1. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Saundarya Rajesh, Founder – President
AVTAR Career Creators
ISO 9001:2008 Talent Strategy Consulting Firm

2. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Talent is GOD…
Omnipotent
Unfathomable
Means Different things to different people
Better to have ON YOUR SIDE!
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3. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Over the next half hour..
Defining The 4 Breaking the
Current The IWP & Cohorts of What is
what a Divide &
workplace Gen IWP’s in the Gen
generation Opening lines of
scenario Differences the Indian Divide?
is? communication
workplace
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4. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Careers are changing..
Activity
Linear Based
Careers Careers
What Does
this mean IWP?
for the
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5. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Hybrid Careers
Project Home- Compressed Work week
Based based
Fixed Part-time
Job Sharing
Telecommuting
Weekends Flexi-fixed hours
Term-time Working E-Working
What Does
this mean IWP?
for the
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6. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
The IWP……???
Indian
Wedding Institution
Planner? for
Wise
Professors?
International
War
Prevention? Inspector of
Warehouse
Practices

7. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
The Indian Woman Professional!
Picture courtesy: OF SUCH TIMES: THE
www.avtarcc.com MODERN INDIAN WOMAN : VANDANA KOHLI

8. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Who is the IWP?
Age between
21 and 50 -
Constitutes
13% of the
population of
India and 27%
of women
Indian
Woman
Professional

9. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
The Case of the IWP & the Many Lenses
Gender
Life Stage
Generation
Education &
SEC
Personal
Value Systems
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10. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
A Definition of Generation
A Generation is a group of people defined by
Age boundaries who were born during a certain
era and share similar experiences and social
dynamics when growing up
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11. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Generational
Diversity OF
Indian Women
Veterens Free- Gens Gen X’s E-Gen’s Gen Y’s
• Born: 1920-45 • Born: 1948-1960 •Born: 1960-1970 •Born: 1971-1980 • Born: 1981 – 1990
• Pre-Independence • Post Independence •Socialism-to- •‘Confident India’ • Constitutes about
cohort Liberalization cohort
Cohort 26% of workforce
• Believe in concept transitionary cohort •Comfortable with
• Unsure and Wary change – largest cause • Feels less guilt in
of life-time •Saw the upswing of being an
• Very rarely in economy and of attrition at the
active employment Indian workplace aggressive
hastened to catch up
employment • 20% of today’s with younger cohorts •Constitutes 29% of the consumer
today workforce •Believe in the power workforce in India • Has seen one
• Interim Seniors of change today significant big blip
•Account for about •Has seen the sharpest – the Recession of
25% of the trajectory of success, 2008
workforce inspite of 2 large
downturns
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12. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Generational Diversity
Hard Focus : FREE-GENS
Veterans Free- Gens Gen X’s E-Gen’s Gen Y’s
Born: 1920-45 • Born: 1948-1960 •Born: 1960-1970 •Born: 1971-1980 • Born: 1981 – 1990
• Post Independence •Socialism-to- •‘Confident India’ • Constitutes about
• Pre-Independence cohort
cohort Liberalization 26% of workforce
Cohort transitionary cohort •Comfortable with
• Believe in concept • Feels less guilt in
• Unsure and Wary •Saw the upswing of change – largest cause
of life-time being an
• Very rarely in economy and of attrition at the
employment Indian workplace aggressive
active hastened to catch up
• 20% of today’s with younger cohorts •Constitutes 29% of the consumer
employment today
workforce •Believe in the power workforce in India • Has seen one
• Interim Seniors of change today significant big blip
•Account for about •Has seen the sharpest – the Recession of
25% of the workforce trajectory of success, 2008
in spite of 2 large
downturns
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13. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Free-Gens – Why they are who
they are…
Independence
in 1947
• Planning
• New found national freedom
• Responsibility
• Awareness of being a NATION
• Bureaucracy
• Negative corporate experience
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14. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Pluses and Minuses of Free-Gens
PLUS MINUS
• Service oriented • Uncomfortable with conflict
• Social ‘shyness’
• Willing to go the extra mile
• Give more importance to
• Naturally relationship driven
Process rather than results
• Want to please
• Not willing to go against the flow
• Very good team players • Highly conscious of peer
pressure
• Very sensitive to feedback
• Judgmental of those bucking the
trend
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15. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Generational Diversity
Hard Focus : GEN-X’s
Veterans Free- Gens Gen X’s E-Gen’s Gen Y’s
• Born: 1920-45 • Born: 1948-1960 •Born: 1960-1970 •Born: 1971-1980 • Born: 1981 – 1990
• Pre-Independence • Post Independence •Socialism-to- •‘Confident India’ • Constitutes about
cohort Liberalization cohort
Cohort 26% of workforce
• Believe in concept transitionary cohort •Comfortable with
• Unsure and Wary change – largest cause • Feels less guilt in
of life-time •Saw the upswing of being an
• Very rarely in economy and of attrition at the
active employment Indian workplace aggressive
hastened to catch up
employment today • 20% of today’s with younger cohorts •Constitutes 29% of the consumer
workforce •Believe in the power workforce in India • Has seen one
• Interim Seniors of change today significant big blip
•Account for about •Has seen the sharpest – the Recession of
25% of the trajectory of success, 2008
workforce in spite of 2 large
downturns
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16. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Gen-X’s – Why they are who they
are..
Indira Gandhi,
India’s first
women Prime
Minister
• Teething troubles of a democracy
• War and its after-effects
• Doubts about sustainability of
growth??
• Women make progress
• Progress will be slow
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17. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Pluses and Minuses of Gen Xs
Plus Minus
• Adaptable • Impatient
• Techno-literate • Poor people skills
• Creative • Cynical
• Multi-taskers • More reactive than proactive
• Aggressive in driving growth
• Leads with ease
• Values self-reliance
• Pragmatic
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18. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Generational Diversity
Hard Focus : E-GEN’S
Veterans Free- Gens Gen X’s E-Gen’s Gen Y’s
• Born: 1920-45 • Born: 1948-1960 •Born: 1960-1970 •Born: 1971-1980 • Born: 1981 – 1990
• Pre-Independence • Post Independence •Socialism-to- •‘Confident India’ • Constitutes about
cohort Liberalization cohort
Cohort 26% of workforce
• Believe in concept transitionary cohort •Comfortable with
• Unsure and Wary change – largest cause • Feels less guilt in
of life-time •Saw the upswing of being an
• Very rarely in economy and of attrition at the
active employment Indian workplace aggressive
hastened to catch up
employment • 20% of today’s with younger cohorts •Constitutes 29% of the consumer
today workforce •Believe in the power workforce in India • Has seen one
• Interim Seniors of change today significant big blip
•Account for about •Has seen the sharpest – the Recession of
25% of the trajectory of success, 2008
workforce in spite of 2 large
downturns
www.avtarcc.com

19. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
E-Gens – Why they are who they are…
Emergency
•Protectionism
•“Hard work combined
with direction results in
progress”
•Success is a linear journey
IBM and Coca-Cola and follows the right
being 'thrown out
education
of India' during the
Janata Party regime •Progress is a function of
in 1977. your own speed
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20. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Pluses and Minuses of E-Gens
Plus Minus
• Flexible • Inexperienced
• Global thinking • Hates micromanagement
• Techno-savvy • Strong polarized likes and
• Results ahead of process dislikes
• Environmentally conscious
• Focus on Education
• Wants a ‘life’
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21. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Generational Diversity
Hard Focus : GEN Y’s
Veterans Free- Gens Gen X’s E-Gen’s Gen Y’s
• Born: 1920-45 • Born: 1948-1960 •Born: 1960-1970 •Born: 1971-1980 • Born: 1981 – 1990
• Pre-Independence • Post Independence •Socialism-to- •‘Confident India’ • Constitutes about
cohort Liberalization cohort
Cohort 26% of workforce
• Believe in concept transitionary cohort •Comfortable with
• Unsure and Wary change – largest cause • Feels less guilt in
of life-time •Saw the upswing of being an
• Very rarely in economy and of attrition at the
active employment Indian workplace aggressive
hastened to catch up
employment • 20% of today’s with younger cohorts •Constitutes 29% of the consumer
today workforce •Believe in the power workforce in India • Has seen one
• Interim Seniors of change today significant big blip
•Account for about •Has seen the sharpest – the Recession of
25% of the trajectory of success, 2008
workforce in spite of 2 large
downturns
www.avtarcc.com

22. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Gen-Y’s – Why they are who they are..
Women’s 33 percent reservation Bill was
originally drafted and introduced by former Prime
Minister HD Deve Gowda in September 1996.
10 out of 13 women chief ministers during this
period. 2 from 1970 to 1980, 1 from 1960 to 1970
•Women no
different from Men
Outsourcing (World as •Common
well as India) & Economic Liberalization
Phenomenal Growth of in early 90s & Nuclear prevalence of
Testing by India
the IT, BPO and also
other Industries creating
flexibility in careers
demand for talent •Sexual preferences
very open
•Disposable Jobs
•Suspicious of
corporate lives
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23. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Pluses and Minuses of Gen Y’s
Plus Minus
• Collective Action • Need for Supervision &
• Optimism structure
• Tenacity • Inexperienced
• Techno-brilliance • Needs a paternal, inspiring
• Resilience leadership but constantly
challenges the same
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24. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
What is the Gen Divide??
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25. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
What is the Gen Divide?
• Resounding clash of values
• Behavior fuelled by strong perception
• Sharply different POV’s on work, life, sex, marriage, money
• One cohort polarized to a particular level – hence conflict of
levels
• Traditional motivators jangle
• Differing attitudes on saving v/s spending, on personal
loyalty v/s organizational commitment
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26. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Age and generations viewed
through the workforce engagement lens
• Although all Generations will be found in the 6 engagement segments, Matrix below
depicts higher proportionate representation
Engagement Segments Free-Gens Gen X E-Gens
Passionate Advocates   
Enthusiastic Followers  
Under-Rewarded   
Supporters
The Disenchanted 
Unrealised Potentials 
Detractors  
Adapted from ‘Generations at Work’ by Ron Zemke
AVTAR Career Creators
ISO 9001:2008 Certified Talent Strategy Consulting Firm

27. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
For Individuals: Breaking the Gen Divide
Fragile! Handle with Awareness!
• Finding the right talent versus Being the right
person!
• All twenty something's are rebellious
• All Gen X’ers expect PROOF
• All Parents are naturally responsible
• EVERYONE WANTS WORK-LIFE BALANCE!
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28. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
To be a cross-gen successful IWP –
Dont’s
Assume Stereotype
Ridicule Exclude
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29. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
To be a successful IWP –
Do’s
Be open about your
‘triggers’
Raise
Be ready
awareness
to flex
about
your style
generation
a bit
al diversity
Focus on what
matters – customer
relationships, team
dynamics and overall
growth and
productivity
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30. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
To be a successful IWP
Do’s
Recognize
Find common
generational
ground
differences
Acknowledge
that Accept that
everyone Diversity is
needs beauty!
respect
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31. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
For Organizations – Breaking the Divide
• Aggressive Communication – top down stance on
Generational awareness
– Anticipate potential conflicts and potential solutions
– Surfacing unarticulated assumptions and unconscious criteria
• Difference Deployment – Diversity Strategy
– Tactical recruitment of a diverse workforce
– Bringing together / deployment of a diverse group with varied
backgrounds, opinions, skills and experiences to ensure that
there is beauty in Diversity
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32. What is AVTAR Div-In?
 A unique consulting service which enables high-growth organizations to focus
sharply on an inclusive talent strategy
 Entirely Indian – fully based on Indian work systems and cultures
 50 years of consulting experience
 30 clients including MNCs, Indian Conglomerates, Indian SMEs
 Key insights / solution derived from surveys, experiences, focus group studies
in the Indian Context
 Successful projects with a range of industries
 Industries: Retail, FMCG, IT / ITES, Banking & Financial Services
 Clients: SCOPE International, Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd, Citicorp, Heinz,
Unilever, Thomson Financials, Cognizant
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33. Breaking the Gen-Divide:
Understanding Women professionals through the Ages
Thank You
Saundarya Rajesh
AVTAR Career Creators,
INDIA
Email – sr@avtarcc.com
www.avtarcc.com; www.avtariwin.com
www.avtarcc.com