Indian women have more growth opportunities at the workplace: HP survey

Women in India are looking for growth opportunities and feel ready to take on more responsibility within the company, according to a global study by HP Inc. 

The HP Global IWD Pulse Survey offered insights into workplace perceptions, retention factors, promotion behaviour, and ways to advance more women into leadership positions. 

In India, 90 per cent of the women respondents had applied for a promotion, compared with 67 per cent among men. Among those who applied, 92 per cent of the women respondents confirmed receiving a promotion last year as compared to 40 per cent and 63 per cent of respondents from the US and UK, respectively. In comparison, 68 per cent of the Indian men surveyed received promotions, as per the report. 

The survey also suggested that Indian respondents were looking for a promotion not only for higher salary but also to gain more influence in their company by taking on more responsibility (38 per cent) and being part of larger decisions that impact the company (37 per cent).

Gender bias

“Indian employees believe companies are doing more to combat discrimination than before,” the report said.

The survey also examined efforts undertaken by companies to combat gender discrimination at the workplace. As much as 71 per cent of the Indian women respondents strongly agreed that companies have been more proactive in combating gender discrimination than before; 65 per cent of the Indian employees surveyed felt that companies were making more effort to combat gender discrimination.

Ketan Patel, Managing Director – HP India Market, said, “We are taking active steps to support women and help them advance in their careers. The company aims to achieve 50/50 gender equality in HP leadership by 2030. We are happy to see that more women are aspiring to take on leadership positions in India, coupled with the efforts made by corporations to create an inclusive environment that enables everyone to do their best work.”

Hybrid work

The survey also examined perceptions around hybrid work and flexibility in terms of the work environment.

“Many employees believe that a hybrid work model is most beneficial for women, possibly because it allows for both in-person time and flexibility,” it said.

In the UK, Gen Z (46 per cent) are likely to believe that an in-person work model is most beneficial, while in India Gen Z (41 per cent) and millennials (36 per cent) prefer hybrid as the most suitable work model.

Further, Indian talent values greater flexibility at the workplace

Employees cited work-life balance as a top reason for staying at a company, besides potential career growth. In India, 44 per cent of employees feel they still have opportunities to grow in their company.

For those who plan to leave, one in three employees in India wanted a better work-life balance, more autonomy, and higher salaries. 

While most global counterparts are willing to offer higher wages for employee retention, 53 per cent of Indian employees preferred greater work flexibility over higher salaries. 

“They prefer more autonomy on deciding on how, when, and where they work,” as per the report.

HP partnered with Morning Consult, a global decision intelligence company for custom market research, for this survey. It was conducted between January 24 and February 7, 2022, among a sample of over 6,200 adults in the US, Canada, UK, Mexico and India). The interviews were conducted online, and the data was weighted based on gender, educational attainment, age, race (where applicable), and region.