Shillpa S. Chabria, Director of Human Resources, Occupational Health, Safety, Environment, Administration, and CSR at thyssenkrupp Industries India
How does thyssenkrupp define diversity and empowerment within the context of engineering?
At thyssenkrupp, diversity means recognising and valuing the different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that people bring to the table. We do not limit our recognition of diversity to gender, region, and race alone, rather, we extend it to include various outlooks and approaches. These diverse viewpoints open a world of possibilities. We firmly believe that a diverse team fosters innovation and enhances problem solving, aligning with our approach to conducting business.
Historically, engineering was a gender-skewed domain. However, the landscape is evolving, albeit at different speeds in various segments, including the heavy engineering space in which we operate. While challenges persist, as an employer, we acknowledge our significant role in promoting change. We emphasise empowerment by providing our engineers with the autonomy, resources, and support they need to excel in their roles. To foster an inclusive and innovative work environment, it is important to address and include diverse voices through our policies and structures. True empowerment occurs when engineers adopt an ‘I Can' attitude without any limitations. This mindset brings out genuine engineering marvel that we strive to provide to our customers and our nation.
What are some of the key benefits that a diverse workforce brings to the field of engineering and to a company like thyssenkrupp?
As I mentioned earlier, diversity brings various perspectives and fosters innovation. Our world has been predominantly shaped by men, but to effectively address contemporary challenges, it is essential to incorporate diverse viewpoints. The greater the diversity within the field of engineering, the better prepared it will be to tackle modern-day problems. For any engineering company like thyssenkrupp, a diverse workforce means more creativity, efficiency, and comprehensive problem-solving abilities. Therefore, these factors play a significant role in retaining our valuable diverse talent.
The participation of women, especially in the engineering domain, is comparatively low, as against any other sector. What are the key steps thyssenkrupp is undertaking to increase their participation?
We are committed to addressing the gender imbalance in the engineering sector. At thyssenkrupp, we are actively promoting diversity and inclusion through targeted recruitment, mentorship, and leadership development programmes. Through these concerted efforts, our goal is to cultivate a supportive workplace culture that brings out the best in our employees. We are proud of the role models in our organisation who are paving the way for others and shattering the glass ceiling within heavy engineering enterprises such as ours.
Could you provide an overview of thyssenkrupp's initiatives or strategies aimed at promoting and empowering a diverse talent pool in the engineering sector?
While gender representation is a visible diversity index, we are working on regional, generational inclusion. This includes welcoming armed-forces veterans and older colleagues to harness their ‘grey wisdom'. We have created an alternate path for colleagues approaching retirement age, allowing them to continue contributing their domain expertise to our business, while enjoying the ample free time that retirement brings. There is a need to break the ageist stereotypes at work, as doing so will create a more inclusive, equitable and diverse workforce. Personally, I take great pride in collaborating with colleagues' post-superannuation as their years of expertise and earnestness come through.
Kindly elaborate on thyssenkrupp Industries India's vision for achieving an inclusive workplace?
An inclusive workplace is one where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves. It takes a lot of effort to create a culture that is sensitive, accepting, and safe. And we are taking small but significant steps towards this direction, starting with sensitivity training, initiating dialogues through focus group discussions, and creating forums for people to express themselves. We believe that deliberately initiating discussions on relevant topics, and finding solutions, is the way to open the world of possibilities for every organisation and our journey is no different.
How does thyssenkrupp foster an inclusive work environment that supports collaboration and innovation among engineers from various backgrounds?
This is where I take great pride in our leaders and managers at thyssenkrupp. In an era when HR leaders are striving to teach managers the importance of empowerment in managing their colleagues, we didn't encounter this challenge. Our leaders and managers consider talent agenda as their top priority, with HR serving as a strategic partner in this journey, more like a coach encouraging and guiding them. This culture, in turn, helps us to promote initiatives aimed at creating a more equitable and inclusive work environment.
Our annual cultural program, ‘Catalyst', echoes a similar philosophy that revolves around our core business and talent. In this program, we encourage employees to gain a deeper understanding of our business, company history and talent landscape. This knowledge allows them to better resonate with the brand and its values.
In a diverse enterprise like ours, encompassing six major businesses — Cement, Mining, Energy, Services, Sugar, and Manufacturing—it becomes imperative to integrate the workforce across business verticals. Inclusion begins when every employee is empowered to contribute, not only to their own growth but also to their colleague's growth prospects. This eventually translates into elevating the company's growth curve, and ‘Catalyst' contributes significantly to weaving these elements together.
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