As an engineering company, it is also our responsibility to accelerate participation of women in our industry at all levels.

Sweta Singh
People and Culture Head, Volvo CE India

How do you see the role of women evolving in the construction equipment industry?

If you look at the recent gender statistics in our country, we have 106 men for every 100 women. However, this reality does not reflect at our workplaces, there is a huge gender imbalance that exist in our industry. We need to have workplaces that mirrors our society to be able to harness the full potential that is available and gives us also a chance to include everyone in building the world we want to live in.

Additionally, gender equality is increasingly viewed as a baseline feature of a well-managed organizations globally, it facilitates a better business understanding of how to appeal to both genders as customers and what products and services women and men need and want. This should also help our industry create new markets and increase market share. The role of women in our industry is evolving fast and poses huge opportunities that lies ahead of us.

What are the key challenges women face in this traditionally male-dominated sector?

Traditionally, we have a challenging ecosystem including the mindset that makes it even harder. There is a tendency to believe that in some roles only men hold the required competence. Going forward, we need to better understand what competence we are exactly looking for and how it can be identified more clearly. For examples in the hiring process, looking beyond prior job title of potential candidates. Recruiting solely based on past success perpetuates predominantly male characteristics, limiting opportunities for both men and women in our sector.

We tend to use established networks with people we know or can easily relate to. The fact that we already have more male than female employees and leaders in this industry, automatically favors men over women if we don´t actively question our bias. We must address the existing imbalance and recognize that competence doesn’t always look the same but can manifest itself in various forms, transcending conventional expectations.

What steps has your company taken to promote gender diversity and inclusivity in the workforce?

At Volvo CE, we have identified the need for an improved gender balance within. To address the existing gap, we have set a clear commitment: by 2030, we aim for at least 35% of our overall workforce and 35% of the leadership positions to be held by women. Our goal is to achieve an even stronger gender balance in the long term. 

We strive to create an environment where everyone can make meaningful contributions.                         Inclusion is the foundation to build diversity of any sort, and we are embedding this in all our people processes right from recruitment to exit. For me, the most important step has been on building leaders’ ownership and involvement that drives meaningful actions on DEI. We have worked with making leaders as our Co-pilots, giving them autonomy in DEI goal setting, helping them contextualize and find their own unique barriers to success and build plans aligning with the overall company ambitions. We have also created awards to recognize champions, Inclusive Leaders and best initiatives that is helping us build a diverse and inclusive workplace.  We see progress by changing the way we work on Diversity and Inclusion.

Can you share details about any specific policies or programs aimed at recruiting, retaining, and upskilling women in your company? How do you address skill gaps and ensure equal career growth opportunities for women?

We have various initiatives in our company aimed at supporting and creating equal opportunities for women. One of them is ExcelHer – A Career Returnship program to invite women professional on break, back into the corporate world. This nine-month program provides women aspirants an opportunity to hone their professional skills, fulfil their career aspirations and facilitate the transition of re-joining the workplace on a full-time basis. In general, for any of our lateral recruitment process, we use gender decoder application before posting job applications and that makes our vacancies more appealing to a broader set of people. In addition, we also put emphasis on having 50% of the candidates in sourcing pipeline be women to create an equal opportunity for selection.

Another flagship program is mPowerHer – A women leadership program that enables mid-career women professionals to accelerate their leadership journey. This is a 12-month experiential program to help women develop greater self-awareness, discover their strengths and potential by building a stronger mindset, and help bridge the barriers in one’s leadership journey.

These programs aim at recruiting and retaining women by developing them and bridging the skill gaps that is needed to make a stronger career in the corporate world.

How does your company provide special training programs or mentorship initiatives to encourage women’s participation in construction equipment operations, engineering, or manufacturing?

As an engineering company, it is also our responsibility to accelerate participation of women in our industry at all levels. We take pride in our “Volvo Iron Woman program” which empowers and uplift women in India by providing specialized training program that enables them to become skilled operators and mechanics of construction equipment. Through this program, we also aim to reduce gender disparity in the construction industry, enhance employment opportunities, and contribute to the rebuilding and development of our country. This program is done in partnership with our customers and together we will steadily be building the India for tomorrow.

What measures have you implemented to ensure a safe and inclusive workplace for women?

Inclusion doesn’t come from a single action – it requires a holistic approach to truly make an impact. Through workshops and open dialogues, we established a shared understanding of what behaviors and actions are acceptable and what are not, setting clear ground rules that fosters a work environment where everyone feels they belong. To truly become a workplace with a strong Inclusion focus, we must not see this as an occasional initiative - it must be deeply integrated into our daily work.”

What more can the industry do to encourage greater participation of women in the construction equipment sector?

The industry must work collaboratively to challenge existing stereotypes and create pathways for women to enter and excel in this field. This includes forming partnerships with academia to inspire early interest in STEM careers, running targeted recruitment campaigns to attract women, and sharing best practices on concentrated efforts of bringing more women to our industry.

At Volvo CE, very recently we hosted the tecHer initiative where we invited schoolgirl students to our campus. We made them experience our yellow machines in a simulated environment and through AR VR functionality in addition to the powerful stories from our technology women leaders. Our effort was to inspire and shape these young minds to take up STEM career and present our industry as an attractive place for women.

What are your recommendations for policymakers, industry leaders, and educational institutions to create a more inclusive workforce?

Policymakers can look at incentivizing organizations that demonstrate measurable progress in DEI initiatives. Educational institutions need to collaborate with in

dustries to develop integrated curriculums and promote STEM careers among young women. Industry leaders, in turn, must work proactive to improve the overall ecosystem and go beyond just measuring DEI metrics to see progress rather bring an integrated approach that drives meaningful actions not only inside the company but involving the community at large.