By: Anusha Ramraj
It seems like just the other day, I was a young agent in a call centre, watching a group of men in suits walk through the company doors. When I asked who they were, I was told they were the company directors, so I should keep quiet and look busy. At that moment, I promised myself, one day, I would be one of them.
During this Women’s Month, I find myself reflecting on my journey from call centre agent to Financial Director of the country’s biggest contact centre. What has it taken to get here?
It doesn’t surprise me that more than two-thirds of managerial positions in South Africa belong to men. Today, female professionals are still facing many of the same challenges I did when I first began my career.
Though I came from a humble background, I was lucky to always have incredible support from my family. My Dad encouraged me to achieve my dreams and pushed me to achieve more. I didn’t know that when I entered the workplace, there would be a glass ceiling to break because he never allowed me to believe there was one.
But when I started work as a call centre agent 23 years ago, I quickly discovered that, as a society, we still keep women in boxes. Even today, as a Director, I can sit in a meeting with stakeholders outside of my organisation and be made to feel invisible simply because I’m a woman.
A critical shift in mindset is needed. The theme of Women’s Month this year, around 'Building Back Better for Women's Resilience’, is a reminder we all need to play our part in helping achieve gender equality by 2030.
But where do we begin in tackling such a systemic challenge?
With more than half of the management across CCI South Africa comprised of women, I believe there are valuable lessons to learn from the company’s approach to gender equality, beginning with its commitment to diversity at every level.
Leaders who walk the talk
As with all aspects of a company’s culture, success begins with the leadership at the very top. Many companies have the appetite to see more women in management but lack understanding of how to create a culture in which women are seen and recognised as leaders.
So, what does our Managing Director, Peter Andrew, do differently?
Ultimately, Peter trusts his team. He’s not afraid to defer to the expertise of his team members, whether they be men or women, creating the space for us to make decisions that benefit the business. That’s true empowerment.
And the result is that CCI has a culture of male allyship in which male leaders are aware of the gender biases that exist within the workplace and are as committed to seeing more women in leadership as their female counterparts.
Vision backed by policy
Often companies that have a vision for transformation fall short because their commitment isn’t backed by organisational structures. Part of the reason why CCI’s approach has been so effective is because we’ve developed formal policies, strengthened by development programmes like StepUp, which provides skills and competency training. This ultimately ensures our women leaders are set up for success.
Access to mentorship
Research shows that employees who are mentored can be promoted up to five times more often than those who are not. Here’s where CCI has another critical advantage – we have women at the most senior levels of the company who are active in ensuring women throughout the organisation have the practical support they need. For example, our Chief Operating Officer, Shavone Dajee’s presence on the board and role heading up all of our operations teams sees her well positioned to provide mentorship for a large number of female leaders. This is particularly important in a historically male-dominated industry where women don’t always have the confidence to put themselves forward for leadership roles.
As women, we understand the unique challenges our female colleagues face and that allows to become powerful support systems for one another.
Looking beyond experience to potential
One of the knock-on challenges of working in a traditionally male-dominated industry is that there are few experienced women to call on for senior leadership roles. This can become a perpetuating cycle that ensures women never gain that vital experience. One of the ways CCI overcomes this is by recruiting for potential rather than experience. A big part of this was the establishment and support of the NPO, CareerBox. Through initiatives like the Work Readiness programme, CareerBox upskills previously disadvantaged women without tertiary education or industry experience for client service roles.
In this way, CCI is also helping to provide much-needed skilling, growth and employment opportunities for women who need work to support their families.
Holistic career development
On average, South African women spend at least two hours each day on family responsibilities. Balancing these commitments with their career often affects not only their chances of promotion but also their ability to retain employment. Providing a work environment in which women can achieve a critical balance across their lives is a key focus for CCI in ensuring female employees are empowered to succeed in leadership positions.
If we are to begin shifting the status quo for women on a profound scale, it’s going to require us all to think about how we can contribute. Transformation is high on the government’s agenda, and CCI plays an important part in supporting that vision. But, as President Ramaphosa puts it, to secure greater diversity, we need social solidarity. We must learn from and support one another on this journey to equality.
That is my hope for the future of this country.
*Anusha Ramraj is the Financial Director of CCI South Africa