by Ms.
Gagan Singh, Jones Lang LaSalle India
A close look at the Indian real estate
industry & its various stakeholders
reveals that this sector, which was once largely male-dominated, is slowly
waking up to the imperative for greater gender diversity. It is not only
International Property Consultancies (IPCs) such as Jones Lang LaSalle India
that are taking this issue more seriously.
Indeed, many larger
developer groups, real estate-focused lending institutions and private equity
firms now have women in senior executive roles. The difference that these
empowered women are making in all areas of the real estate industry is
tremendous.
There are good reasons for
this. The Indian real estate sector has, for the longest time, been functioning
without the benefit of the unique qualities that qualified and determined women
can bring to the table.
 |
| Gagan Singh, JLL India |
The
simple fact is that our workplaces need gender diversity because:
· There is a shortage of
employable resources in India – especially in the IPC domain – despite in the
country’s huge population. By focusing more on gender diversity, the available
talent pool practically doubles.
· Women are, by nature,
wired differently. Both genders have their unique capabilities, and these
capabilities are - even at the most fundamental levels - meant to balance each
other and not exist in isolation. As such, a company that does not take gender
diversity at the workplace seriously is losing out on an important synergy that
can - and does - affect business at various levels:
· Women make more loyal employees, which has
significant implications in terms of retaining talent which has been
specifically trained and groomed for high-powered jobs at International
Property Consultancies and other real estate-focused firms.
Where
Women Excel?
Ø
Client Relations..!
At Jones Lang LaSalle, it is an accepted fact
that the empathy with which women approach the formation and maintenance of
long-term client relationships is indispensible in the real estate business. In
an industry which is often defined by a lack of certainty, clients look for
more than assurances. They want to know that their concerns have been heard and
acknowledged, and that their business interests will be proactively addressed.
Thanks to the empathic nature of their gender, women real estate professionals
are able to communicate both their understanding of these concerns and the
Firm's steadfast commitment to ethics, transparency and client-centeredness.
Ø Decision Making...!
Because of the extreme
levels of competitiveness and sometimes unstable market dynamics, the real
estate business is often a high-adrenaline arena. When important decisions need
to be made - on behalf of a client or internally - women can provide a calmer,
more balanced viewpoint that leads to well-rounded and more astute conclusions.
The ability to provide a calm and more holistic counterpoint makes women's
contribution to company decisions invaluable in terms of long-term business
sustainability - and growth.
Ø Human Resources..!
· An IPC such as Jones Lang LaSalle provides a
huge diversity of services such as residential, commercial and land property
transactions, tenant representation, strategic consulting, integrated
facilities management (IFM), property and asset management (PAM), capital
markets, etc.
· Every new candidate has his or her own unique
qualities, and every existing employee displays unique potential for further
growth. The ability to sense hidden qualities, character traits and emotional
undercurrents allows women in an IPC's HR department to sharp-focus on these
areas in an individual, and to accurately position these talents to the most
suitable vertical.
· Jones Lang LaSalle India has ensured that
there is at least one woman representative in every campus recruitment team to
ensure that women candidates get a fair chance, with a focus on increasing the
percentage of women working at the firm.
Gender
Diversity At Jones Lang LaSalle India..!
· Between 2011 & 2013,
Jones Lang LaSalle India has increased the number of women in its workforce by
68 % from 496 to 835 women. The Firm has
maintained a gender diversity percentage of 17.8 % in favour of women in this
period alone. This percentage did not change despite the fact that Jones Lang
LaSalle India increased its overall work force by 62 % in this period from 2888 in 2011 to 4688 in 2013.
In fact, Jones Lang
LaSalle India leads in Gender Diversity initiatives across JLL Asia Pacific.
· The number of women
leaders in key decision-making roles at JLL has increased from 17 in 2011 to 26
in 2013. These include an international director, a regional director & 4
national directors.
Two of Jones Lang LaSalle
India's women leaders spearhead regional roles across Asia Pacific, and the
Firm has a women representative in the National Executive Council (the highest
governing board of the organisation) constituted of seven representatives from
the senior management, as well as two women representatives at the next highest
level – the India Leadership Council.
· The Firm's overarching gender diversity
strategy primarily focuses on ensuring long-term career opportunities for women
within the organisation. This is achieved through a focused recruitment
strategy as well as constant talent upgradation, the result being that the
Firm's women employees have long and fulfilling careers. Also, their steady
progress through the echelons of senior management helps fill key leadership
positions with more women.
· Focused gender diversity
initiatives such as the quarterly All India Women Connect webinars and
on-ground Women Connect quarterly Open House meetings and workshops across
offices help the Firm's women employees maintain and increase their confidence,
and also give them an effective platform to raise issues.
· Jones Lang LaSalle India
maintains a 24 / 7 Staff Assistance Programme for all employees, which has
proved to be an effective & highly popular medium for women staffers to
discuss and obtain solutions for their personal or work-related issues
anonymously with trained counsellors.
· Taking into
consideration the special circumstances in a woman's life that have relevance
in their careers, Jones Lang LaSalle India has also extended its Maternity
Policy by an additional three months on a leave without pay basis, beyond the
three months of paid maternity leave.
· The Firm undertakes
special security measures for women, who can avail of a car drop facility
should their work require them to stay beyond routine office hours. Moreover,
Jones Lang LaSalle’s global ethics manifesto ensures that every woman employee,
regardless of ranking within the hierarchy, is fully protected from sexual
harassment or any other kinds of inappropriate behaviour.
· Jones Lang LaSalle India was recently
included in the list of Top 10 Organisation on Gender Diversity Best Practices
by National HRD Network, Delhi & NCR Chapter. The Firm was amongst the
chosen few, which included stellar organisations such as GE, Coca Cola, SAP,
Bharat Petroleum, Zensar, IBM, Fluor Daniel, Citi India, etc.
On The
Flip-Side..!
When it comes to a convincing gender diversity
ratio at an industry level, it is certainly still early days for Indian real
estate. Traditional bastions are not entirely demolished overnight, and it
takes time for mind-sets to achieve 360-degree turnabouts. The case for even
stronger women representation in this sector is overwhelming, but real estate
in India is an industry of which less than 10 % is fully organized.
While we are doubtlessly witnessing increasing
gender diversity at the sector’s corporate level, one cannot ignore the fact
that the industry itself is still in throes of gaining maturity. Nevertheless,
Indian real estate is on the way towards greater transparency and ethical
governance – and not without resistance at certain levels. This change
resistance is not a new phenomenon, and must be factored into the overall
picture when we speak of gender diversity in the sector.
Conclusion..!
Meanwhile, the corporate world can be the
leader of change, as it has been in so many other areas. The world has always
taken its cues from those who set the right example and walk the talk. Change
is inevitable as a country’s economy grows further on the heels of
globalization and corporatization.
We will certainly see more
women assuming leading roles at every level of real estate development and
consultancy in the years to come. Gender diversity is a revolution whose time
has come, and there is no turning back the incoming tide.
About the author
Ms. Gagan
Singh is CEO ( Business &
Chairperson – Sri Lanka Operations) at Jones Lang LaSalle India
| Gagan Singh |
| CEO – Business & Chairperson – Sri Lanka Operations |
| +91 9811151610 |
| gagan.singh@ap.jll.com |
For Media
Contact..
Mr. Arun Chitnis,
Head – Corporate
Communications & Media Relations
Jones Lang Lasalle India,
Level 6, Amar Avinash
Corporate Plaza, Bund Garden Road,
Pune - 411 001.
Tel: (020) 3093 0441 Fax:
(020) 4019 6101
Mob: +91 96571 29999
Website:
www.joneslanglasalle.co.in
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