MAM
Muthoot Microfin hires 2,300+ employees during pandemic
New Delhi: At a time when businesses worldwide are struggling to retain employees and maintain salaries, Muthoot Microfin has expanded its employee strength by 37 per cent.
In a statement issued on Friday, the microfinance firm said it has hired more than 2,300 employees while opening as many as 64 new offices across different parts of the country. Most of the new employees were roped in as part of recruitment drives conducted for candidates who had lost their job due to the pandemic.
The firm has allowed all employees to work from home during the period, apart from providing Covid insurance for all, covering hospitalisation costs as well as expenses on medicine. “Besides, Muthoot Microfin ensured no pay cut and complete job security for all employees. It was on the basis of these aforementioned initiatives that the company was ranked among ‘Best Place to Work’ by GPTW Institute,” said the company.
Muthoot Microfin CEO Sadaf Sayeed said, “We have always kept employee wellbeing on the top of the pedestal, as they are the backbone of our institution. As the pandemic struck, we issued alerts and opened a full-fledged control room to address the panic and concerns among our employees. Also, we actively engaged with them through skill development programs.”
The company’s HR head Subhransu Pattnayak added, “Our communication strategy was primarily to keep in constant touch with all employees throughout the lockdown period and keep a tab on their safety and wellbeing. We also rolled out a slew of employee engagement activities, associated with online learning platforms and activated internal LMS for skill training of employees. We invested a lot on providing training to our staff over the past year.”
The company has disbursed Rs 2,700 crores worth of loans in FY2021.
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33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
