The unconscious or hidden biases are really problematic
Published on : Tuesday 08-03-2022
Shweta Berry, Director Marketing, Aeris Communications.
What was the inspiration that prompted you to pursue this career path?
Very early in my career, I realised that I am a ‘people-person’ who loves new challenges, cannot get a kick from a routine job, best suited for work which requires meeting new people, holding conversations and a creative bend of mind for problem solving. Having hands-on experience in teaching technology to making software solutions for enterprises, I realised that technology is going to be the future. I invested in training myself in the field of marketing, communications and international business which best suited my personality, while acquiring technical skills required on the job. I consciously chose to work for IT/technology companies where I could apply my acquired skill sets. However, it is the art of talking technology with a layman that inspires me the most to work as a specialist in Enterprise Technologies Marketing, Communications, Sales Enablement, Digital Marketer, and, as a Content Strategist.
Can you recall your early days – say the first few days at work – and anything you would like to mention about that?
I am technically born at NIIT Ltd – a GNIITian who was offered her first career break as an Executive – Education, at the NIIT South Ex-Part 1 Centre. This is special because it’s the same place I studied technology, and then, graduated to teach technology. This is the same place where I learnt how to do business development and market technology too!
For a woman, it is a matter of finding the right balance between the jobs and managing the home – how do you manage this?
Let me list down things that work for me, well most of the time!
i. Time Management with prioritisation of tasks – Yes, I make a ‘To-Do List’ for daily, weekly and monthly engagements. In addition to the work assignments and official meetings and travel schedules; I mark my ‘me-time’ and my ‘socialising-time’ too!
ii. Expectation Management – I shamelessly acknowledge that I am a human being who cannot keep everyone happy, and, like everyone else, has only 24 hours in a day! Hence, it’s best to under-commit and over-deliver than taking official targets or making commitments in personal life, which are just beyond practical reach.
iii. Delegation – there is always someone who can do a job better than me or is at the right place to get the job done. So, I trust people I work and live with, to fill-in my shoes when I cannot be omnipresent.
What challenges (or privileges) do women stereotypically face, based on their gender?
One dominant stereotype in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and Media & Entertainment fields, is that boys are better at numbers and analytical skills than girls. Women are seen as highly communal due to their traditional role of being the caregivers, nurturing, empathetic, and less competitive and lack independence. On the other hand, women who publicly communicate their work are likely to be stereotyped as ‘bitchy’ or ‘bossy’, often by other women!
It’s stereotypical of employers for not hiring women in certain industries due to their perceived role as mothers and wives. Many employers choose to hire, offer better compensation or promote a male candidate, assuming that a female candidate of a certain age range will leave work after marriage or when pregnant will take a long leave of absence. They believe that a woman cannot perform a certain duty as they are not as strong as men, or are just too emotional. However, there is another discriminating aspect too where women are perceived to be better equipped for a job because they are more sensitive than men, or because a woman is more sexually appealing.
65% of Indian women received a pay rise or bonus for taking on extra responsibilities or a new role compared to 70% of men (ADP's study 'People at Work 2021: A Global Workforce View'). The pandemic has hurt gender pay-gap in India further. Organisations with most women at the top can potentially deliver better performance and profits – ~50% higher than those organisations with the fewest, according to McKinsey analysis.
Have you ever missed a career opportunity or promotion due to gender?
Unfortunately, yes and not just once! I have realised that unless one is not vocal about work achievements and financial growth being a strong motivation for a woman, employers have a perception that it’s good enough to grant rewards and recognition to women employees rather than promotions and pay hikes. Why do we even need to compete on gender? Merit should only be the qualifying criteria for promotion and pay hikes.
Are workplaces today more sensitive to gender issues than say, a decade ago?
Women’s equal participation is vital to stability, helps prevent conflict, and promotes sustainable, inclusive development. Pandemic is a proof – Germany, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, Belgium, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Iceland are the countries highly applauded for putting an effective response to control and contain the pandemic; and they had one thing in common – female leadership.
I concur that we need equality today for a sustainable tomorrow. With constant awareness and vocalisation of not only women rights at the workplace but also active talks on diversity and inclusion, things will change for the better.
Which women's 'cause' needs to be challenged and changed, first?
Gender equality is essentially a question of power. Our world is still male-dominated with a male-dominated culture for ages. This needs to change first and at all costs! From highest positions in the governments to corporate board rooms to awards ceremonies, women are still invisible at the top table. Only 5% of Indian women executive chairs and 10% non-executive chairs exist today!
Worst is the fact that it’s not the conscious or explicit bias that primarily causes barriers and limits potential. The unconscious or hidden biases are really problematic. Companies risk losing the very leaders they need right now, and it’s hard to imagine organisations navigating the pandemic and building inclusive workplaces if this work isn’t truly prioritised.
Are there areas at work that still restrict women when it comes to leadership roles?
Women leaders face a couple of barriers starting from the structural ones which include lack of access to important informal networks for building relationships – sporting events or simple after-work drinks, smoke breaks – activities that are predominantly male bastion. Often, it’s assumed by men that a woman won’t take interest in informal networking events and omit females from the invitation list.
Next are the mind-set barriers which exist not only at the institutional and individual level, but also at the level of lifestyle choices. Institutional mind-sets, such as, women are less effective to the extent that the leader role is masculinised, and men are less effective when the role is feminised needs to be broken. Masculinisation of traits such as assertiveness, aggression, competitiveness, dominance, independence and self-reliance create a conflict for women when they attain leadership positions.
Individual mind-sets and lifestyle choices make women hold them back. Data depicts that most women do not pursue vice president, president or C-level positions for a myriad of reasons, including socialisation pressures, lack of confidence, risk aversion, valuing work-life balance, family choices, breadwinner/caregiver priorities or a desire to avoid politics. Though not negative, they become barriers increasing the leadership gender gap. For instance, if a woman is the primary breadwinner in a household, she’s usually the primary caregiver as well. On the other hand, if a man is the primary breadwinner, he is rarely considered the primary caregiver. Career oriented women must discuss their career aspirations with family as the more balance there is at home, the more balance there will be at work.
What women-related myths or taboos need to be broken?
i. Travel is a taboo for women
ii. A women employee is a liability as she will quit the job post marriage or child-birth
iii. Women have to wear pants to be heard and be qualified for the promotion, and
iv. Back to work after a break is not possible for women.
Do you have a mentor or a role model? If yes, you may state briefly how it inspired you.
I have not just one mentor, but many guiding lights who are not only experts in matters of business, but also, in the way of life. For me, my mother has been a constant source of inspiration.
What would be your message to the youth who are just starting their career?
Studies have confirmed that organisations with high scores in gender equity achieve higher performance delivery and much happier employees. It all starts with awareness about the unconscious or hidden biases.
Women need to be more proactive, consistently communicate their desires to advance, travel or take a new assignment to put to rest any assumptions made about them. Finding a mentor can help overcome structural barriers and provide direction to the career path mapped to different stages of professional life.
Describe yourself or your aspirations, dreams in 3 words.
Sky is Not the Limit.
Shweta Berry has over 21 years of industry experience as a specialist in Enterprise Technologies Marketing, Communications, Marcom, Sales Enablement, Tech Influencer, Digital Marketeer and a Content Strategist.
Shweta is currently working as Director Marketing with Aeris Communications. She heads a diverse portfolio which includes Sales Enablement through Inside Sales and Digital Media, Strategic Alliances with Industry Associations and Academic Institutions, Marketing & Communications, Public Relations, and Corporate Social Responsibility functions for India, SAARC & MEA regions.
As a woman leader and a think tank in the technology space, she has been quite vocal about the role of women in building an inclusive culture at multiple platforms, including her own organisation. Her authored articles and whitepapers have been widely published in print and online media, and, is frequently invited to deliver knowledge sessions on the Internet of Things, Diversity, Inclusion and CSR at reputed industry and academia led thought leadership forums.
Shweta is an alumna of IIM Calcutta, Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) in France and has a Master’s degree from Delhi University. Shweta believes in giving back to the society, meaningfully. She works with young entrepreneurs and NGOs as a strategic advisor. Her pro-bono engagements include appointment as a Coach with the Business Blasters, the world’s largest entrepreneurship development program for school students initiated by the Chief Minister Office, Government of Delhi.
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