MARKEL INDIA ///// 29
states in the US, Canada, UK and Asia. The group talks on a monthly
basis and our role is to be the voice of the employee, whereby we
promote and provide direction to key decisions that would create a
more inclusive workspace.
One initiative that we are currently piloting is to anonymise
the recruitment process. This removes any positive or negative
recruitment bias that comes with knowing the candidate’s name, age
or address which may indicate background—be it socioeconomic,
gender, religion, or ethnicity.
While the process may be difficult to implement in some
markets—given that certain business segments have a small talent
pool, and a candidate’s résumé and work experiences may be a dead
giveaway—it is an approach we would like to adopt.
Markel also empowers our employee-led networks, which are
founded by employees to address a variety of gender, ethnicity,
experience and age-specific challenges. With the intent of including
all employees to learn and become allies for creating a more
inclusive environment, Markel’s employee networks are gaining
momentum through various networking and mentorship
opportunities as well as speaking events by industry and subject
matter experts.
As we set our sights on growing our international business,
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“One initiative that we
are currently piloting
is to anonymise the
recruitment process.”
Markel has always done this by hiring locally and diversely. This
is true for our Asia-Pacific offices in China, Hong Kong, India and
especially at our regional head office in Singapore, which is a melting
pot for religious diversity, different races and ethnicity.
With an inclusive workplace as well as a diverse and satisfied
workforce as brand ambassadors, the organisation will become a
magnet for the right talent. At Markel, we know that our employees
are our greatest assets. We firmly believe in providing a nurturing
environment guided by our ‘Markel Style’ which encourages
individuals to reach their personal potential.
We believe that a fully diverse and inclusive culture allows us to
innovate faster, deliver more compelling customer experiences, have
a strong business brand and attract the best talent.
As an industry, I believe that we are taking steps in the right
direction. Diversity in Asia means different things compared to
other parts of the world.
We need to ensure that we continue to support local needs
through global initiatives from the top so that organisations can
continue their growth along the right path. ■
Deepika Mathur is chief executive officer of Markel India. She
can be contacted at: deepika.mathur@markel.com
www.intelligentinsurer.com Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019
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