D&I Spotlight of the Month | Mphasis

DEI Initiatives:

  • Focused Diversity Hiring
  • Pay Parity Exercise
  • Inclusivity Initiative for Hearing and Speech Impaired
  • Accessibility Audit
  • Supplier Diversity
  • Reporting Mechanisms

Inclusive Infrastructure:

  • Gender Neutral Washrooms
  • Lactation Rooms

Organizational Programs and Policies:

  • DEI Council
  • Womentoring Program
  • DEI Awareness and Communication Campaign
  • Progressive Policies encompassing gender, human rights, disability, and equal opportunities.
  • Medical Insurance
  • ERGs (Employee Resource Groups)
  • Career Sponsorship

Data and Monitoring:

  • DEI Metrics and KPIs driving accountability, transparency, and commitment.

Leading DEI Initiative:

  • Focused diversity hiring is a strategic approach aims at building a more inclusive workforce by actively seeking and recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented groups. At Mphasis, we recognize the value of diversity in driving innovation, creativity, and organizational success. Our focused diversity hiring efforts include targeted initiatives to attract candidates from diverse communities, including but not limited to racial and ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups.
  • We also have a dedicated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team that shows a commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace environment. It also includes a transwoman on the team that brings valuable perspectives and insights to the table, allowing for a more comprehensive approach to driving the DEI agenda.
  • Womentoring : Our Womentoring Program is designed to empower women professionals within our workplace by fostering mentorship and career development opportunities. This program aims to support women at various stages of their careers and promote gender equality in leadership positions. Key features of our Womentoring Program include mentoring and skill development. Our Womentoring Program aims to create a supportive and inclusive environment where women can thrive, grow professionally, and achieve their full potential.
  • To eliminate undesirable behavior among employees, we have zero tolerance policies.  These policies help in creating safe and happy space for our employees to empower them to speak up and voice their opinions.
  • We picked up yet another critical milestone of creating ‘Gender Neutral Washrooms’ prior to its focused hiring of diverse employees to create a workplace free of discrimination and promote humanity beyond our employee’s sexual orientation.
  • Our ERGs have been formalized to allow employees with shared interests, challenges, and identities to work together on various programs and share common experiences.
  • Mphasis is committed to the principles of equal pay for all our employees where all are given remuneration/reward packages based on meritocracy.
  • Accessibility Audit- Ensuring inclusion for the PWD does not merely stop hiring them. It also requires considerable efforts to ensure the infrastructure readiness and availability of reasonable accommodations.
  • Career Sponsorship We have career sponsorship programs to advance in personal development or in a particular skill. Sponsors use their influence with higher-ups to advocate for their sponsored candidates and make sure they are visible in the eyes of decision-makers.
  • Supplier Diversities: Mphasis encourages the use of suppliers who are minority, women, veteran, LGBTQ+, disabled owned etc. in the supply chain, though the standard procurement process is followed. As per our procurement process, we give preference to diverse suppliers wherever feasible.
  • DEI-related celebrations are held. The DEI team strives to make all these programs interactive as much as possible to engage our employees to the fullest and disseminate the DEI message fruitfully.
  • When it comes to data in terms of measuring our inclusion efforts, it is time to think beyond the platitudes of hiring numbers from the minority. Especially in the digital age where the potential for sourcing a multitude of data is relatively simpler, there are various other metrics that help an organization benchmark its DEI efforts.
  • We have established clear reporting mechanisms for incidents of bias, discrimination, or harassment and, we ensure employees feel comfortable and safe reporting such incidents and have a responsive system in place to address these concerns promptly and confidentially.

 

Employee Testimonial

Impact Statement:

“At Mphasis, we are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion that empowers all individuals regardless of their differences to thrive. Through targeted initiatives and inclusive policies, we have achieved significant milestones, including increased representation of diverse employees (women/second career women/PWD/LGBTQ+/Veterans), implementation of gender-neutral facilities and lactation pods, and the establishment of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support diverse communities at work.

Our DEI efforts have transformed our organizational culture, fostering collaboration, creativity, and mutual respect among employees. This inclusive environment has led to higher levels of employee engagement in DEI celebrations, surveys, and webinars, satisfaction, and retention, reinforcing our belief that diversity drives innovation and business success.

Looking ahead, we remain dedicated to advancing DEI initiatives, setting new goals to further enhance representation, foster inclusion, and drive positive change within our organization and beyond.”

Piece of advice for organizations looking forward to working in this area:

Organizations that consider diving into the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) space, it’s essential to approach this journey with intentionality and strategic planning. Based on our experience, here are some insights to guide these organizations:

Key Challenges:

  • Implementing DEI initiatives may face resistance from some leaders and employees who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the concept. Overcoming resistance requires strong leadership commitment and effective communication.
  • Adequate resources like budget, time, and team, are crucial for successful DEI efforts. Limited resources can hinder progress and impact the effectiveness of initiatives.
  • Tracking and measuring DEI progress regularly can be challenging. Establishing clear metrics and accountability frameworks is essential to monitor impact and ensure continuous improvement.

Mistakes to Avoid:

  • Not making data driven decisions to get the right start.
  • Decisions making in ways to mitigate implicit bias.
  • Approaching DEI as a tick in the box exercise can undermine genuine efforts and lead to disengagement among employees.
  • Diversity encompasses various dimensions beyond race and gender. Ignoring intersectionality can overlook important aspects of inclusion and equity.

What Worked Well for Us:

  • Strong leadership support has been instrumental in driving our DEI initiatives forward.
  • Engaging employees at all levels has allowed us to gather diverse perspectives.
  • Leveraging data to identify gaps, track progress, and make informed decisions has enhanced the effectiveness of our DEI efforts.
  • Embracing a growth mindset which is one of our key guiding principles and being open to learning from challenges and successes has enabled continuous improvement in our DEI journey.