In exclusive interaction with CXO Media and APAC Media, Amita Nijhawan, GM-HR, Oberoi Realty throws light upon how by embedding DEI into hiring, investment strategies, and workplace culture, organisations today can foster innovation, enhance community engagement, and create long-term business value.
A recent report by CREDAI and EY projects that the Indian real estate market will surpass $4.8 trillion by 2047. How is Oberoi Realty’s HR strategy evolving to support this anticipated growth, particularly in fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce?
The scale of growth projected for India’s real estate sector demands an evolved workforce strategy—one that is dynamic, diverse, and future-ready. At Oberoi Realty, we recognize that sustainable growth is driven by talent that brings varied perspectives, skills, and experiences to the table. Our HR approach is centered on attracting, nurturing, and retaining high-caliber professionals through structured leadership development programs, technology driven recruitment processes, and a strong emphasis on cross-functional expertise.
We are dedicated to creating an inclusive work environment where every individual is respected and encouraged to bring their whole self to work. Our commitment extends to providing a discrimination-free employee experience, ensuring that everyone feels valued and supported. We offer a variety of learning opportunities for all employees, promoting continuous growth and development. Through systematic and consistent integration of diversity-focused hiring practices, upskilling initiatives, and mentorship programs, we aim to create equitable career pathways for everyone.
As real estate becomes more customer-centric and design-led, we are ensuring our talent strategy aligns with these evolving market needs. Our aim is to make diversity and inclusion a business enabler, not just an HR initiative, by fostering a people-first culture. This approach emphasizes the importance of putting people at the heart of our strategy, ensuring growth, well-being, and engagement of all our stakeholders.
The CBRE India Residential Outlook 2024 highlights the sector’s resilience amid macroeconomic challenges. How does Oberoi Realty’s HR department ensure that DEI principles are integrated into its strategies to navigate such challenges effectively?
Resilience in the real estate sector can be defined not just by its financial strength, but also by fostering a culture of adaptability and innovation, both of which thrive in a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are integrating DEI principles into every stage of our HR strategy, from recruitment and leadership development to performance management and workplace culture. This comprehensive approach ensures that diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded in all aspects of our people management strategies, fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all.
Through a strategic alignment and integration of digital interventions, we take consistent steps towards leveraging data analytics, which not only helps us assess diversity gaps, but also introduce effective strategies to implement programs that ensure equitable opportunities for all.
A 2024 CBRE report indicates that India’s residential real estate sector is expected to maintain robust growth, supported by strong market fundamentals. How does Oberoi Realty’s HR team plan to attract and retain diverse talent to sustain this growth?
India’s real estate sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, positioning itself at a pivotal juncture where building a steady pipeline of diverse talent is crucial. The long-term vision for the industry must go beyond development; it should focus on cultivating a workforce that reflects the diversity of its customers, ensuring that we create not just homes, but thriving communities that align with evolving aspirations.
At Oberoi Realty, we are committed to this vision by strengthening our employer brand through ensuring competitive advantage by incorporating best practices such as promoting inclusivity, offering comprehensive benefits, investing in continuous learning, and work-life integration. Additionally, we are proud to be Great Place to Work certified, which recognizes our exceptional workplace culture based on employee feedback and engagement. This certification enhances our reputation as an employer of choice and attracts top talent.
How can organizations navigate resistance or pushback to DEI initiatives effectively?
The key to overcoming this challenge is to integrate DEI into the company’s core values and business objectives, rather than treating it as a standalone HR initiative. It is imperative to leverage data to showcase the tangible impact of a diverse workforce.
It is critical that companies invest in building an effective review and analysis process that aligns inclusivity to company’s business success which will enable companies to embrace DEI as a strategic growth driver, fuelling innovation and performance, rather than merely fulfilling compliance requirements.
What does the future of DEI in real estate look like? What trends or shifts do you foresee in making DEI an enduring business imperative?
Our people-first approach has always placed Oberoi Realty ahead of the curve, driven by pioneering strategies that prioritize inclusive leadership development. Over the years, we have been taking strategic measures to foster a strong and diverse talent pipeline. Through this, we ensure that the organization’s decisions are shaped by a wide range of perspectives, strengthening both innovation and decision-making.
Looking ahead, we anticipate a significant shift towards global DEI standards, with a stronger emphasis on data-driven frameworks. Furthermore, to make DEI a part of the company’s ecosystem we must embed it into core strategies, with strong leadership commitment and accountability.
It is critical to leverageanalytics to track hiring, retention, and career progression to ensure meaningful DEI implementation. According to me, sustainable DEI practices, external partnerships, compliance and investor expectations will be key drivers in future. With growing awareness and conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion, it is expected that DEI will become an operational necessity, essential for companies to remain relevant, competitive and future-ready.
How can HR leaders ensure DEI is prioritized by leadership beyond just being an HR initiative?
In a bid to ensure that DEI practices are prioritized by leadership beyond just being an HR initiative, HR leaders should integrate DEI into the business strategy, set clear accountability measures, and promote an inclusive culture. Leadership must visibly commit to DEI vision and leverage data to track progress. The insights gained from data analysis should be followed up by targeted interventions and use it for informed decisions about DEI strategies. Thus, integrating DEI into the core business strategy will drive meaningful outcomes and creates a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
A 2024 report by LinkedIn India states that 78% of Indian job seekers prioritize companies with strong DEI policies. How is Oberoi Realty’s HR team ensuring that DEI is embedded in recruitment and talent acquisition strategies?
The modern workforce seeks more than just competitive salaries, they prioritize purpose, culture and inclusivity. Keeping this into perspective, we have been redefining hiring practices at a sector-wide level by ensuring DEI is woven into every stage of recruitment.
To ensure a bias-free hiring process, we regularly train our hiring managers on key aspects of inclusive hiring practices like mitigating unconscious bias, avoiding derailers for inclusiveness, cultural competency to value different backgrounds etc. We use diverse interview panels for multiple perspectives and structured interviews with competency-based selection process which ensures equal opportunities for across diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, we craft inclusive job descriptions to attract diverse candidates, we also showcase our best DEI practices across multiple platforms to ensure we attract diverse talent. These steps ensure we create a more inclusive and equitable hiring environment.
What steps can real estate firms take to attract and retain diverse talent, especially women in leadership roles?
We strongly believe that for effectively fostering innovation and creativity, it is important to execute policies that efficiently attract and retain diverse talent in the real estate industry In line with this, we have been implementing inclusive hiring practices, creating an appealing environment for a wide range of candidates will ensure a diverse and innovative workforce. Furthermore, to retain diverse talent, it is critical to provide continuous learning opportunities, foster an inclusive work environment, offer competitive benefits, recognize contributions, and promote work-life balance.
Real estate, like many industries, has witnessed limited women representation in leadership positions, however this is steadily changing. As an industry, we must take collaborative efforts to actively break barriers that limit women’s participation.
For instance, at Oberoi Realty, we have launched initiatives like our “Return to Work” program, which encourages candidates who have taken a career break to restart their professional journeys. We are proud to have created a safe work environment for all, especially women, and are honoured to have received the KelpHR POSH Award 2024 for being one of the “Top 25 Safest Workplaces in India.” Our commitment to empowering women is evident through various leadership programs, including our flagship program titled “Flying Lessons”, which has been implemented for the past three years to build our internal talent pipeline. This program is designed to help women employees to accelerate their career, plan their career path so that they achieve their full potential.
We support women through critical phases of their lives through various work-integration initiatives. In the real estate sector, we boast a higher ratio of women employees compared to our counterparts and are dedicated to further enhancing this ratio. We have successfully placed many women in mid-senior to leadership roles, managing critical responsibilities. Thus, similar strategies will help build a diverse and innovative workforce and help creating inclusive culture and supporting career growth, wherein real estate firms can attract and retain diverse talent.
Sugandha Bahl Vij, APAC Media
