to ‘Leave’ the 28 member European Union has sparked off debate all over the world, leaving people divided in their views on the repercussions of the vote on world economy. With a surge in public fear of immigration, the referendum was a close call with 51.9% in favour of Britain’s exit, or more popularly known as Brexit. This means an entire country’s future was determined by a difference of less than 4 percentage points, completely changing life of the 100% of the people who live in it. The referendum has exposed something approaching an intergenerational war of ideas – an issue that requires urgent attention.

As results of the referendum were still coming in, the British economy plummeted to a 31-year low, in turn showing its effects on other world economies. The vote also resulted in the British Prime Minister, David Cameron stepping down. David Cameron had fought hard for the United Kingdom to remain within the European Union, however, his long drawn battle came to an end on 24^th June, 2016. 

Traditionally, middle class baby boomers have been the ones to vote because of a sense of civic duty and because they have seen voting as the right thing to do. However, studies from the recent referendum have shown that a majority of those who voted for the United Kingdom’s exit, were older, white, working class Britons – 60% of who were in the 65+ age group, while 75% of Britons in the age group of 18-24 voted for the country to stay within the European Union.

A number of young Britons took to social media to voice their disapproval of the results – a future unacceptable to the younger generation, decided by a generation whose vast majority of people won’t be alive long enough. A common reasoning doing the rounds is that the world has moved in a way the older, working class people with no education is not comfortable with and does not consent to and this was their way of showing their displeasure towards the government.

With the results going in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, sentiments of Xenophobia and ‘Euroskeptism’ are prevalent. By keeping migrants out and the British in, the United Kingdom is clearly heading towards crushing the future generations’ freedom to live, work, travel and study in 27 other countries. While the rest of the world is talking about mobility and globalisation, the result of this referendum will only limit mobility and could also hamper the youths’ contribution towards global issues and making connections with other cultures, which in turn can lead to anti-intellectualism. Millennials understand diversity fosters innovation and economic progress, therefore, they realised the significance of staying within the European Union, however, the result of the referendum will leave little scope for that.      

Once the United Kingdom officially exits the European Union, tuition fees are likely to increase drastically. With the current fee structure being the same for British and other European Union students, students from other European Union member countries are in large numbers in the United Kingdom. If fees for European Union students go up, universities in the United Kingdom will see a significant drop in enrolment, making education more expensive for local British students.    

According to Grant Woodward, a Yorkshire Post columnist, “Brexit will come to be seen as the Baby Boomers’ ultimate betrayal of younger generations and those that will follow. A knee-jerk response to a series of red herrings, a protest vote with the potential for long-term catastrophe that they won’t be around to endure”

After the United Kingdom exits the European Union, there is fear of Scotland and Northern Ireland wanting to leave the United Kingdom in order to stay within the European Union. This could result in the British economy suffering another blow – a case of united we fall, divided we fall down further?

The next big event that will have a significant effect on world politics is the Presidential election in the United States of America later this year. The run up to the election is being widely covered by international media, with there being 2 very distinct camps set up. With the recent British referendum resulting in huge outrage amongst the youth, this is a shout out to millennials in other parts of the world to get up and vote for their nations. In today’s globalised and technologically advanced world, the millennials are very politically aware and have well rounded opinions about world politics, however, when it came to voting, the older generation beat them to it. If the results of the British referendum are not taken seriously, young Americans are at risk of treading the same path of allowing someone else to determine their future. As opposed to the youths’ participation in the British referendum, the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in India saw several first time Generation Y voters. A growing discontent amongst the youth was a major reason for people to step out and vote for change. The United States of America is facing a similar situation where citizens need a fundamental change in leadership that comes in with fresh ideas.

With education and worldly knowledge to reckon with, millennials are well poised to decide on their future, albeit by stepping out and casting their vote. If, like in the British referendum, the youth fails to go out in large numbers, they will end up being reluctant heirs of a nation they did not envision. 

Talent Mobility and the Millennial Generation

In today’s highly globalised world, workers around the world are constantly seeking opportunities to relocate in order to develop their careers. Companies are also investing in moving their talent to other locations. This is known as ‘Talent Mobility’. Simply put, Talent Mobility is the movement of talent to where it is needed the most. It is about making the pivotal talent a corporate asset and making it available for the most critical business initiatives while taking into account the career interests of the employee. Talent Mobility is a strategic initiative that helps companies to optimally leverage their organisational talent pool to fuel business growth. It enables organisations to help build skills in the areas that matter most to their business organisations. 

In 2010, PwC released a report, ‘Talent Mobility: 2020 – The next generation of international assignments. This report was based on trend data regarding international assignments for 900 companies, population data and the opinions of both, CEOs and workers around the world. The study revealed that over the coming years, businesses will have an increasing need to deploy their talent across the world. Not only will the number of international assignments increase, but the general spread of assignments throughout the globe will also show a significant increase, with there being a greater emphasis on new and emerging markets.

The report states the business world is in the midst of fundamental change and in the next decade, the ability of organisations to manage their global talent efficiently will mark the difference between success and failure. According to the report, we are living in a world where the best and brightest talent are prepared to follow their own agenda and opportunities, wherever they may be, irrespective of who is offering them.

While enough is being written about Talent Mobility and how it benefits organisations, I feel the need to explore this topic from employees’ perspective, especially the millennial generation. In this piece, I will discuss the importance of international assignments for millennials – the newest entrants in the workforce.

With training and development fast becoming one of the most valued employer benefits, millennials regard international assignments as a crucial part of their personal development. Opportunities that come in early on in the career are favourable, since this is when employees have fewer responsibilities and have the capacity to move out for work purposes. According to PwC’s report, “The millennial generation is leading the way and many employers have already modified their global talent strategy specifically to appeal to this growing section of the workforce. Some organisations are offering international experience to new recruits straight out of college, and one company PwC is working with has tailored its international assignment strategy to millennials by making overseas’ assignments available earlier, before they have family ties, and for shorter periods.” 

A formal international assignments programme / policy results in a win-win situation, both for employees, as well as their employers. Employees benefit by gaining international experience, growing personally and professionally, thus enhancing promotion aspects. This is where employees get their maximum career acceleration. Employers, on the other hand benefit by expanding the distribution of knowledge and skills and promoting global culture.

The report further states, “The opportunity to travel and gather new skills and experience is a strong incentive for this generation and many employers are harnessing in their efforts to attract and retain the best. Millennials have a strong appetite for working abroad; 71% of those questioned at the end of 2011 said they wanted, and expected, an overseas assignment during their career”.

According to the Ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs’ annual report of 2012-13, more than 28 million Indians live and work abroad, and that number looks set to rise even further. So, why this rise? The world has become more accessible – with advancement in technology and the way we travel – millennials are keen on cashing in on this opportunity. As compared to previous generations, millennials are considered to be more flexible about moving out – wherever they see a better opportunity.

Given the increasing emphasis on studying the Liberal Arts, millennials from emerging markets feel opportunities abroad help them find roles that are more meaningful and a better match to their area of study or interest. 

The millennial generation gives more importance to fulfilment and happiness, thus giving higher importance to work-life integration. To help in this, they are willing to hop jobs at greater frequency and are ready to try out different roles and workplaces, while enhancing their knowledge and gaining more skills. Working abroad offers a diversity of opportunities that lets employees experiment to find the right skills required to jumpstart a successful career. The graph below highlights the number of employers millennials are ready to have in their careers.

It has often been said the millennial generation is the most privileged generation because they grew up in a period of rapid technological advancement. Given the ease in travelling around, many have already travelled around the world during their growing up years, thus giving them a glimpse into other cultures. After entering the workforce, these groups of people are only too happy to take up assignments in other locations, which give them the opportunity to further explore other cultures.   

An opportunity for an international assignment, especially to the company’s headquarters, brings employees closer to heads of businesses, thus giving them a deeper insight into the company’s vision. This is especially motivating for someone who has entered the workforce recently.

As someone who has recently entered the workforce, these individuals are still finding their feet. An international assignment at this stage helps them understand the workings of the business world and also opens up more avenues for them, in turn helping them understand their true calling. 

A long term international assignment is often favourable for employees across the globe. As a standard operating procedure, companies have well defined travel policies. Employees travelling on long term assignments receive allowances in addition to their regular salaries. This allows employees to save better, which helps them build their future.      

It is becoming increasingly evident, Talent Mobility, or more specifically, Global Mobility, is a strategic initiative that organisations cannot ignore. A clearly designed global mobility programme can capitalise on the skills that employees gain on the job through training and experience, thus increasing employees’ value to the organisation as well as in the marketplace. On the other hand, employees have a chance for a new role within their existing jobs, which will ensure they stay challenged, engaged and committed.  

Chakravyuh

I recently had an opportunity to watch Atul Satya Koushik’s popular play, Chakravyuh. The production was staging their 40^th show – their first in Pune. The biggest crowd puller was Nitish Bharadwaj reviving his cult role of Lord Krishna from the Mahabharat. Having watched B.R Chopra’s tele-series as a child in the 1990s, I had a fair idea of the epic drama and the oft discussed ‘Chakravyuh’ episode.

When I came across an advert for the play to be staged in Pune, I was very keen on seeing how something that was written thousands of years ago could be relevant today. As is my habit, I did a bit of research around this famed episode to brush up my knowledge so as to not ask silly questions in the middle of the play. This was the first time I was watching a full-fledged Hindi play, or as the director called it, Hindustani.

The play opens with Lord Krishna’s soliloquy where he expresses his grief over the war wrecked earth. One gets to hear some hard hitting dialogue here, where a disheartened Lord Krishna is questioning the mother earth over her thirst to drink her people’s blood. Lord Krishna’s melancholic monologue here sets the tone for the rest of the play, describing the 18 days of the Battle of Kurukshtra, where he goes on to lament the bloodbath and numerous losses.  

The premise of the play revolves around the deadly war scene where Abhimanyu, Arjun’s son, agreed to enter the complex multi-tier defensive formation devised by Dronacharya. The play reveals the outcome of the confrontation between Abhimanyu, alone, against the Kauravas.

Back story – Dronacharya devised several military formations and these were studied by the Pandavas and the Kauravas. During the Battle of Kurukshetra, Duryodhan accused Dronacharya of harbouring sympathy for the Pandavas. In response, Dronacharya assured him that he would devise a strategy to keep Arjun busy on another warfront and form a ‘Chakravyuh’ – complex web – for the rest of the Pandavas. With Arjun far away, the Kauravas challenged the Pandavas to combat Dronacharya’s Chakravyuh. Only Lord Krishna, Arjun, Abhimanyu and Pradnyuma possessed the ability to penetrate the Chakravyuh. At this point, Abhimanyu, a mere 16 year old son of Arjun, offered to enter the Chakravyuh to defeat the Kauravas. He claimed to have learnt the war strategy while in his mother’s womb when Arjun had narrated it to her. However, Abhimanyu’s mother, Subhadra fell asleep when Arjun narrated to her the escape method, thus leading to Abhimanyu having never learnt how to escape the formation. With Yudhishter at the helm, Abhimanyu convinced him to allow him to enter the Chakravyuh. Yudhishter formulated a plan that the Pandavas would enter the Chakravyuh after Abhimanyu and shatter it from within. However, as soon as Abhimanyu entered, Jayadrath stopped the four Pandavas from entering the Chakravyuh. 

Director Atul Satya Koushik used an interesting drama technique here where the entire episode and the outcome of the confrontation are narrated through a flashback in the course of an interaction between Yudhishter and Bhishma Pitama, with Bhisma Pitama mournful of the happenings in his kingdom. Yudhishter, on the other hand, finds himself in a very difficult situation where he has to deliver the message of Abhimanyu’s death to Arjun. During this 

The battle scene is noteworthy for the display of martial skills by the performers. They brought the battle alive in front of the audience’s eyes. The use of offstage vocal and instrumental music reinforced the mood of the scenes. It is evident lot of thought went into making the production visually appealing for today’s technologically savvy audience, while at the same time sticking to era the story is set in. To highlight vital scenes and keep the audience engaged, the director made use of smoke with lighting effects. Yudhishter’s dilemma over allowing Abhimanyu to enter the Chakravyuh, in Arjun and Lord Krishna’s absence, is portrayed very well in this scene.     

The next scene – the play’s climax – marked the re-entry of Lord Krishna. In this scene, the mood of the play changes from fast-paced action to one of reflection. It depicts the sorrow of a wife who has lost her husband and is now uncertain of her unborn child’s future; a mother who is unsure whether to cry for her son or be proud of his heroism and a dejected father who wants to mourn, while at the same time avenge his son’s death. The background music in this scene will remind one of music from some Hindi classics, where a distinctive tune was used to depict grief. At this point, Lord Krishna appears on the scene with his characteristic iconic smile – kudos to Nitish Bharadwaj here for transporting us back to the B R Chopra magnum opus. He encourages Abhimanyu’s widow to have courage and discover the Purush within her and gear up to look after her unborn offspring. Lord Krishna’s words here hold true even today. He makes the characters as well as the audience understand every human being, including God (referring to himself), is entrapped in a kind of Chakravyuh. We are ourselves responsible for forming or breaking this web.

In a fit of rage, Arjun vowed to be at peace only after killing Jayadrath the very next day by sunset, and failing to do so, would commit suicide by self-immolation immediately. At this point, deviating from what actually happened, Lord Krishna stops Krishna stops Arjun from declaring his pledge, explaining him and in turn the audience how the human race pledges something or the other all time, which eventually comes in the way of what they want to achieve. He refers to Bhima’s vow to kill Duryodhan, which stopped Abhimanyu from doing the deed inside the Chakravyuh, thus leading to his own death. I am sure Lord Krishna’s concluding remarks will be etched in the audience’s minds for a long time. 

Millennials view diversity differently

As a Diversity and Inclusion proponent, I am very clear in my mind what this means to me. And to add to it, that happens to be my professional endeavour as well. However, I often meet people who struggle to understand what exactly I do. When I go on to explain what I do, I get varied responses, depending on the age group I am talking to.

For ease of understanding, let’s first look at the age groups I usually interact with:

Baby Boomers

Born between 1946 and 1964, Baby Boomers are predominately in their 40s and 50s. They are well-established in their careers and hold positions of power and authority. The majority of this demographic is preparing to retire.

Generation X

Members of Generation X are defined as being born between 1965 and the late 1970s. Bounded by two large generational groups, Generation X is one of the smallest. The oldest members of this generation have entered into management roles in the workforce and more will do so in the coming years, as increasing numbers of Baby Boomers retire.

Generation Y

Generation Y, also known as Millennials, were born between the late 1970s and the late 1990s. This is the newest group to enter the workforce, with many of its members holding entry-level positions.

For Baby Boomers or Generation Xers, diversity is a representation of equity, fairness and protection to all, regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Inclusion for them is the business environment that integrates individuals of all these demographics into one workplace. They look at it as a moral and legal imperative for their employers.

While I understand this point of view, as a millennial, I feel and know that I am wired differently. The above explanations of diversity and inclusion still hold true, however, in today’s world, I feel they are a little inadequate. I view diversity as the blending of different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives within a team or an organisation as a whole. Inclusion for me is an opportunity to work in a collaborative environment that values my participation and respects my ideas and perspectives.    

Why a post on this topic one might wonder. Over the past few months I have been grappling with this thought, wondering whether there was something erroneous in my thinking. Given that most organisations view diversity through the lens of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation etc., I was often left pondering over whether my understanding of the topic was wrong – a classic example being, I have never had any significant awkwardness in being a lady in a man’s world, therefore discussions around gender diversity don’t always resonate with me with the intensity they do with those from older generations.

However, then came a breather in the form of a study by Deloitte and the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative in early 2015. The study, "The Radical Transformation of Diversity and Inclusion: The Millennial Influence", looked at how different generations view diversity and inclusion at work. It surveyed 3726 individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, asking them 62 questions about diversity and inclusion. The results of the survey show a wide gap between the Baby Boomer and Generation X respondents and those from millennials.

According to the study, “Millennials are unique in viewing cognitive diversity as essential for an inclusive culture that supports engagement, empowerment and authenticity and they are rejecting current programmes and frameworks organisations are using today to foster inclusiveness. Instead, millennials value inclusion as a critical tool that enables business competitiveness and growth, and as millennials flood leadership ranks, their perspectives will demand a shift in traditional diversity and inclusion models”. The study further states, millennials who will comprise as much as 75% of the workforce by 2025, believe inclusion is “the support for a collaborative environment that values open participation from individuals with different ideas and perspectives and the unique factors that contribute to their personalities and behaviours, which is in stark contrast to prior generations who traditionally consider it from the perspectives of representation and assimilation”.

This study has highlighted some interesting facts:

• 83% of millennials say they are actively engaged when they believe their organization fosters an inclusive culture, while only 60% of millennials say they are actively engaged when their organization does not.
• When defining diversity, millennials are 35 percent more likely to focus on unique experiences, whereas 21 percent of non-millennials are more likely to focus on representation.
• When asked about the business impact of diversity, millennials are 71 percent more likely to focus on teamwork compared with 28 percent of non-millennials who are focused on fairness of opportunity.
• Millennials are 33 percent more likely to disagree with the statement that their "work has an impact on the organization."
• 74% percent of millennials believe that when a corporate culture appreciates diversity of thought, ideas and perspectives, their organization fosters innovation. Without that inclusive climate, only 10% thought so.

In today’s corporate scene when many organisations are talking about innovation, the above point becomes very important. A diversity of thought, ideas and perspectives leads to higher levels of engagement, thus fostering a culture of innovation. It won’t be wrong to say collaboration and a culture that fosters teamwork drive innovation.

At my workplace I have the opportunity to interact with new joiners during their training. More than 50% of these are millennials – either fresh graduates or in early stages of their careers. Through these interactions I try to understand their thoughts on this topic. Most of the times, people  come up with words like ‘differences’, ‘gender diversity’, ‘different cultures’ etc. My theory behind this is that people often come up with something just to get over with it or reiterate some of the ready made thoughts they may have picked-up through their earlier interactions with relevant folks, however, there are sometimes a few participants who come up with something like ‘experiences’, ‘backgrounds’, ‘engagement’ etc. This is what gives me an indication that my thinking isn’t entirely off beam and there are others like me who are looking to work in an environment that gives emphasis to collaboration, opinion sharing a la freedom of expression, respecting identities and engagement.

Teamwork, collaboration and innovation are important elements of success – both individually and organisationally. As the study points out, “Millennials believe that programs aimed at diversity and inclusion should focus on improved business opportunities and outcomes as a result of the acceptance of this diversity – individuality, collaboration, teamwork and innovation. Millennials see inclusion as vital to business success and believe a variety (and diversity) of viewpoints are critical to engagement, empowerment, business growth and competitiveness”.  

In conclusion I would say I am able to work to my highest potential in a diverse culture that is defined by thoughts, ideas and perspectives – an ideal environment for me to flourish and I know I’m fairly representing the millennials here!

Source:

• The Radical Transformation of Diversity and Inclusion: The Millennial Influence – Deloitte University, The Leadership Center for Inclusion and Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative