Gender Diversity – Is Indian Real Estate Ready? A close look at the Indian real estate industry and 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) like 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. Today, the fact that women in leadership roles bring an extra measure of empathy, acumen, assertiveness and determination to succeed to real estate business situations is being increasingly accepted as a given. 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.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 06:44:47 +0000