How women fit in the indian talent equation

Companies operating in India report critical shortages of all kinds of talent. As a result, many Indian companies are now looking outside the country for their staffing needs. And, with India's economy booming, more and more multinational companies are expanding eastward and sending their executives there.

As Professor AnandNarasimhan and Research Associate Aparna Mohan Dogra describe in Chapter Five of "The OWP Book 2008" (scheduled to be published this month), this may open up many more opportunities in India for female expatriate executives.

Successful expats usually have a high drive to communicate and an enthusiastic interest in learning more about the culture of their host country.

Women are generally more sensitive, interpersonally aware, empathetic and sociable than men. Women are also motivated by challenging expatriate postings that involve personal development.

In addition, they tend to make the work environment more fulfilling for everyone involved in the business.

Key success factors for female expats headed for India

India is an exciting destination for business executives who want to learn about operating successfully in emerging economies. Given the talent challenge, expatriation of female executives will become a rising priority for Western multinational companies.

To help define parameters that companies should use when choosing female expat managers for assignments in India, we brought together a panel of 20 female experts from multinationals, hi-tech companies, professional services, financial services and the non-profit sector. The top five factors identified were:

The relative importance of interpersonal traits and cultural adjustment characteristics versus technical competence:

Research on expatriation has repeatedly shown that interpersonal abilities are more important than technical competence: executives who are more open and interpersonally flexible tend to do better in international assignments. It is therefore important for companies to consider psychometric and assessment centre data for these characteristics. As one expert noted, "The ability to communicate, coordinate and build consensus is extremely important to the success of the assignment. Soft skills are more critical than hard, technical skills."

Spouse or partner's support and enthusiasm for the assignment:

If the spouse or partner is unhappy, then the assignment is likely to fail. One expert observed, "India is a place that one tends to love or hate, depending on how one reacts to day-to-day life issues. So, if the spouse is not keen on the transfer or adapts poorly to Indian life, the work-home balance will be off."

Strong track record of seeking mentors and providing mentoring within the company:

This characteristic shows the candidate's ability to seek help when required and to help others in a business situation, which is definitely helpful on an international assignment. This is an important criterion, but is generally overlooked.

Holding a relatively senior position within the company:

While international assignments are typically considered a seasoning experience for junior to mid-career male executives, seniority is an asset for female executives. Seniority signals gravitas and the ability to marshal resources when required.

One panel member emphasised, "Indian work culture is very hierarchical and the boss will have to be seen as the boss. I found it much easier to implement a flatter management style once I had proven my capacity to both superiors and those working under me."

Prior experience as an expatriate:

Prior international experience is useful, even if it is in a Western context means the candidate is likely to be aware of the demands of dislocation and relocation, and is likely to be involved in the organisational learning from her experience.

In addition, the candidate should obviously be very enthusiastic about the assignment in India. Some familiarity with the country and an interest in various aspects of the Indian culture are helpful.

Questions to ask

Do you have well-defined criteria for choosing candidates?

Are you evaluating soft skills as well as hard skills?

Are you considering both female and male executives?

Have you given any thought to a repatriation program that ensures returning executives make use of their valuable experience gained abroad?