Digital transformation solutions company UST has won a third consecutive accolade as one of the ‘100 Best Companies for Women in India 2021’ (BCWI) for efforts on gender diversity, inclusion and equity.
A UST spokesman said that the company also won the prestigious title of ‘Exemplar of Inclusion’ for its sustained efforts on gender inclusion in the workplace.
Avtar-Seramount study
Chennai-based Avtar, the country’s premier Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) solutions firm along with US-based Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media), a strategic professional services firm dedicated to advancing DEI at the workplace, had jointly conducted the sixth BCWI study.
Saundarya Rajesh, Founder–President, Avtar, said that this year’s study results indicate that companies are consciously evolving in terms of the DEI maturity levels. This is primarily based on key aspects of leadership intent, the industry they belong to and history of their DEI journey thus far.
It is noteworthy that disruptions of 2020 have further accelerated the pace of DEI progress in the best companies, with 73 per cent reporting an increase in their DEI spend, Rajesh said.
This is evident from the large number of companies which chosen to institutionalise practices to boost representation of women and other underrepresented groups in senior leadership and executive positions.
Companies are increasingly building on a cascade effect of DEI accountability. As per data from the 2021 Working Mother & Avtar Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI), 95 per cent of the companies have built their KPIs/KRAs on DEI for people managers across levels, Rajesh added.
Work-life environment
UST has always been committed to maintaining a balanced work-life environment to support employees through important life-changing events, the company spokesman said.
Programmes like Network of Women USsociates, mentoring, UST Career Architecture framework, D3 – a global developers conference, and ‘Women Unlimited’ have furthered inclusivity and community building.
From being one of India’s first digital technology transformation companies to hire transgenders to designing internal communities like ‘Curved Colors,’ a group for the LGBTQAI+ community, the company has actively involved in supporting and sustaining an inclusive culture.
UST also conducts programmes such’ as Impact India,’ which identifies talent within the differently-abled community. It has an ongoing partnership with institutes such as Braille without borders for the visually impaired and the National Institute of Speech and Hearing for the hearing impaired.
The company has designed ‘Step IT Up’, an accelerated training programme in several countries they operate in to train and employ women, minorities, and veterans in STEM fields. It encourages and actively recruits women who had to take a break in career due to family or personal reasons.
Empowering each employee
Manu Gopinath, Chief Operating Officer, UST, said that the recognition from Avtar and Seramount is a reflection of its ongoing efforts to make this world more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Anu Koshy, Head – Diversity and Inclusion, UST, said that the company welcomes open and honest conversations to empower and enrich, creating opportunities for innovation, growth, and collaboration.
“We are strongly committed to creating communities by providing avenues for excelling, and empowering every UST associate,” she added.
