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Creating a compassionate workplace starts at the top. In this B-Side听episode, Vidya Srinivasan, vice president for Procter and Gamble鈥檚 Manila Global Business Services and Global External Reporting, explains to听大象传媒听reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how the multinational corporation embraces diversity and inclusion.
TAKEAWAYS
Leadership sets the tone.听
It鈥檚 the leadership that determines how compassionate and empathetic听a workplace is.
鈥淭he leadership sets the tone… The tone at the top will tremendously help push programs,鈥 said Ms. Srinivasan.
To foster an inclusive and supportive atmosphere, P&G has affinity networks 鈥 which connect employees based on similar interests or diversity aspects 鈥 such as GABLE (which stands for Gay, Ally, Bisexual, Lesbian, and Transgender Employees).
Its 鈥淪hare the Care鈥 policy, meanwhile, grants new parents at least eight weeks of fully paid leave (compared to the seven days of paternal leave mandated in the Philippines).
These efforts would be difficult to implement without the support of P&G鈥檚 top brass.
Mentors pave the way for future leaders.听
To grow, employees should seek out mentors as Ms. Srinivasan did.听 Mentorship need not have a formal structure,听 she added.
鈥淵ou can tap someone鈥檚 shoulder and ask, 鈥楥an you be my mentor?鈥 Informal networking also helps a lot.鈥
Compassion is quantifiable through feedback.听
To gauge if its programs and policies are working, P&G conducts annual surveys.
鈥淔eedback 鈥 defines the action plan,鈥 said Ms. Srinivasan.
These surveys helped P&G 鈥渨alk the talk鈥 in closing the gender ratio gap which led to P&G being named Champion for the Gender Inclusive Workplace category in the 2021 UNWEP (United Nation’s Women鈥檚 Empowerment Principles) Awards.听听of 53% female and 47% male. In the senior management levels, the numbers are 54% female, 46% male.
Work-life balance solutions have to be flexible.
The aforementioned 鈥淪hare the Care鈥 policy also allows for flexibility: a parent chooses how to spend those eight weeks of parental leave 鈥 whether in a single go, or spread out 鈥 depending on their situation.
鈥淸Flexibility] empowers our employees to be in the driver鈥檚 seat and drive balance in their lives,鈥 said Ms. Srinivasan.
Situational mentoring sessions also acknowledge that each employee is unique.
To address traditional biases, include men in the conversation.听
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have this journey with only half the people,鈥 Ms.听Srinivasan听pointed out.
P&G was able to turn their male employees into allies by facilitating workshop sessions, which turned into dialogues, and, eventually, action plans.
鈥淭here were many a-ha moments, as everyone started seeing from a different set of eyes,鈥 Ms. Srinivasan said. 鈥淎cknowledgement is the first step.鈥
Recorded remotely in March 2022. Produced by Earl R. Lagundino and Sam L. Marcelo.
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