Name: HR Taboos: Are female leaders really the best sponsors for female employees?
Uploaded: 2023-08-11T14:16:06.446Z
Duration: 439.96

Taboos_3_Final_version_2.mp4

Taboos_3_Final_version_2.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
Gaelle Lahad: I have a list of
questions here that are a bit, how

{{00:00:04}}
do I say, a bit sensitive in a sense
that they pick up on HR taboo topics.

{{00:00:08}}
Dipti Rane: Great.

{{00:00:08}}
Yeah.

{{00:00:08}}
Gaelle Lahad: You like
discussing some of them?

{{00:00:10}}
Dipti Rane: Absolutely.

{{00:00:11}}
Why not?

{{00:00:11}}
Gaelle Lahad: Very good.

{{00:00:12}}
Maybe you can give me and we can start
on talking about how would you tackle,

{{00:00:17}}
would you, were you an HR leader,
the topic of mental illness within

{{00:00:21}}
your workplace or your organisation?

{{00:00:24}}
Dipti Rane: Well, such an
interesting topic, right?

{{00:00:26}}
Especially given that we
have come out of a pandemic.

{{00:00:30}}
and mental illness existed
even pre pandemic, but nobody

{{00:00:35}}
really touched upon that topic.

{{00:00:37}}
Gaelle Lahad: Absolutely.

{{00:00:38}}
Dipti Rane: And then suddenly,
right after the pandemic,

{{00:00:40}}
everyone is talking about it.

{{00:00:42}}
So was this something under the carpet
and why was it under the carpet?

{{00:00:46}}
Gaelle Lahad: I've also noticed something.

{{00:00:47}}
There's an abundance now of new providers
that are supporting organisations and

{{00:00:52}}
managers, people managers, in handling
mental illness within work or mental

{{00:00:57}}
well being within the workplace.

{{00:00:59}}
So they offer like clinics or they
offer kinds of support, right?

{{00:01:02}}
It's not just anymore the physical
aspect, the physical well being of

{{00:01:06}}
people, but as well the mental well being.

{{00:01:08}}
Dipti Rane: Absolutely.

{{00:01:10}}
However, what I do feel is that there are
some employees which are kind of misusing

{{00:01:17}}
this benefit to their advantage and
not kind of taking this more positively

{{00:01:23}}
towards making that more of a productivity
towards their work, but rather as an

{{00:01:29}}
escape route towards the productivity

{{00:01:32}}
Gaelle Lahad: I agree.

{{00:01:32}}
You know what?

{{00:01:33}}
It feels sometimes uncomfortable
to address such a topic with

{{00:01:36}}
your manager or with HR.

{{00:01:38}}
So it's definitely going to be a
very sensitive matter to address

{{00:01:42}}
internally by leaders as well.

{{00:01:44}}
Dipti Rane: Depending on what
gender you are, what background

{{00:01:47}}
you come from, which nationality,
they may not choose to discuss

{{00:01:51}}
that mental wellness topic as well.

{{00:01:54}}
Gaelle Lahad: Culture
plays an important factor

{{00:01:55}}
Dipti Rane: absolutely.

{{00:01:57}}
I agree.

{{00:01:57}}
Gaelle Lahad: How about
racism and discrimination?

{{00:02:00}}
I mean, after the wave of Me Too
and the changes that we've seen in

{{00:02:03}}
the workplace, but this is still
something that is, in so many times,

{{00:02:08}}
we see it's not addressed internally.

{{00:02:12}}
We still see signs of discrimination,
gender discrimination.

{{00:02:17}}
How do you see things
going in that direction?

{{00:02:19}}
Dipti Rane: Again, like the
mental well being has existed,

{{00:02:23}}
there has been a glass ceiling.

{{00:02:25}}
That question is valid.

{{00:02:27}}
But I think the more niche question here
is, Are women better managers than men?

{{00:02:35}}
Or have they been always
better managers than men?

{{00:02:37}}
And how has it changed or
is changing in your opinion?

{{00:02:40}}
Gaelle Lahad: I think it's not a question
of gender who is better because it's not,

{{00:02:45}}
I personally don't believe it's, you can
attribute it to a gender, but I think

{{00:02:49}}
it's more certain skill sets, whether it
comes for empathy, listening, and I think

{{00:02:54}}
sometimes, in so many instances, women
are more , empathetical than women, so,

{{00:02:59}}
than men, so they come in as more, better
people leaders, but no, there are some

{{00:03:05}}
fantastic men leaders, and it's not right
to generalise across, wouldn't you say so?

{{00:03:10}}
Dipti Rane: Absolutely, I agree, however,
I also feel sometimes, women, when they

{{00:03:15}}
are given that opportunity, that they
do not end up making the best use of it.

{{00:03:21}}
And a lot of times, women leaders end up
becoming the worst enemies of other women.

{{00:03:28}}
Gaelle Lahad: Absolutely

{{00:03:28}}
Dipti Rane: Employees, right?

{{00:03:29}}
Absolutely.

{{00:03:30}}
So, it's the women who are not
giving fair chances to other women.

{{00:03:35}}
Wouldn't you agree to that?

{{00:03:36}}
Gaelle Lahad: I've lived it, actually.

{{00:03:38}}
And I would agree with that,
with you on that, definitely.

{{00:03:40}}
So it's a double edged sword.

{{00:03:42}}
Couldn't we say that?

{{00:03:43}}
Dipti Rane: Absolutely.

{{00:03:43}}
Gaelle Lahad: Yeah?

{{00:03:44}}
Dipti Rane: Absolutely

{{00:03:45}}
Gaelle Lahad: In regards to small
companies, I know you and me have

{{00:03:48}}
a startup that we've launched a
couple of years ago, but I was

{{00:03:51}}
asked, do small companies have
more harmony than large companies?

{{00:03:55}}
Dipti Rane: It really is so situational.

{{00:03:58}}
It depends so much on the
leadership that they're living.

{{00:04:01}}
It depends so much on the culture that
you're building from the ground up.

{{00:04:06}}
As a small company, a lot of times
companies are , categorised as a

{{00:04:11}}
startup and then they do not move out
of the startup zone and they continue

{{00:04:17}}
behaving like a startup, even though
they have grown in their size, right?

{{00:04:22}}
So I would say that a small company,
a culture would definitely matter.

{{00:04:30}}
However, when you are growing,
if the leadership does not change

{{00:04:35}}
with that velocity of the change.

{{00:04:38}}
Then nothing would make
that change happen.

{{00:04:40}}
Gaelle Lahad: Absolutely.

{{00:04:41}}
I think also when you have a small
team, communication is much faster,

{{00:04:45}}
when you can, you can translate your
strategy, you can, you can be more in

{{00:04:50}}
touch with your team members, right?

{{00:04:52}}
So that's why there's more harmony than
when you have layers, and you have complex

{{00:04:56}}
teams, and when team members are also
working in different parts of the world

{{00:05:01}}
Dipti Rane: Absolutely.

{{00:05:02}}
Gaelle Lahad: I say it
bottles down to communication.

{{00:05:04}}
Dipti Rane: Yeah, yeah.

{{00:05:05}}
But here is something else that I
would like to bring into the picture.

{{00:05:09}}
Small companies rely so much on
technology, so much on digital work.

{{00:05:13}}
People are working remotely.

{{00:05:16}}
Like us, we don't have an office.

{{00:05:18}}
And the globe is our office.

{{00:05:20}}
Gaelle Lahad: Absolutely.

{{00:05:21}}
Dipti Rane: But there are a lot
of companies which feel that the

{{00:05:24}}
more technology you use, the more
it is resulting into unemployment.

{{00:05:30}}
And a lot of employees are believing
that, ah, don't bring the technology

{{00:05:34}}
in because I'm going to lose my job.

{{00:05:38}}
Do you, what's your thought about it?

{{00:05:40}}
Do you agree with that?

{{00:05:41}}
Gaelle Lahad: We were talking
about this today, right?

{{00:05:43}}
And there was a certain research where
it stated that 40% more skill sets have

{{00:05:49}}
been required from people on jobs because
of the introduction of technology.

{{00:05:55}}
So I don't think people
are becoming unemployed.

{{00:05:58}}
I think it's just that we
need to upskill ourselves.

{{00:06:01}}
We need to find out whether what are the
new skill sets are needed and definitely

{{00:06:06}}
technology has a lot of benefits,
whether it's improved communication,

{{00:06:11}}
streamlining efforts, being much more
agile, agile, moving faster, better

{{00:06:16}}
customer service, more analytics and data.

{{00:06:19}}
So definitely I'm a pro of technology.

{{00:06:22}}
I mean, I don't think it results in
unemployment is just a person's intention

{{00:06:26}}
whether they want to upskill themselves
and adapt themselves to those changes.

{{00:06:30}}
Dipti Rane: This is something
which has been coming up.

{{00:06:32}}
We see in our region where we
operate as well that technology

{{00:06:37}}
can play like two sides.

{{00:06:40}}
Gaelle Lahad: Absolutely.

{{00:06:41}}
Dipti Rane: It can be a
curse or it could be a boon.

{{00:06:44}}
But really, it's the leaders who
have to use it in the right way.

{{00:06:48}}
Gaelle Lahad: And you know what?

{{00:06:49}}
Now as we welcome more and more the
newer generation, these guys need

{{00:06:54}}
technology and we have to equip them.

{{00:06:56}}
And you know what?

{{00:06:57}}
You and me see that in our team.

{{00:06:59}}
True.

{{00:06:59}}
They come up with suggestions
of technology and platforms

{{00:07:03}}
that they feel makes their job
easier and their work faster.

{{00:07:06}}
So I don't think technology
is replacing anyone's job.

{{00:07:10}}
It's empowering us.

{{00:07:11}}
Dipti Rane: Its an enhancement.

{{00:07:13}}
Gaelle Lahad: Definitely yeah

{{00:07:16}}
end.

Gaelle Lahad: I have a list of
questions here that are a bit, how

do I say, a bit sensitive in a sense
that they pick up on HR taboo topics.

Gaelle Lahad: You like
discussing some of them?

Maybe you can give me and we can start
on talking about how would you tackle,

would you, were you an HR leader,
the topic of mental illness within

Dipti Rane: Well, such an
interesting topic, right?

Especially given that we
have come out of a pandemic.

and mental illness existed
even pre pandemic, but nobody

Dipti Rane: And then suddenly,
right after the pandemic,

So was this something under the carpet
and why was it under the carpet?

Gaelle Lahad: I've also noticed something.

There's an abundance now of new providers
that are supporting organisations and

managers, people managers, in handling
mental illness within work or mental

So they offer like clinics or they
offer kinds of support, right?

It's not just anymore the physical
aspect, the physical well being of

people, but as well the mental well being.

However, what I do feel is that there are
some employees which are kind of misusing

this benefit to their advantage and
not kind of taking this more positively

towards making that more of a productivity
towards their work, but rather as an

It feels sometimes uncomfortable
to address such a topic with

So it's definitely going to be a
very sensitive matter to address

Dipti Rane: Depending on what
gender you are, what background

you come from, which nationality,
they may not choose to discuss

Gaelle Lahad: Culture
plays an important factor

Gaelle Lahad: How about
racism and discrimination?

I mean, after the wave of Me Too
and the changes that we've seen in

the workplace, but this is still
something that is, in so many times,

We still see signs of discrimination,
gender discrimination.

How do you see things
going in that direction?

Dipti Rane: Again, like the
mental well being has existed,

But I think the more niche question here
is, Are women better managers than men?

Or have they been always
better managers than men?

And how has it changed or
is changing in your opinion?

Gaelle Lahad: I think it's not a question
of gender who is better because it's not,

I personally don't believe it's, you can
attribute it to a gender, but I think

it's more certain skill sets, whether it
comes for empathy, listening, and I think

sometimes, in so many instances, women
are more , empathetical than women, so,

than men, so they come in as more, better
people leaders, but no, there are some

fantastic men leaders, and it's not right
to generalise across, wouldn't you say so?

Dipti Rane: Absolutely, I agree, however,
I also feel sometimes, women, when they

are given that opportunity, that they
do not end up making the best use of it.

And a lot of times, women leaders end up
becoming the worst enemies of other women.

So, it's the women who are not
giving fair chances to other women.

And I would agree with that,
with you on that, definitely.

Gaelle Lahad: In regards to small
companies, I know you and me have

a startup that we've launched a
couple of years ago, but I was

asked, do small companies have
more harmony than large companies?

It depends so much on the
leadership that they're living.

It depends so much on the culture that
you're building from the ground up.

As a small company, a lot of times
companies are , categorised as a

startup and then they do not move out
of the startup zone and they continue

behaving like a startup, even though
they have grown in their size, right?

So I would say that a small company,
a culture would definitely matter.

However, when you are growing,
if the leadership does not change

Then nothing would make
that change happen.

I think also when you have a small
team, communication is much faster,

when you can, you can translate your
strategy, you can, you can be more in

So that's why there's more harmony than
when you have layers, and you have complex

teams, and when team members are also
working in different parts of the world

Gaelle Lahad: I say it
bottles down to communication.

But here is something else that I
would like to bring into the picture.

Small companies rely so much on
technology, so much on digital work.

HR Taboos

Expert Insight

Human resources play a crucial role in shaping company culture and fostering the right work environment. But HR policies and processes can also have a huge effect on employees and their lives - and that's a lot of responsibility. So what do HR professionals really think of the systems they work with every day?

Co-CEOs of Talent At Work, Dipti Rane and Gaelle Lahad, engage in a thoughtful exchange of ideas related to HR challenges, workplace dynamics, and the evolving role of technology. 

Diversity

Recruitment

Human resources

Culture

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Dipti Rane 

CEO 

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Gaelle Lahad

Rane and Lahad start by addressing discrimination and mental health within the workplace, as both issues gain more attention post-pandemic. How are organisations providing support to employees? Is there a chance they might be misusing these benefits?

Mental illness & Discrimination

Rane and Lahad explore the question of whether women are better managers than men or vice versa. Touching on the challenges women leaders face and their impact on other women in leadership positions.

Are women better managers than men?

Rane and Lahad compare the workplace dynamics in small and large companies mentioning the qualities required to foster harmony. They also discuss potential challenges larger companies could face trying to fostering harmony. 

 Do smaller companies have more harmony than larger companies?

The discussion touches on the role of technology in the workplace and its impact on employment. How can we learn from younger generations accustomed to integrating technology into the workplace?