DRIVING THE DIVERSITY

Warrier - the vibrant HR leader

Warrier is a highly accomplished HR leader with a strong academic background and a diverse
range of experiences in the information technology (IT) industry. Her career progression in HR
allowed her to gain expertise in various aspects of HR, including recruitment, HR operations,
performance management, employee engagement, training and development, career
development, and payroll management. Her combination of knowledge, enthusiasm, and
exceptional people management skills propelled her into senior management positions.
In her role as the head of HR, Warrier became a trusted advisor to chief experience officers and
was well-regarded for her insights into people-related issues within organizations. She had a
passion for training and education, even teaching courses in business communication and
creative thinking during a brief academic stint. Warrier played a pivotal role in refining
organizational cultures across departments and companies, earning recognition and praise not
only within her organizations but also in HR circles throughout the city.
It was during one such HR event that she met Siddharth Kapoor, the CEO of Revital's India
division. Kapoor was impressed by Warrier's personality and her deep expertise in HR matters.
He had been searching for someone to lead employee engagement and drive change initiatives
within his organization. Recognizing Warrier as the ideal candidate for the role, he extended an
invitation for her to meet with the leadership team at Revital.
This sets the stage for a potential collaboration between Warrier and Revital as they explore the
possibility of her joining the organization to spearhead critical HR initiatives.

From FPL to Revital

The transition from FPL to Revital marked a significant chapter in the company's history:
FPL's Background:
Founded in the early 1990s, FPL initially focused on manufacturing bulk drugs.
Headquartered in Hyderabad, India, a key pharmaceutical hub in the country.
Steady growth over the years with 16 production units across India and over 16,000 employees.
FDA approval for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and marketing of medicines in India
and Africa.
Acquisition by Revital:
In 2015, Revital Incorporated, a U.S.-based pharmaceuticals company, acquired a controlling
stake in FPL.
The acquisition allowed Revital to expand its product categories and consolidate its supply
chain.
Revital became a global player with a leading position in APIs, tablets, capsules, and
injectables.
The company's turnover in India exceeded one billion USD in the subsequent year.
Leadership and Structure:
Revital India was led by CEO Kapoor, who reported to the global president.
The organizational structure was function-based, with all operational heads reporting to Kapoor.
The company had a presence in 18 locations in India, including manufacturing plants, R&D
centers, and shared services offices, as well as 6 plants in the Asia-Pacific, Middle Eastern, and
African regions.
Post-Acquisition Changes:
The initial years after the acquisition focused on streamlining operations, but there was limited
reorganization.
The company's name changed from FPL to Revital India, but many of the organization's
practices and culture remained unchanged.
FPL had a historical emphasis on efficiency and cost minimization, with centralized decision-
making and a multi-level hierarchy.
Future Growth Plans:
Kapoor recognized the need for organizational evolution as Revital India aimed for substantial
year-on-year growth.
The strategic plans set a target of 30 percent annual growth, necessitating changes in the
organization's structure and approach.
Kapoor sought to build a team to support the achievement of these ambitious growth objectives.
The case highlights the shift from a well-established, stability-oriented organization (FPL) to a
dynamic, growth-focused global player (Revital India) and the challenges and opportunities
associated with this transformation.

Warrier at Revital India

Acceptance of Offer:
Warrier, with a background in IT, management consulting, and academia, was intrigued by the
opportunity to work in the manufacturing sector.
After several meetings with senior HR team members and top executives, she accepted an offer
from Revital India and joined the 180-member-strong HR team in 2016.
Role as Cultural Ambassador:
Warrier's initial assignment was to be the company's cultural ambassador.
Both Kapoor and Warrier recognized the importance of fostering a positive work culture to
attract and retain top talent.
Warrier's responsibilities included using her leadership, communication, and problem-solving
skills to ensure a conducive work culture and manage employee expectations.
Challenges and Initial Efforts:
Warrier introduced various plans, such as open houses, town halls, team meetings, training
programs, and mentoring sessions, to promote a positive culture.
However, her enthusiastic approach was met with lukewarm responses from employees.
Employees did not respond to her morning greetings, and her efforts to engage and advise were
met with indifference.
Gender Dynamics:
Warrier faced challenges related to gender dynamics within the organization.
Despite her previous reputation as a warm and approachable leader, the company's employees
were not accustomed to a woman in a leadership position.
While women in certain roles were accepted, they were not accustomed to taking direction from
female leaders.
Lack of Mentors and Support:
Warrier missed having senior female leaders who could mentor or support her in the
organization.
The absence of other women in similar leadership roles contributed to her sense of isolation.
Discussion with Kapoor:
Warrier discussed her concerns with Kapoor, who acknowledged the issue of "acceptability"
within the organization.
Kapoor suggested a role change for Warrier, proposing that she take on the position of Head of
Talent Acquisition (TA).
In a functional role, Kapoor believed Warrier would have more influence and authority to drive
change within the organization.
Role Transition:
After careful consideration, Warrier accepted the role change, transitioning from the cultural
ambassador role to Head of Talent Acquisition.
This change was seen as a strategic move to empower Warrier and facilitate her efforts to bring
about organizational change and enhance the work culture.
Warrier's journey at Revital India reflects her commitment to driving positive change within the
organization, even in the face of initial challenges related to cultural acceptance and gender
dynamics. Her transition to the Head of Talent Acquisition role signifies her dedication to making
a meaningful impact on the company's future.
Head of TA
Warrier's role as the Head of Talent Acquisition (TA) at Revital India was a strategic move to
address diversity and enhance the organization's staffing process. Here are key points
regarding her observations and initial efforts:
Diversity and Gender Representation:
Warrier believed that the TA role was the right starting point to drive diversity within the
organization.
Revital India's gender ratio was skewed, with women making up only 10 percent of the
workforce and just 1 percent of senior management.
This gender imbalance was in line with industry averages, as reported by Mercer India, which
indicated that the pharmaceutical industry had an 11 percent female representation compared to
a 15 percent general industry average. In contrast, the IT sector, where Warrier had prior
experience, had higher female representation.
Understanding Staffing Process:
Warrier spent her initial weeks understanding the staffing process at Revital.
The typical process involved the TA team identifying staffing requirements, including the number
of vacancies across locations, functions, and organizational hierarchy.
The team collaborated with hiring managers to comprehensively understand position
requirements, team composition, expected deliverables, team structure, career paths, and hiring
deadlines. These details were documented as background notes.
Roles and Hiring Practices:
The TA team handled hiring requisitions for all Indian locations and the Asia-Pacific team on an
as-needed basis.
Positions included manufacturing, quality, shop-floor supervisors, R&D personnel, and various
support functions.
The team sourced candidates through various channels, including online job portals, social
media, and campus recruitment.
Suitable candidates were shortlisted based on their resumes and interviewed by technical
panels identified by the hiring department.
Final selection decisions were made by hiring managers.
Gender Imbalance in Hiring:
Warrier observed that all technical panels were composed entirely of male members, and
approximately 95 percent of shortlisted candidates were men.
The selection rates of women to men for certain positions ranged from 1:7 to 1:25, highlighting a
significant gender disparity.
While the staffing process appeared methodical, Warrier identified several areas with potential
for improvement.
Warrier's role as the Head of Talent Acquisition positioned her to address gender diversity
challenges within the organization's hiring practices. Her observations underscored the need for
proactive measures to enhance diversity and inclusion in the recruitment process.

Revamping the TA process

Warrier's efforts to revamp the Talent Acquisition (TA) process at Revital India involved
significant changes to promote diversity and inclusion within the organization:

Challenging Gender Bias:

During the hiring process for a senior R&D position, Warrier was confronted with a panel of
senior R&D officials, all male, and three male candidates.
Initially, it was suggested that she leave the room during the interviews, but Warrier firmly and
politely asserted her presence as part of the interview panel.
This led to discussions and debates within the organization about why a woman (HR) needed to
be part of senior-level technical interviews.
Some panel members saw HR as a support role responsible for coordination and not decision-
making.
Despite personal remarks and resistance, Warrier laid down guidelines and insisted on her
presence during senior-level interviews, breaking new ground in the organization.
Training and HR Involvement:
Training programs were introduced for interviewers to enhance their interviewing skills and
improve the selection process.
It was mandated that an HR representative be part of the interview panel for candidate
assessments, with their feedback considered in the final hiring decision.
Over time, the organization began to accept HR's role in the hiring process, even if somewhat
reluctantly initially.
Building a Talent Pipeline:
Warrier's team developed a candidate database to maintain a talent pipeline, especially for
critical positions with limited candidate availability.
The database contained potential candidate profiles and their current industry details.
Warrier and her team meticulously screened profiles and presented the best candidates to hiring
managers, streamlining the recruitment process and reducing costs and time.
Promoting Diversity:
Recognizing the need to push the diversity agenda, Warrier understood that the organization
had deeply rooted biases and stereotypes.
The patriarchal organization had biases such as "think manager, think male," and challenges
included addressing these biases through training programs.
Warrier aimed to improve the representation of women in entry-level positions as a starting point
to build a leadership pipeline.
Campus Recruitment for Gender Diversity:
Warrier saw the upcoming campus placements in 2017 as an opportunity to advance gender
diversity goals.
With the changes she had initiated over six months, she felt confident in increasing the
proportion of women hired, particularly through campus recruitment.
Warrier's proactive measures aimed at challenging biases, improving the role of HR in hiring,
building a talent pipeline, and promoting diversity marked a significant transformation in the
organization's approach to talent acquisition and diversity and inclusion. Her determination to
drive change was instrumental in reshaping the recruitment process at Revital India.

The campus season: Experiences and setbacks

Warrier's experiences during the campus recruitment process at Revital India shed light on the
challenges and biases faced in promoting gender diversity:

Campus Recruitment Context:

In 2017, Revital India aimed to recruit 200 fresh graduates from eight different academic
streams.
40 percent of the positions were for graduates, and 60 percent were for candidates with
postgraduate degrees.
Technical panelists were selected based on the campuses to be visited, academic streams, and
relevant business units.
While there were only three women among the 24 technical panelists, it marked an
improvement compared to previous years when these panels were entirely male-dominated.
The HR team, consisting of seven members, managed the entire recruitment process across
India, with three women among them.
Campus Visit and Selection Process:
During a campus visit at a premier institution, the recruitment process included a written
examination, student presentations on their final semester projects, and interviews.
After the two-day process, Warrier observed that the merit list included 11 women and 4 men.
Unexpected Resistance from Technical Panel:
Surprisingly, the technical panelists requested the complete list of students with detailed
evaluations and insisted on changing the selection to 11 men and 3 women.
Warrier expressed her dissatisfaction and accused the panel of chauvinism, discrimination, and
a disregard for meritocracy and fair play.
Gender Bias and Stereotypes Exposed:
The technical panelists defended their stance with arguments rooted in gender bias and
stereotypes.
They claimed that women would not be comfortable in hazardous lab environments, working
odd hours, or staying overnight.
Biases were also expressed regarding women's perceived inability to sustain a demanding work
environment, assuming they would soon prioritize marriage and family over their careers.
The panelists dismissed the idea of women employees as distractions and believed that only
men could adjust and work in various shifts without complications.
Warrier's Frustration and Kapoor's Response:
Warrier attempted to reason with the panel, emphasizing safety measures and the passion of
female students for their work.
Despite her efforts, the panel remained firm in their stance.
Warrier contacted Kapoor and informed him of the situation, seeking support and intervention.
Kapoor downplayed the issue, stating that the buy-in of business leaders was essential, and HR
could not push for a team that hiring managers were not convinced about.
Outcome and Disheartening Conclusion:
Exhausted and unable to overcome the panel's resistance, Warrier reluctantly accepted their
decision.
The HR team posted a list on the campus notice board that contained the names of 11 males
and 4 females, reflecting the panel's insistence.
Warrier's experience highlights the deeply ingrained biases and stereotypes that can hinder
gender diversity efforts, even in well-intentioned organizations. Her determination to challenge
these biases and her advocacy for meritocracy in recruitment faced significant obstacles within
the organization's technical panel. The outcome underscores the need for broader cultural
change and leadership support to promote gender diversity effectively.

The next step

Warrier's reflection on her experiences during campus placements revealed a mix of emotions,
but it also provided a glimmer of hope and determination to continue her efforts in promoting
diversity and inclusion within the organization. Here are her key takeaways and next steps:
Emotional Rollercoaster:
Warrier had experienced a range of emotions, including anger, frustration, and dejection, in
response to the resistance and biases encountered during campus placements.
Signs of Progress:
Despite the setbacks, Warrier found encouragement in the overall hiring reports.
The hiring rate of females from campuses had increased from 12 percent in the previous year to
20 percent.
This indicated progress, albeit gradual, in moving towards greater gender diversity.
Acknowledging the Challenge:
Warrier recognized that deeply entrenched beliefs and the existing company culture could not
be changed overnight.
Transforming the organization to embrace diversity and inclusion would be a long and
challenging journey.
Determination to Continue:
Despite the challenges, Warrier was determined to persevere in her mission to promote diversity
and inclusion.
She understood that this would be a long-drawn battle, but she was prepared to face it head-on.
Involving Kapoor:
Warrier recognized the need to involve Kapoor, the CEO, in driving the diversity and inclusion
agenda.
She believed that Kapoor's support and commitment were crucial to bringing about meaningful
change.
Planning for the Road Ahead:
Warrier decided to brainstorm ideas for the future, jotting down a roadmap for her efforts to
foster diversity and inclusion within the organization.
Warrier's commitment to the cause of diversity and inclusion, coupled with her willingness to
navigate the challenges, indicated her readiness to lead the organization towards a more
inclusive and diverse future. Her determination to involve top leadership, such as Kapoor,
demonstrated her strategic approach to the long-term journey ahead.