India Inc’s big gender diversity push is increasingly getting extended to temporary hiring during peak periods such as the festive season.
Ecommerce, logistics, retail, hospitality, manufacturing, consumer durables, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) are among a slew of sectors actively giving mandates to onboard more temporary women workers to fill in a festive season-induced hiring boom, said staffing firms such as Quess, Randstad, Adecco, CIEL HR Services and TeamLease Services.
Diversity hires have surged 15-35%, even more in sectors such as ecommerce and retail where the rise is nearly twofold.
Women workers have comparatively lower attrition and absenteeism rates, contributing to higher productivity during the festive season, said Manu Saigal, director-general staffing, Adecco India. At the workforce solutions company, these factors have led to a 35% increase in diversity hiring compared to 19% last year, she said.
Increased hiring of temporary women workers is primarily led by multinationals with well-defined diversity and inclusion policies and initiatives. However, companies in sectors with a reputation for gender equality such as electronics manufacturing, technology, e-commerce, retail, FMCG, logistics, tourism, hospitality, and aviation besides individual firms with a strong focus on social responsibility are more likely to prioritise such inclusive practices, Saigal added.
At Quess Staffing, mobile and electronics makers are leading the gender diversity charge. Nitin Dave, chief executive officer, said some companies that depend on assembly line operators are hiring 100% women while automotive sector firms are aiming for at least 30% gender diversity. The retail segment has set hiring benchmarks for women in shop promoter roles at around 40%. E-commerce firms are hiring 60% females for night shifts, showcasing a concerted effort to encourage female participation in the workforce.
Roles in demand
Women workers are mainly hired for roles such as sales associate, customer service representative, warehousing, in-store promoter, shop floor, hospitality, telesales, credit card, personal finance, retail insurance sales and business development.“Many warehouse roles that were traditionally accessible only to men—such as picking, packing, loading, unloading, and logistics operations—are now open to women, to leverage the unique strengths they offer,” said Yeshab Giri, chief commercial officer, operational talent solutions at talent company Randstad India.
Balasubramanian A, senior vice president and business head, TeamLease Services said there is a sharp uptick in requests from companies to onboard more women for temporary roles, particularly during the festive season.
This year, women are being placed in a wide range of temporary roles, especially in sectors like electronics component manufacturing (assembly line workers, packaging etc), retail (customer service, sales) and supply chain (logistics coordination, inventory management). There is also a notable presence of women in shopfloor functions, which traditionally had a modest female workforce.
“There is a growing trend where companies are not just focusing on diversity for temporary roles but are also using these hires as a talent pipeline for full-time positions,” he said.
To attract women, flexible working hours, transportation facilities, and higher wages for certain roles are more in the offing. Some companies are also offering skill development programmes to enhance the employability of women in these roles.
“Sectors like consumer durables, FMCG, retail, BFSI, hospitality, tourism and real estate are prioritising the hiring of women for temporary roles, with a trend towards offering flexible work arrangements and additional benefits to attract and retain female talent,” said Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD & CEO of CIEL HR.
To address current conversations about women safety in the workplace, companies are also enhancing safety measures significantly, said Randstad’s Giri. Measures include installation of better lighting in work areas, improved security protocols, regular safety training sessions, secure restrooms and private changing areas, to create a safer and more supportive workplace for women.
