Most of the Indian companies are focusing on inclusion strategy such as boosting gender diversity at work place,as part of efforts to attract talent,says a survey by staffing consultancy firm Mercer. According to Mercer's Asia Pacific Diversity & Inclusion survey,over 90 per cent of the participants listed gender as the main focus of their diversity efforts in India. "Diversity and Inclusion strategies are gaining a strong foothold within India Inc demonstrating inherent benefits for both employees and employers," Mercer India Principal Human Capital Shanthi Naresh said,adding that diversity and inclusion strategies are expected to grow further in India. Around 60 per cent of participating companies in India said they have a diversity and inclusion strategy in place at global and regional levels. Diversity and inclusion are becoming increasingly important in Asia Pacific countries including India. As more Asian organizations globalise,they are increasingly focused on integrating international talent into their workforce. Accordingly,the mobility of talent among Asian countries is on the rise. Findings suggest that in India,hiring and recruiting practices (71 per cent),career pathing (51 per cent),HR policies (40 per cent) and compensation and benefits policies (31 per cent) are expected to change considerably due to the demographic trends. Companies believe that having a diversity strategy enables them to enter new markets easily,Mercer said. As per the Mercer survey,the top three drivers behind an organisation's diversity and inclusion strategy are recruitment of talent (70 per cent),employer brand (61.3 per cent) and access to untapped talent pool (60 per cent). Diversity is also seen as important to business performance and the bottom line through its impact on team effectiveness and innovation. In the Asia Pacific region,46 per cent of respondents in China did not have a diversity and inclusion strategy,largest percentage in the region. In Japan,33 per cent of the companies had a country focused strategy,while,in,Singapore,40 per cent of the respondents indicated that their company has an Asia Pacific diversity and inclusion strategy.
