From 4 to 40: How MullenLowe Sri Lanka built a gender-diverse work culture

• Forging gender parity initiatives should not be a corporate statement but an investment in human capital for wholesome business return

In 2016, MullenLowe Sri Lanka embarked on an ambitious mission to realign everything around its business, people, and culture. These years, especially, the recent 3 taught us more things than at any earlier time. Totally unprepared, we were pushed deep into a hitherto unexplored territory, having to learn and unlearn in quick succession from both successes and failures, recalibrating the business on a course to fiercely thrive, then survive.

We learned that culture is never just a buzzword, nor a box to tick; it›s the very DNA that moulds teams and propels businesses to greater heights. It›s the core of a business and dictates people›s behaviour and consecutive results. Building a culture where people could thrive also stimulates conditions for them to become more effective in their work. And when they thrive, they›re more engaged. And, when they›re more engaged, their satisfaction and commitment levels accelerate having a dynamic impact on results. Post-COVID, people approached their work with brand new priorities on how they would effectively manage their jobs and lives. As a company, we readily acknowledged these signs and adapted to a new culture accommodating changes that were of mutual benefit for employees and the company.

It thus became the need of the hour for a ‹culture by design› rather than a ‹culture by default›. During this transformative period of our lives genders and their inherent strengths were studied. We decided this would be key in the new ‹culture by design› – using innate strengths for career progression and business optimisation.

Gender diversity contributes to a wider range of experiences and backgrounds leading to a more creative and cutting-edge workplace. Males and females bring very different characteristics to the table, and a sound collaboration significantly enhances the strategic and creative process of our business. Women are often more empathetic than men, helping to build stronger relationships and creating a supportive work environment. Women also frequently use collaboration and communication as day-to-day tools, which lead to greater teamwork and inclusivity.

To reach this milestone, we meaningfully revamped our attraction and selection process to shortlist a wider talent pool which accelerated the recruitment and retention of women from 4% in 2016 to 40% in Q1 of 2023. However, this led to new challenges.

Using DEI metrics and evolving from traditional leadership styles

The under-representation of women in leadership has been a continuing issue in many organizations, for decades. Despite advancements in gender equality, women continue to face barriers in breaking through the glass ceiling. As more women attain leadership positions, they can change orthodox leadership styles and promote a more balanced, inclusive, and equitable workplace. Female leadership style is based on 2 Cs – Communication and Collaboration and is less hierarchical than conventional ones.

A woman embodies feminine and masculine energies and can use these advantageously, as required, when in empowered positions. Creating a fine balance between actions, results, and milestones on the one hand; and compassion, sensitivity, and inclusiveness on the other, is instinctive to most women. This fine waltz between the two is needed and we believe women have a significant role to play in furthering this agenda.

Our world has changed so much and to withstand this pirouetting world, we need more female leaders than just female employees who increase the ratio. Sadly, a high percentage of women opt out of long-term careers due to some gender-related challenges, from menstrual issues to childbirth, perinatal depression to child-care, and menopause. We also realised that certain cultural sensitivities in traditional communities pose more challenges to women than any corporate structure – e.g., stereotyping - where a woman is expected to shoulder a greater responsibility in raising a family can pressurise her into not pursuing long-term senior roles within the company. 

A woman embodies feminine and masculine energies and can use these advantageously, as required, when in empowered positions. Creating a fine balance between actions, results, and milestones on the one hand; and compassion, sensitivity, and inclusiveness on the other, is instinctive to most women. This fine waltz between the two is needed and we believe women have a significant role to play in furthering this agenda

We introduced a series of initiatives to help get us started on this journey:

• Sponsored learning programs, a fresh career growth charter, and tackling systemic barriers that hinder women’s progress, we saw a strong representation of women in key managerial positions by Q1 of 2023, compared to 2016 when most women were either in junior or operational positions.
• To help them navigate the physiological challenges they face, we introduced paid menstrual leave, sanitary napkins on call, extended paid parental leave and flexible-nursing schedules, free breast cancer screening, and flexible working hours.
• In the height of the crises, we eased their family-care responsibilities by dispatching a consignment of dry rations to each of their homes during the lockdown years of 2020 and 2021, and schoolbooks and food vouchers during the economic crunch in 2022.
• Medical health schemes were tailor-made to include cover for critical illness, 24-hour personal accident, life insurance, and outpatient expenses – with added monetary help from the company wherever needed.
• Critically ill patients were assessed under humanitarian grounds and employee benefits extended as needed.
• Mental health and well-being were given due importance, and various initiatives introduced, with a company-appointed counsellor to help employees navigate and overcome these challenges.
• Meals and safe company transport are provided an hour earlier for women than the entitlement for males when on late hour work schedules.
• To counter stereotyping, we introduced paternity leave for male employees irrespective of whether a wife/partner worked for an organisation or not. It was one way to seed and promote the concept of shared parenting and support women at home paving the way for them to follow their ambitions.
• Monthly recognition programs were introduced to motivate and encourage them to reach their highest potential.
• A firm policy of ‘zero tolerance of abuse’ – be it verbal, physical, sexual, emotional, or discriminatory. It’s a social problem that could emerge, but the action is swift to ensure that women can thrive in a safe environment. We combated micro aggressions (subtle, unintentional forms of discrimination that can significantly impact individuals) with the ‘escalate through an open-door policy’ to help address these in confidence.
• Enrolling more females into the company’s operating committee (OpCo) for a more holistic culture-building and decision-making.
• Amplified the female voice by allowing them a ‘heard’ voice at the table. Women with great ideas were championed.
• Held women only town halls to discuss challenges and explore solutions.
• nIntroduced an ‘equal wage for equal work’ policy.
• “Fire the CEO” is a day assigned annually where the CEO is fired with tough questions by employees on various topics in an open forum setting, with the employees themselves having free reign to suggest solutions.

Our world has changed so much and to withstand this pirouetting world, we need more female leaders than just female employees who increase the ratio. Sadly, a high percentage of women opt out of long-term careers due to some gender-related challenges, from menstrual issues to childbirth, perinatal depression to child-care, and menopause. We also realised that certain cultural sensitivities in traditional communities pose more challenges to women than any corporate structure – e.g., stereotyping -where a woman is expected to shoulder a greater responsibility in raising a family can pressurise her into not pursuing long-term senior roles within the company

Our work here is still not complete, perhaps it would never be as it is a continuously evolving sphere. As an organisation, MullenLowe will continue to take bold strides to ensure it stays ahead of the curve. Gender equity in its authenticity is about creating a safe platform for both men and women to do their best work and thrive and align that with other things held dear to them. There will also be a need to reframe the hackneyed debate on ‘women’s issues’, with the old narrative requiring women to be fixed, or ‘lean in’ and fix themselves.

Progress is guaranteed when more people in an organisation agree on what is acceptable or not. It happens when a wider section of people bravely engages in conscientious and ambitious conversations on ideal ways of feeding off each gender’s strengths and working together. MullenLowe, actively encourages this alliance to take place. We recognise that representing causes for gender parity at the workplace and empowerment have mostly become ambitious corporate statements with little actually done to support them meaningfully.

Attaining an inclusive workplace would always be an evolving process and we would have much more work to be done. We firmly believe we are on the right path above the rhetoric, with our business results standing in testimony of our cause.

The writer leads people and culture at MullenLowe Sri Lanka. Her experience comes from leading and championing change in the human capital segment, in demographically diverse workforces in Sri Lanka and Dubai, in the advertising, retail fashion, and food and entertainment industries.