HRO Today APAC Spring 2020 - 13

Diversity & Inclusion
Research shows that these organisations spend less on
procurement operations-in part, because they require
fewer procurement staff-and generate a higher return
on investment.
Female suppliers are good at what they do. They don't
run their businesses as a hobby. They do it because
they're very qualified. They deserve a seat at the table
to pitch for request for proposals. If they're good, they'll
win the contract. If they're not, then they don't.
HRO Today APAC: How does WEConnect International foster
supply chain diversity?
Venkatachalam: WEConnect International identifies,
educates, registers, and certifies women's business
enterprises based outside the U.S. that are at least 51
per cent owned, as well as managed and controlled, by
one or more women. And we connect them to qualified
buyers across the globe.
We start by examining the supply chains of large
procurement organisations-in companies, governments,
and multilateral agencies-to understand how much they
currently source from female-owned businesses. We also
identify relevant suppliers that are owned by women.
WEConnect International's corporate members control
over U.S.$1 trillion in annual purchasing decisions. These
companies include Accenture, Apple, Cargill, Dun &
Bradstreet, and WestPac, to name just a few.
As for suppliers, our network covers nearly every industry
imaginable. Approximately one-third of WEConnect
International's suppliers offer professional services.
Another 11 per cent are involved with manufacturing,
whilst some 7 per cent are in F&B and food services.
Other suppliers are more or less evenly divided between
a host of sectors, including business support services,
education, health care, human resources, IT, and travel.
Over the past year, WEConnect International has
identified more than 6,500 specific leads for qualified
suppliers to pitch our corporate members for new
business.
HRO Today APAC: In addition to making connections,
you also work to build the capacities of female-owned
companies. How do you do this?
Venkatachalam: To help female-owned companies thrive
and better meet client needs, we offer training on a
broad range of topics, including finance, legal resources,
and how to pitch large corporate organisations, and
we do that in partnership with the Proctor & Gamble
Company.
In addition, together with Moody's and the International
Finance Corporation, an affiliate of the World Bank, we
also provide training on how to access finance.
HRO Today APAC: What sort of resistance do you face from
companies in the region?
Venkatachalam: Sometimes, business leaders are surprised
or even sceptical that female-owned businesses provide
the products and services required by their companies.
Worse yet, I've encountered male procurement officers
who ask, " Do women really have the time to manage
large contracts? Can they balance this with their
responsibilities at home? "
To my surprise, a female entrepreneur expressed the
same sentiment to me during a forum in Vietnam. " If you
win a million-dollar contract, couldn't you hire someone
to help you at home? " I asked her in reply, earning the
laughter of other women in the room.
At WEConnect International, we're fighting for female
suppliers to have a seat at the table. Even though the
business case for this is strong, we must still address the
cultural issues that foster and support discrimination.
HRO Today APAC: What advice or tips do you have for HR
leaders?
Venkatachalam: If a business wants to truly be inclusive,
it needs to closely link its internal and external diversity
and inclusion initiatives. A holistic approach ensures
that a company's D&I credo is authentic and reflects all
stakeholders.
Yet HR and procurement often work in separate silos.
Procurement leaders seem to have problems talking to
the human resources part of their organisation and vice
versa. This dilutes the impact of inclusion programmes on
both sides.
So, the number one thing I would like to encourage
HR professionals to do is to build bridges with their
counterparts in procurement.
SPRING 2020 | www.hrotoday.com/APAC
[13]
http://www.hrotoday.com/APAC
HRO Today APAC Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of HRO Today APAC Spring 2020
