Women's Day Week: "I want to continue doing things via which I can create an impact"

In 2018, according to a report by Pew Research, only 26 women were in CEO roles at Fortune 500 companies. This amounted to just 5.2% of the female population. The pandemic saw more women than men losing their jobs and this just goes to underscore the challenges women face in all aspects of life. Be it STEM fields, creative fields like cinema, architecture, the farming sector, and even at home, women's contributions have been invisibilized. Women are also held to higher standards of competence and interpersonal behavior, face gender stereotyping, and more often than not, are expected to win even if they are placed in an uneven playing field. Their ambition is held against them, and their ideas are often either appropriated or considered impractical. It takes a lot for women to be considered as organizational assets or to build alliances they can trust.

Women who exert leadership are judged for their "aggression" and those who display empathy are considered weak. I have learned that for women leaders, self-advocacy and helping other women is critical. Communication skills and the art of negotiation also help immensely. As a leader, I ensure that the work culture I represent is safe, inclusive and offers a level playing field to women in terms of opportunities and wages. Visionet is a space where we welcome women with ambition, diverse skill sets, and creativity. My growth in the company is proof that women can aspire to be leaders and also inspire others to reach out for what often seems like an impossible goal.

Educational Background

I have a Bachelor's degree in Economics from R.A. Podar College, Mumbai and then got an MBA degree from Symbiosis International University, Pune.

Family Background

I was born and brought up in Mumbai though my family roots are in Bihar. My father is a retired PSU official, my mom is a homemaker, and my brother is an investment banker. My sister-in-law is an M&A expert, working with one of the leading conglomerates in the country.

Working in the Male-dominated field of IT.  Does a Glass ceiling exist?

Glass ceilings are nothing but conscious and unconscious biases that stop women from rising beyond a certain point in their careers. But now it is becoming increasingly clear that without inclusivity, diversity, and equality, companies cannot grow beyond a point. To change things in the corporate world, we also must change how we raise and educate boys and girls and stop the gender discrimination that begins right at home.

For me, one of the many ways to change the work culture as a leader is to discourage the use of gendered language and to acknowledge the contributions of all employees, regardless of their gender. We are happy to share that the participation of women has risen to over 70% in the business processing management space at Visionet. We want to increase this percentage even more by encouraging women with digital skills to join our skilling program, ‘Unnati for India’.

We also offer fair HR policies, adequate maternity and period leave along the flexibility to achieve a work-life balance. This is not an optics driven exercise. More women in the workforce improve economic projections and bring balance to skewed gender equations.

Hobbies

I love reading books of different genres. Reading autobiographies inspires me. I also like listening to music, particularly classical music.

Future plans

I want to continue doing things via which I can create an impact. And I always think beyond what I'm doing today and like to work towards a goal that can empower me to impact society in a positive way and make my country proud.

High-Five:  

1. Your Fitness Mantra 

I find at least 20-30 minutes every day to exercise and commit to mental and physical health.

2. Your De-stressing Mantra

I like watching movies and the comedy genre is my stress buster

3. Where do you like to shop?

Ritu Kumar and Anita Dongre are my favourite designers but because of my work, I seldom get a chance to go out and shop, so I end up shopping online. This year I've pledged to completely avoid shopping!

4. Your favourite holiday destination

I would like to go somewhere up in the mountains, where I can see Himalayan snow-capped peaks every day from the window while having a warm cup of tea.

5. Five things you cannot live without

My phone. I am a workaholic so most of the time I am busy with my phone. I also cannot do without good food, blessings from my parents, and daily prayer of gratitude.

Workday:

Morning activities: I have some detoxifying water and read a book. Then I work out for 20-30 minutes to keep my body and mind active and fit. I catch up with some news and work emails and then leave for work.

Ist half in office: So, I normally plan my day in advance. In the first half, I just try to manage all the important things which I have to address during the day. I decide whether a task has to be delegated, whether I have to talk to people to get things done etc.

Post Lunch: I have back-to-back meetings with different team members, as I take stock of things and there are certain things on my calendar which must be addressed daily.

How you spend your evenings: Most of my evenings are spent on calls in the US time zone and they normally end by 11-11:30 pm. Normally! Sometimes though they stretch to 12 am. And after that, I have to catch up with all my emails and plan what needs to be the next day.

Read Rapid Fire Interviews HERE

Read more from Ankit Parashar here