MAM
Cheil Worldwide SW Asia powers up digital quotient
MUMBAI: Cheil Worldwide SW Asia announced the appointment of Avinash Joshi as media director, where he will be responsible for the agency’s social media practice.
Joshi is a digital marketing expert with over 15 years of experience in leveraging social insights, trends in emerging technology and human interaction to understand, explain, predict and influence consumer behaviour in digital, social and emerging channels.
Cheil Worldwide SW Asia COO Hari Krishnan said, “Avinash is an incredibly passionate yet methodical advocate of social media. His multi-faceted experience across project management, creative, technology and media will be immensely valuable for our clients at Cheil India.”
“While most of the digital verticals are headed by seasoned skill leaders at Cheil India, social media leadership had remained a gap area for us. With Avinash coming onboard, am sure, we will not just offer best in class social solutions but strengthen our overall digital offering to clients”, added Cheil Worldwide SW Asia senior VP & digital head Rajesh Bhatia.
Joshi joins from SapientNitro were he was serving as digital account director and social media lead-India, growing the practice through relationships in North America, Europe and APAC.
Over the years he has managed brands including Coca Cola – Burn, Sprite and Thums Up, Citibank India, Citibank US, Unilever – Lifebuoy & Lipton, Pernod Ricard – Chivas Regal & Blenders Pride, Yum – Taco Bell India, Fiat Chrysler – Fiat and Jeep India, Abbott, MetLife, Carlton and United Breweries, Lava International – Xolo, United Nations, UNICEF, United Nations Statistics Division, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Development Coordination Office/Development Group and WHO, Red Cross (Thailand), National Statistical Office, Government of India, State Planning Commission, Government of Madhya Pradesh (India), HIV AIDs Data Hub, Asia Pacific among others.
Prior to SapientNitro, Joshi has worked with GutsGo, Avalon Information Systems, UNICEF DevInfo Support Group, Wisitech (formerly, Orient InfoSolutions) and Sunstar Communication Systems Ltd.
Brands
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.
