Workplaces: Is it a man's world?

Palak Bhatia discusses the dynamics of workplaces with a male majority and the need for a balanced gender ratio

Organisations today recognise the importance of diversification of their workforces. Be it age, race, religion or geography, companies today try to accommodate skilled employees from all strata in their human resources. One of the most vital factors in this diversification process is gender. Unbalanced gender ratios often foster an environment in which the majority is unreceptive to the ideas and work of the minority. It is therefore, advised that a healthy equilibrium between the genders is essential at workplaces.

When the workplace of a male professional has much lesser number of female employees, it subtly plays with his mentality that women are maybe lesser talented.

As a result, males come to feel that it is a `man's job' and are less inclined to trust the work of women employees. Zafar Rais, CEO, MindShift Interactive, elaborates, "In a social context, if a man works around a large number of men and fewer women, he is definitely bound to think that capabilities differ depending on gender. This is mainly because he is not given a chance to explore or witness a woman's sense of work and progress. It impacts the team-working ability of both men and women if men do not trust women to do the work they are assigned for. If a man lives in a pretext that it is a `man's job', it's time to shift that way of thinking.

We have men and women doing the same work in our office, without ever having a bias towards either side. Organisations facing such a situation must work towards changing it through bonding exercises, highlighting strengths of men and women employees and ensuring the top managers aren't biased."

In contrast, when the office has a larger number of female employees, it makes male professionals more open to their opinions, brings a human touch and does not allow ego to come in the way. Sumithra Mathew, vice president and head HR of a real estate website, explains, "Perceptions of talent may vary based not only on numbers, but also on the role assigned and competence required for executing the role. Given that, women employees certainly bring in a different dimension to the workplace. Male professionals are beginning to recog nise this and companies that leverage this diversity stand to gain in the long run."

Hence, it is important to maintain a good gender ratio in organisations. Saba Adil, head talent, AEGON Religare Life Insurance, elaborates, "Good gender diversity is always healthy for an organisation as skills complement each other in a gender-balanced environment and is good for everyone. It allows companies to get the best talent in from an available talent pool and create a work atmosphere that is more inclusive, considers more viewpoints, perspectives and sharing of ideas, leading to more innovation, better solutions and hence better performance."

Hence, organisations must work towards improving their gender ratios so as to create a nurturing and productive atmosphere in the offices.

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