Facing Doubts as a Female HR Manager in India: Can You Share Industry Growth Insights?

A professor in my class recently claimed that being an HR manager and a female, there will be no job for me in the industry. So, it would be really nice if the community can help me with some data regarding the growth of HR in India and the gender composition of the industry.

Thank you

You have requested data regarding the growth of HR in India and the gender composition of the industry. It requires a comprehensive study, and you can find several online documents on these subjects.

I condemn the "sick" claim made by your professor. You need to be polite and must say to your professor that all the homemakers of HR managers in this world are the best since they co-exist with them at home.

With best wishes,

Regards,
Asitabha Sanyal

Please check the link below; I hope it will be helpful.

Perspectives on Women in Management in India | SHRM India

With Best Regards,
Chandani

Thanks Anil, Chandini & Asitabha for sharing your views and reaffirming my belief in the profession. People (like my professor) can only be proved wrong through our dedication and hard work for the field.

Hey Rishika, it seems he is a kind of male chauvinist who is not ready to accept the role, value, and contributions of females in our HR world and become an important part.

Even I have numbers of HR people in my contacts and know numerous female HR managers and HR executives from around the world. Also, for your information, I would like to say that we, Cite People, have numerous FEMALE HR PROFESSIONALS on this platform, such as MS NABOMITA, MS ARCHANA, and many female professionals who have made significant contributions and have a big name in this HR profession/HR world. I'm a man, and I can't deny this truth. I'm glad to have them and accept their presence here on CiteHR and in our HR world.

Well, I would suggest you please ignore this completely, concentrate on your studies, study hard, and join our HR world. Let these kinds of people know your value. Best of luck!

And for your professor, I would like to say that he needs to conduct a survey on this before making such statements.

@ Chandani, thanks for posting this really important weblink.

Well, he is lacking knowledge. There is no difference in gender in the corporate world. Dear friend, please start doing what you feel like doing, but don't satisfy yourself at an early stage. Just aim for the top, and others will follow you.

Regards.

I don't think that females have fewer chances or no chances in the HR field. In fact, it is often said that females are more frequently appointed to HR departments compared to males. Today, in the corporate world, gender importance is not a factor; what matters are one's capabilities and approach.

Note my words: if you have the zeal and interest, you can reach great heights.

Best of luck 

Regards,
Shahzor.

I think you have a point to prove to your professor, who has made comments. I can proudly say that, being male, I have encountered many excellent female HR managers. Their dedication and knowledge on the job are exemplary. As a woman, your job prospects in HR are very promising. So, don't worry. Just work hard and prove that professor wrong! All the best!

Dear Rishika, I am not surprised by what your professor has said because I had a similar experience just a year back. We hired a girl through campus from one of the reputed management institutes in Chennai for my team.

A few months later, during a casual discussion, she said she was curious to know why I hired her from amongst the final five.

Reasons for Hiring

I gave my reasons as below:

- Though you did your UG through correspondence and scored only II class, I was convinced by the reason you gave. (Her father fell ill, and her elder brother was doing his engineering then. Hence, she worked as a Travel Desk Executive for four years to support the desperate financial need of the family.)

- Because you worked in a service function like Travel, I could figure out from the way you answered my situational questions that you have a good grasp of people dynamics, handling customers, being assertive without being rude, etc. These are critical traits, and if you have these traits, I already have a winning team member in my team.

- When I inquired about those testing periods of your life, I could not find a sense of frustration or angst. Instead, I could see a sense of pride that you contributed to your family's well-being. Hence, the fact that you did not do your UG through regular did not really matter to me.

When I finished speaking, there were tears in her eyes, something that I did not expect. After a few minutes, she reassured herself and said, for these reasons, she was told by her research guide in the past that there is no way she would get a job through campus.

It is sad that we find teachers who cannot help their students dream, think big, create a sense of positivity, and help them realize their true potential.

For example, there is nothing wrong in a trainer saying to an aspiring mountaineer, "no one has climbed Mount Everest." But it is absolutely unacceptable to say, "no way you can achieve it."

For a moment, assuming what your professor said is true, what is more important is not just to tell the reality. It is equally important to say what should be done to overcome it. It is equally important to inspire and say that no matter what the circumstances are in life, human beings are bestowed with the spirit to overcome them.

Rishika, while there can be male and female at a physical level, at the spirit level, we are all just one. Trust in that and go ahead. Success and accomplishments will come kissing your feet.

Wishing you all the very best...

Dear Rishika, it seems you are in the nascent stage of your career. My view on the matter is iconoclastic and as follows:

1. A particular job is served by a specialized skill set (Technical and Behavioral) rather than gender or qualifications at times. I believe that if you possess the apt skill set for the job, then there is nothing that can stop you.

2. Ladies in India and the West nowadays are as successful as men.

3. At this stage, you should hold on to reasons that motivate you rather than the ones that confuse you.

Regards,
Rahul Chhabra
Manager - HR

P.S. - Besides my Bachelor's, I have no full-time education yet I am better than most of the MBA HR professionals. :)

As much as I can say, the HR field has no specific divisions. It has a lot of great ladies as well as gents in this field. However, I can assure you that your professor is wrong; I find more women in the HR domain than men.

Regards

Let me thank Rishika for initiating a debatable thread. It is an excellent and really worthy discussion. I second the opinion shared by Chandru.

Understanding Bias in the Workplace

As a matter of fact, from where do such questions of gender, politics, region, language, and religion bias arise? It is only about knowledge, the power of execution, control and direction, managing the systematic way of work, ability to work, etc., and not about any bias. In areas with highly strenuous work like Industrial Relations, Labor Welfare, etc., we may not deploy girls due to physical conditions.

Regards

Fields like IR, Labor Welfare, Collective Bargaining, and Negotiating with Trade Unions are often stereotyped as male domains. This is due to the perception that these roles involve interacting with a semi-skilled or uneducated workforce or stubborn trade unions. These areas require certain competencies such as being persuasive, assertive, commanding, yet polite, subtle, and diplomatic, along with strong knowledge of labor law regulations. Any person, male or female, who believes they possess these competencies can perform these tasks. There is no law prohibiting women from these areas; however, a social mindset often discourages women from joining, or sometimes women themselves choose not to explore these areas in HR due to certain reasons such as:

Social Conditioning

- Male-dominant workforce
- Unpleasant locations of offices (plant sites, workshops, factories, etc.)
- Stereotypical image of women (timid, polite, suppressive, etc.)

In today's changing times, these stereotypes are being challenged in other areas of the economy, so why not in HR? Let's open our minds and break the mental blocks that limit human spirits from achieving anything that can be achieved.

Hey Rishika, it seems he is a kind of male chauvinist who is not ready to accept the role, value, and contributions of females in our HR world and their importance.

Even I've got a number of HR people in my contacts and know many female HR managers and HR executives from around the world. Also, for your information, I would like to say that in the company where I am currently working, we have a female HR manager and executive, along with many female professionals who have made significant contributions and have a big name in this HR profession/HR world. I'm a man, and I can't deny this truth; I'm even glad to have them in our company, which is an MNC dealing with healthcare products. I have personally seen many export houses where female HR managers/executives are present.

Well, I would suggest you completely ignore this and concentrate on your studies. Study hard and join our HR world. Let these kinds of people know your value. Best of luck!

As for your professor, I would like to say that he needs to conduct a survey on this before making such statements.

With regards and well wishes,

INDER JIT SINGH UBHI