This document provides recommendations for Hitachi Consulting to promote women in the workplace. It recommends a three-pronged approach: expanding the vision through publicizing initiatives and a mission statement; increasing recruitment through scholarships and campus relationships; and enhancing retention with mentoring, flexible work arrangements, and transition support. Specific recommendations include declaring a commitment to diversity, highlighting successful women employees, and formalizing mentoring and coaching programs. Cultural considerations for different regions are also addressed. The recommendations aim to attract, develop, and retain top female talent.

1. Hitachi Consulting
Garret Bassett, Meg DeWolf, Haley Frame,
Maya Inoue, Anthony Miller
1

2. Having a gender diverse workforce is integral to a company’s success.
As the number of talented women in the workforce increase, the
responsibility to attract and retain these women lies with individual
companies.
22
15
17
11
ROE Operating
ROE and Operating Comparing
Proportion of Women2
High Share Low Share
1The Importance of sex, The Economist, 2006
2Women Matter 2010, McKinsey & Company, 2011
World Bank found that eliminating
discrimination against women in
employment could increase
productivity per worker by 40%.
1
2

3. For Hitachi Consulting, we recommend a three pronged approach to
promote women in the workplace. These recommendations result
from best practices found in the consulting industry and prominent
companies.
• Declare the mission
statement
• Publicize women
initiatives on website
• Reinforce the culture
of inclusion
Expand the
Vision
• Implement a
scholarship program
• Increase campus
presence
• Explore referral
incentives
Increase
Recruitment
• Institute a formal
mentoring program
• Look into flexible work
arrangements
• Coach employees
through transitions
Enhance
Retention1. 2. 3.
3

4. Promoting Women at Hitachi Consulting Agenda
• Expand the Vision
• Increase Recruiting
• Enhance Retention
• United Kingdom
• China
• India
4

5. Recommendation: To increase the visibility of C-level executives’ commitment to
women’s initiatives, as well as creating a Women’s Section as a subsidiary of the
Inclusion and Diversity section on the website.
• At least one C-level executive champions the effort
• C-level exec drafts a statement to fit the objective the
company determines, and places new statement in new
women’s section
The Need: Improving Hitachi Consulting’s brand recognition as a
company that values women, Spreading the vision to every
employee, and Attracting performing women to the company.
5

6. Diversity and gender initiatives must come from the CEO. Through
their support, successful programs can be implemented
• Deloitte and Accenture began their women initiatives in 1993
after C-level leadership realized the high turnover rate for women
• McKinsey’s research shows that CEO involvement is integral for
programs to be fully implemented into a company
• PwC’s CEO Canada stated, “A key element of our strategy is how
we attract, keep and advance women. Studies show greater
diversity leads to stronger business performance.”
• A McKinsey study revealed that although 80% of CEOs had made
gender diversity a priority, only 50% of employees believed the
CEO was committed; visibility is required
6

7. We recommend that Hitachi Consulting publicize and market the WIN! Network
and also highlight individual women on the Web.
• Market WIN! Network by describing specific activities
• Keep updated as events occur
• Highlight specific women with a photo and a bio and a success story
• A lower cost possibility: Facebook page to highlight successful women and
market the events WIN! Holds
• Easier to maintain than a website
• Encourages interaction with page and with other social media
7

8. Facebook Page
8

9. Competitive consulting firms declare their mission statement of
inclusion, publicize their women’s initiatives, and profile their
excellent women employees.
9

10. Example questions:
• Tell me about your background and
career journey.
• Did you have a plan when you started
out?
• What is your current role and how did
you get started?
• What advice would you give to young
women starting their careers?
• How would you define success?
Ernst & Young’s Women in Leadership page features “successful and inspirational
business women.” Hitachi Consulting could take a similar approach with
outstanding female employees.
10

11. Promoting Women at Hitachi Consulting Agenda
• Expand the Vision
• Increase Recruiting
• Enhance Retention
• United Kingdom
• China
• India
11

12. Recommendation: Revamp the recruiting process for
new hires by sponsoring scholarships and building
meaningful campus relationships with key locations.
• Sponsor scholarships
• Scholarship recipients become brand ambassadors
• Build strong campus relationships
• Focus on depth of relationships, not breadth
• HCC women need to be visible throughout the
process
• Women specific events
12

13. Corporations look at scholarships as a reinvestment of wealth—an
investment in talent. Scholarships provide motivation and
development for future employees and executives.
• Research from The Economist: Female Power
• The best-educated women have always been more likely than
other women to work.
• Companies currently engaged in scholarship programs:
• Microsoft
• Google
• Apple
• Bain & Company
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers
• Deloitte
13

14. Sponsoring several scholarships for women in leading business schools will
increase Hitachi’s access to top female talent. Pairing scholarships with
recruiting efforts will also promote positive brand recognition for HCC as a
company with a strong initiative geared towards women.
• Step one: Decided on type and amount of scholarships to
be awarded
• Merit, financial need, dollar amount, number of scholarships—
a lot of flexibility here
• Step two: Identify strategic campuses to build relationships
with
• Local schools located close to HCC offices, top business schools
• Step three: Establish strong recruiting relationships
• Women in Business campus clubs, brand ambassadors
(scholarship recipients), campus event days
14

15. Prominent companies also build meaningful relationships with
specific colleges and universities. These recruiting efforts combined
with scholarships help companies gain access to top female talent.
Sponsored a case competition at BYU
Deloitte India
Campus days at leading women-only colleges in India;
Program began in 2006 and today, 38% of Deloitte India are
women
Increase in minority workforce recruitment by 30%
15

16. Recommendation: Revamp the recruiting process for
experienced hires by establishing networks early on
and utilizing employees in talent management.
• Establish networks of talented women early on
• Pipeline approach
• Be building a network of top-talent prior to job openings
• Top-talent will be snatched up quick
• Utilize employee resources to access talent
• Referral incentive program
• Build a recruiting culture
• Establish metric for return on investment
• 77% of HR professionals do not understand how recruiting affects—
whether positively or negatively—the bottom line (www.recruitingtrends.com).
16

17. Promoting Women at Hitachi Consulting Agenda
• Expand the Vision
• Increase Recruiting
• Enhance Retention
• United Kingdom
• China
• India
17

18. Retention can be increased by implementing mentoring, promoting
flexibility in work schedules, and helping employees through
transition periods in their lives. These initiatives are essential to
retain women in the workplace.
Mentoring
Flexibility
Transition
Programs
Retention
McKinsey’s Women Matter study revealed that
next to CEO commitment to diversity, increasing
the skills of women and mentoring were essential
to promote women in the workplace.
A survey of two hundred human resource
managers found that two-thirds named family-
supportive policies (including workplace
flexibility) as the single most important factor
in attracting and retaining employees.
Women find it difficult to balance work and life
balance. Companies are increasing in providing
programs to aide women through transition
periods.
18

19. Retention Step 1: A formalized mentoring program, initially
implemented as a pilot, is a relatively inexpensive way to increase
women leaders within the firm.
Program Steps:
• Mentors and Mentees assigned. If both the
Mentor and the Mentee have an input on who
they would prefer to be matched with the
assignments do not need to be gender specific
• A kick-off event is held at the beginning of the
12 month program
• A formal evaluation of both the mentor and
the mentee is made after six months by
program director
• A completion ceremony is held at the
conclusion of the twelve-month program
Resources and Elements necessary:
• A VP or C Level who understands the vision
and is the champion of the program
• A program director (in the initial stages of
the program this can be a part-time position)
• A minimal budget set aside for kick-off event,
mid-year event, and any initial seminars
• Training for both the Mentor and the Mentee
• Establish metrics to measure success of the
program
19

20. Leadership development programs help women to see who they can
become professionally, increase their feelings of self worth within
the firm, and increase the retention of top female talent.
• Infosys: An individual mentor is assigned to a
recent graduate of the training facility based in
Mysore, India. There are three tracks that the
recent graduate can be guided through:
Delivery, Sales, and Leadership. The mentor
and recent graduate set goals together and
work towards advancement and meaningful
contributions.
• Accenture: A group of female managers is
invited to participate in a one-year mentorship
program. Mentors are partners, both male and
female. A questionnaire is administered to
match mentor with manager. An individualized
mentorship experience follows, with at least
four face-to-face meetings between mentor
and mentored.
• McKinsey: Provides an array of leadership
seminars and classes for female employees.
20

21. By implementing a formal mentoring program that may be combined
with career advising, Hitachi Consulting can retain the top female
talent which will help increase the company’s value.
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1993 2013
Results of Deloitte’s Mentoring
Program
Women Partners
Deloitte hosts at least 400
networking and mentoring events
for professional development of
women which has helped promote
women into various leadership
positions. In 1993 they had 100
female partners, that number has
grown to 1000.
“...in order to take your leadership to a
different level, you need to empower others
and give them the opportunity to do things
that you are currently doing.”
-Deb Dehaas, Chief Inclusion Officer, Deloitte
“Unleashing potential: Women Initiative Annual Report, Deloitte
21

22. Retention Step 2: By incorporating a variety of flexible work programs,
Hitachi Consulting can incorporate a variety of options for its employees
because one size does not fit all. Implementing flexible work schedules and
flexible paths toward promotion attracts more potential employees and
encourages current employees, especially women, to stay at the firm.
• Many of the top companies implement a variety of flexibility
programs available for its employees
• What is essential is that being on a flexible work schedule does
not hinder promotion
22

23. Implementing flexible work schedules depends on the company’s strategy
and demographics. Pilot-studies should be conducted to determine what
options fit best for the company. Some studies have indicated that flexible
work programs were most effective in reducing absences from work and
generating higher profits.
CCH Incorporated (2005). 2005 Unscheduled Absence Survey. Riverwoods, IL: Author.
Meyer, C.S., Murkerjee, S., Sestero, A. (2001). Work-family benefits: Which ones maximize profits? Journal of Managerial issues 13 (1), p. 38
• Flexible programs can
increase job satisfaction,
decrease turnover, and
increase productivity
• Telecommuting has shown to
increase the rate of profit by
an additional six-tenths of
one percent, which equaled
approximately $84 million
23

24. All companies recognized as “best” in this field implement various
types of flexibility programs.
Bain & Company,
McKinsey, and Slalom
Consulting offer programs
that allow employees to
take up to several weeks of
time off.
BCG’s PTO allows for
"sustainable intensity" for
employees. Each time
employees are put on a new
project, they meet and set
norms and predictable
schedules for the team
McKinsey’s Flexibility
Intranet includes case
examples and video
testimonials, training on
formal policies, and tips and
resources on how to work
more flexibly with clients
and on client teams.
Accenture’s Flex Time allows
employees to vary their start
and finish times around
predetermined core hours, or
work their standard hours in
fewer than five days by
varying the length of each
workday.
24

25. Retention Step 3: By providing mentoring or coaching for those in transition
periods, Hitachi Consulting can help retain talented women in the
workforce. Mentoring has proven to be effective in providing the resources
necessary for mothers to re-enter the work force.
90%
10%
PwC's Return Rate from
Maternity Leave
Return Leave
• “Working Mother’s “100 Best
Companies for 15 consecutive
years
• No. 1 DiversityInc Top Companies
• Catalyst Award for efforts to
advance and retain women
Awards and
Recognitions
• “That is why PwC is committed to
creating and maintaining an
environment that supports the
needs of our working parents in
good times and in bad. Our latest
efforts such as Mentor Moms
don't require big budgets, just
creative collaboration and
effective use of resources."
Jennifer
Allyn,
Managing
Director
of Gender
Retention
25

26. This can be accomplished through informal or formal coaching
programs. This must happen before an employee phases into
another chapter of life, during that period, and after, to aid in
transitioning back into the workforce.
Formal coaching program can be
tested by a pilot-group.
Mothers should be with their coach
for a minimum of 16 weeks: 4
weeks prior to maternity leave, 8
weeks during maternity leave, 4
weeks after maternity leave.
Training required to increase
coach’s knowledge of programs
Hitachi Offer
Costs: Program Director, Training
time, Training Resources
Informal programs can be
started through networks.
Creating networks for working
mothers provide a low-cost
option for companies.
Low Cost: Create a intranet
where individuals know
where these informal
networks exist
26

27. Promoting Women at Hitachi Consulting Agenda
• Expand the Vision
• Increase Recruiting
• Enhance Retention
• United Kingdom
• China
• India
27

28. Cultural Impact: UK
• Mentoring
• Deloitte – Women in
Leadership
• PwC – Yorkshire
networking scheme
• Recruiting/Scholarships
• Deloitte – Scholar
Scheme
• PwC – Lord Benson
Award
39 weeks of paid maternity leave
28 days of paid holiday
28

29. Promoting Women at Hitachi Consulting Agenda
• Expand the Vision
• Increase Recruiting
• Enhance Retention
• United Kingdom
• China
• India
29

30. China’s booming economy indicate that there is great potential to
recruit the top female talent into the workplace.
• 32% of senior
managers are female
• BCG predicts female
earnings will grow
from $1.3 trillion in
2010 to $4 trillion by
2020
• Tertiary education
has increased by 23%
30

31. The Chinese culture may promote a stronger mentor-protégé
relationship than in the United States. However, Hitachi Consulting
must provide transition programs and flexibility for individuals taking
care of the elderly
• A study showed that mentoring relationships were
understood in a similar way as Western employees
• 95% of respondents in the Center for Work-Life Policy
stated that they currently take care of the elderly
• 88% face Daughterly guilt
31

32. Promoting Women at Hitachi Consulting Agenda
• Expand the Vision
• Increase Recruiting
• Enhance Retention
• United Kingdom
• China
• India
32

33. There are many talented women in the workforce in India. Recruiting
efforts must be more aggressive in India due to the labor supply.
Concentrating on campus recruiting will aide Hitachi Consulting in
recruiting talented females into their workforce.
• Due to the lack of education, many
women do not enter into the labor
force but this has increased by 10%
in the last 10 years. 1
• BCG projects that by 2020, there
will be 158 million working women
in India, with their earnings
increasing to $900 billion
1New Study finds the solution to China’s Talent crunch (2011). Center for Work Life Policy. Worklifepolicy.org
33

34. Culturally, there will be no barriers for mentoring programs in India.
Formalized programs are encouraged.
• South Asian women (India included) benefit from both male and
female mentor relationships
• 85% of women, compared to 52% of women in US are eager to
be promoted to the next level, but are hesitant to be aggressive
for this behavior is often seen as inappropriate
• Skills should be focused on enhancing presentation skills and
being more assertiveness
34

35. Flexible work schedules and maternity transition programs are very
important factors for women in the workplace in India.
52% of women in India face
pressure to drop out after having
their first child
62% face maternity guilt for
working
Flexible Work Schedules Maternity Transition Program
Deepali Bagati (201) “2010 India Benchmarking Report” Catalyst. http://catalyst.org35

36. Thank You
36

37. In order to gather the best and most comprehensive information, the
following resources were used:
• Official company websites: BCG, Bain & Company,
McKinsey, Deloitte Consulting, Accenture, etc.
• Press releases: 2012 Working Mother Best 100 Companies
• Journal articles: Harvard Business School articles, published
research from McKinsey, BCG, The Economist, etc.
• Personal interviews: With individuals currently employed at
the companies listed above.
• Opinion articles: Blog posts from Harvard Business Review,
articles from The Atlantic, etc.
37