Deloitte US India (USI) DEI Transparency Report

A message from our Deloitte US Chief DEI Officer, Kavitha Prabhakar, and Deloitte USI DEI Leader, Anupama G. Kothapalli

At Deloitte, we believe that data transparency is a powerful way to encourage change and progress, especially when it comes to living Deloitte’s shared values of taking care of each other and fostering inclusion. Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Transparency Report¹ is one step in our commitment to creating the culture and systems that help ensure everyone is empowered to thrive as their exceptional selves and reach their full potential for both our US and US India workforces.

In the past year, we accelerated our efforts in our subsidiaries of Deloitte USA LLP and Deloitte LLP located in India (India Subsidiaries), referred to as “Deloitte USI” throughout this report, to meet the unique requirements for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. The Deloitte US India DEI Transparency Report details our workforce representation for the identities where we collect data—sex,² people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+—as well as the stories of our people, whose experiences, insights, and collaboration are at the core of all our DEI efforts in the region. We are optimistic about our progress against the goals established in the 2021 DEI Transparency Report to advance female representation in the workforce. In a year of expansive growth, we have achieved 41% female representation in the overall workforce and 13.2% at the director level. We added an additional leadership role, Senior Vice President (SVP), that has 26.2% female representation, improving overall representation of women in leadership roles.

Our greatest strength is our people. Their experiences in and outside of Deloitte will continue to be the guiding light for our future course of action. While we have considerable ground to cover, we are proud to reflect our progress and are steadfast in our commitment to DEI in the upcoming year.

1. This report is not meant to inculcate any view about gender, sexual orientation, or any other social identity. Instead, it offers an overview of Deloitte’s approach to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion based on these identities and an update on our progress from the publication of the 2021 DEI Transparency Report. Although diversity in this report focuses on these identities, Deloitte recognizes that diversity also goes beyond these identities and includes the characteristics with which we are born and gain through experience, both seen and unseen, that make us different and similar. ↵
2. Deloitte acknowledges the difference between sex and gender, and as of 2022, provides professionals with the opportunity to identify both. When goals were established in 2021, the data and goals were anchored in options associated with sex. Moving forward, when we refer to data and goals, we will use sex identifiers and when referring to programming, we will use gender identifiers. ↵

In all DEI efforts, our strategy is to create measurable and sustainable impact that accelerates growth and inclusion for all our professionals. We hold ourselves accountable for promoting positive change and progress by setting internal quantitative and qualitative milestones for each of our key priority areas.

Belonging through self-ID

Mary Priscilla Francis

(she/her)

Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting India Private Limited

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Our goals³ for representation and inclusion are the guiding light for the Deloitte USI DEI strategy—informing DEI choices, intentional programming, and equity interventions. In the 2021 DEI Transparency Report USI Addendum, we committed to goals to increase female representation in the workforce to 41% by 2025, increase integration across our US and USI workforces so that all team members feel seen and valued, and support DEI data transparency efforts. Since the launch of the last report, leadership established additional internal annual goals for female representation in the workforce as well as in leadership roles. We designed and implemented scalable solutions to retain and advance female professionals. We also identified internal goals for people with disabilities (PwD) inclusion and set processes in place to expand our recruitment, retention, and advancement efforts in this community. Deloitte continues to foster a safe and inclusive work environment for professionals from the LGBTQIA+ community, creating customized learning, reverse mentoring and sensitization content for various career levels including senior leadership, and enlisting specialized acquisition vendors who will help expand the pool of qualified candidates in FY2023. Throughout the year, the USI DEI team collaborated with key members of leadership, talent, and business teams to report, monitor, and advance progress toward these strategic priorities. These collective efforts reflect the organizational and individual commitment to advance DEI, and we are excited to reflect on progress and share more about the focus areas for the future.

3. Goals are not quotas. The policy of each Deloitte US firm is to seek and employ people with skill and integrity and to provide them with the means to develop professionally, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, citizenship, national origin, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable federal, state, or local law. ↵

The Deloitte USI DEI journey started more than a decade ago with gender as the key focus area. Over the years, our DEI strategy has evolved to include more identities—People with Disabilities (PwD) and LGBTQIA+—that have faced systemic biases and have been marginalized in society.

Our DEI efforts go beyond increasing representation for these disadvantaged groups. We also provide access to the support and opportunities they need to thrive and grow in the workplace. We actively engage with our people who identify as women, LGBTQIA+, and as a person with a disability to understand their unique requirements and coordinate with process and program owners to address their needs.

We are focused on building strong allies and a culture of allyship through targeted learning programs and awareness campaigns. In January 2022, we launched the Year of Allyship campaign with a conversation with industrialist Srikanth Bolla, whose perspective underscored our individual power and influence to empower others. The focus on allyship will continue in FY2023 with much greater rigor utilizing various channels.

Here’s a look at some of our progress related to our key pillars:

Women: Elevating the work experience

Gender has been at the core of all our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. In the last decade, we have come a long way in promoting equitable representation and opportunities for women, and we know there is more to be done.

Best Companies for Women in India award

Deloitte in India was recognized as one of the Top 10 Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) for the fifth time, earning a place in their Top 10 Hall of Fame. BCWI evaluates data on practices, programs, and policies to assess gender inclusion in the workplace. We are pleased to have maintained leadership on corporate India’s most comprehensive gender analytics study among more than 300 companies spanning major industries and geographies during the pandemic.

Our refreshed DEI strategy for women is focused on dismantling societal biases that hold women back in corporate settings by providing them support and allyship to stay and succeed within the organization. Since the last report, we formalized our gender council, comprising tenured women directors and allies from across the organization. This council is responsible for collaborating across DEI and business leadership teams to design and implement the gender strategy and the portfolio of gender initiatives for Deloitte USI professionals. Notable impacts of the council include the Trailblazers Women Inspire Series and Women Leaders' Program: Be Big, which you can read about below. We also launched a sponsorship framework that can help business leadership provide robust sponsorship support to women professionals across career levels.

• Deloitte USI Trailblazers Women Inspire Series: As part of our DEI efforts for women in the organization, we launched the Deloitte USI Trailblazers Women Inspire Series. The program provides a platform for women professionals across career levels to engage with tenured women directors and learn from their experiences and journeys as they navigate their careers. In six successful editions of the program in FY2022, we hosted women directors from across the organization to address women professionals on topics ranging from taking charge of your financial well-being to managing crisis and conflict at work.
• Women Leaders' Program: Be Big: One of the significant ways we help build our leadership pipelines is through upskilling and investing in our current talent pool. The Deloitte USI DEI team launched the Women Leaders' Program: Be Big, a leadership development program that focuses on supporting women senior managers as they prepare for the next level of leadership roles. Twenty-one women senior managers were nominated by their business leaders for this nine-month development program—delivered with the assistance of an external adviser—that will give participants the education, exposure, and coaching opportunities relevant for the next career level.

In the coming year, we will build on the existing structures and programs to elevate the experience for women by encouraging conversations on equity and engaging with a broader set of collaborators to build a culture of allyship.

People with disabilities: Inclusion and empowerment

As we look to create the culture and systems that help ensure everyone is empowered to thrive as their exceptional selves and reach their full potential, people with disabilities are at the center of our strategy. With more than 25M people in India identifying as a person with a disability, this cohort remains underemployed relative to peers. Our efforts seek not only to provide more access to employment opportunities at Deloitte, but also to prioritize accessibility and rewarding talent experiences for professionals where they can grow their careers.

Amplifying our voices through communities

Dakshayani Kanumalla

(she/her/hers)

Senior, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services India Private Limited

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Since the last report, we placed a strong emphasis on the hiring, retention, and inclusion of people with disabilities, leading to a 50% increase in PwD representation. The representation increase can be seen across roles, career levels, and disability types.

With support from the organization’s top leadership, a focused group of directors and senior managers led intentional PwD hiring efforts within their practices to increase the number of PwD candidates. That intensity and focus continued through work driven by the PwD council on projects related to onboarding and overall talent experience. Specific programs for the PwD community include the following:

PwD hiring

In addition to social media and employee referral campaigns, Deloitte engages with specialized organizations that provide access to a wider talent pool of people with disabilities. These organizations were identified through an in-depth market research and selection process. A dedicated team of Deloitte professionals within the PwD council called “Bridge” acts as a conduit between talent acquisition and the specialist organizations, helping to source resumes based on open job postings and conducting an initial phone screen before referring the candidate to a recruiter. To enhance the hiring process, Deloitte hiring managers also take part in immersive sensitization workshops to deepen their understanding of the experiences of people with disabilities and accommodations that may be required in the hiring process and in the workplace.

Fostering a place for PwD colleagues

Sameer Muralidhar

(he/him/his)

Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting India Private Limited

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Talent experience

We strive to promote an inclusive culture and cultivate a talent experience so that individuals with disabilities know they are valued and can thrive. New professionals are connected to a member of the PwD council to accelerate their onboarding experience and provide a support network from the beginning. We build an inclusive culture by conducting workshops on how professionals can be allies to PwD professionals. One example is "Powered within," a PwD awareness campaign where Deloitte professionals and eminent external speakers share their lived experiences to raise awareness and encourage allyship.

Accessibility

The Deloitte USI facilities team is trained to support PwD professionals to navigate within the office premises and buildings, which are compliant with India’s infrastructure readiness guidelines. To make Deloitte more digitally accessible, we have onboarded both licensed and open-source accessibility software vendors to help PwD colleagues conduct their work with ease. We continually review Deloitte tools and applications to promote accessibility, so all Deloitte professionals have what they need to thrive and succeed.

In the coming year, we will closely monitor the talent experience of our newly hired PwD cohort, capturing their sentiments on onboarding, Deloitte culture, and assimilation into their teams, while collecting feedback on our infrastructure and accommodations.

LGBTQIA+ inclusion: Out and proud

India Workplace Equality Index: Winner of the ‘Gold’ award

India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI) is India’s first comprehensive benchmarking tool for employers and corporations to measure their readiness and progress on LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace from the Indian context. In 2021, Deloitte in India participated in IWEI for the first time and won the ‘Gold’ award. The win was a testimonial to more than seven years of tireless efforts of the LGBTQIA+ council “SPECTRUM” and our leadership to challenge social taboos and orthodoxies around the community in and outside of Deloitte USI.

When we started formally focusing on the LGBTQIA+ community in our Deloitte USI offices six years ago, there was one openly out professional. Today, over 800 professionals have identified as LGBTQIA+ through the self-ID process, resulting in a 62.5% increase in representation since the last report. We are honored that these professionals feel empowered to share this important part of their personal identity and feel valued for their lived experience and perspective. We attribute this openness to a combination of efforts aimed at building awareness and allyship, as well as celebrating identity, including our reverse mentoring program where members of the LGBTQIA+ community connect with leaders to share their experiences and provide guidance on how to serve as effective allies.

We are committed to amplifying our efforts to foster a workplace and culture for LGBTQIA+ professionals to feel included and safe. Here’s a look at our successful signature programs and recognition from FY2022 that will form the bedrock of our future LGBTQIA+ strategy and interventions:

• Reverse Mentoring: The Reverse Mentoring program is a dedicated one-on-one session for Deloitte directors and is facilitated by members of the LGBTQIA+ council. The format of the training covers fundamental topics around LGBTQIA+ concepts like terminology, definitions, myths, and stereotypes surrounding the community; lived experiences and case studies from real-life professionals; tools and information to make their teams a safe space; tips on being vocal/visible allies; and the significance of gender-neutral language, among other topics. The facilitators are equipped to respond to a range of questions that a leader wishes to learn or unlearn about this topic.
• The Rainbow Alliance: The Rainbow Alliance is an interactive learning and sensitization program designed exclusively for senior managers and managers. It’s a classroom-based model for 15-20 leaders and is facilitated by members of the LGBTQIA+ council. The program aims to build compassion and empathy while providing team leaders with the necessary information and best practices to foster safe spaces in team environments. The program guides participants on how they can be visible and vocal allies using shared experiences, case studies, and interactive activities that bust stereotypes and address the potential for unconscious bias. The program is also available on-demand for any team that desires to increase their awareness and understanding of LGBTQIA+ inclusion at Deloitte.
• Project TRANSform: This program focuses on creating internship opportunities for transgender individuals completing their education, with the intent of easing the transition from school to corporate work culture. We are exploring opportunities to provide the required education, training, and exposure that will equip trans candidates with awareness and access to internship programs and learning.

Embracing our identities at Deloitte

Manish Manna

(he/him)

Senior, Deloitte Consulting India Private Limited

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Celebrating with #pride

For the first time in June 2022, in a demonstration of collective support of the LGBTQIA+ community, the Deloitte USI office in Hyderabad was lit up with rainbow colors. We know that transformational change requires more than a public display. We hope this serves as a beacon to those in the LGBTQIA+ community—that we see and hear you, and that Deloitte is a place for you to be yourself.

In the coming year, our plan is to focus on scaling our awareness programs to inspire more actions of allyship across the Deloitte USI workforce. We seek not only to create a safe space for professionals, but also to increase access and awareness to opportunities at Deloitte. Our recently launched initiative, Project TRANSform, will help us attract, hire, and retain transgender professionals. Externally, we continue to look for ways to show support for the LGBTQIA+ community, which includes participating in local Pride marches.

We are committed to creating an environment where all professionals, especially women, LGBTQIA+, and PwD colleagues feel represented and respected. We will continue to amplify our DEI programs with an eye on equity and inclusion, particularly for identities that face societal systemic biases. The Deloitte USI DEI team and leadership are focused on promoting a culture where all professionals are seen and have a voice.

Our efforts for increased transparency would not be complete without sharing data, insights, and opportunity areas for our workforce in Deloitte’s USI offices. Comprised of more than 76,000 professionals, our Deloitte USI offices are integral to the innovative work we deliver to clients, our inclusive culture, and the impact we make in our communities.

4. Totals may not add up to 100% due to small populations of professionals that are less than < 0.1% or where data is unknown. ↵

Similar to our self-ID effort for the US workforce, in 2022, we added additional questions and options for gender and sexual orientation to allow professionals to more accurately reflect how they see themselves.

• Of the professionals who identify as a person with a disability, 82.2% are a senior/senior consultant, staff/consultant, or junior staff/analyst.
• Of the professionals who identify as LGBTQIA+, 94.0% are a senior/senior consultant, staff/consultant, or junior staff/analyst.

6. Representation reflects the number of professionals that responded to the self-identification question. ↵

• From FY2020 to FY2022, female recruitment fell from 41.2% to 40.6%, which is below overall female representation.
• From FY2020 to FY2022, male recruitment fell from 58.7% to 58.6% and remained in line with overall male representation.

• Of those promoted in FY2022, 43.1% were female professionals. This is higher than female representation of 40.1% in the 2021 report.
• For levels except senior consultant and manager, promotion representation is higher than overall workforce representation from the 2021 report.

• The attrition of Deloitte USI female professionals is below the Deloitte USI workforce overall with 91 female professionals leaving for every 100 professionals who leave.
• The attrition of Deloitte USI male professionals is above the Deloitte USI workforce overall with 107 male professionals leaving for every 100 professionals who leave.

Male and female professionals responded favorably to four talent survey questions. Nonbinary professionals have the lowest favorable response rates to the questions and are less likely to feel like they can bring their authentic selves to work, feel the people they work with are there for them, and feel treated with respect at work. However, favorable responses in these categories have increased year over year from 2020 to 2022 and are now at 71%, 71%, and 79% respectively. Nonbinary individuals make up 0.1% of the Deloitte USI workforce.

In the coming year, we will be accelerating our efforts to promote gender, PwD, and LGBTQIA+ equity and inclusion and are holding ourselves accountable for it through measurable goals. We will continue to track progress with overall workforce representation and leadership representation for female professionals, striving to exceed 41% female representation before 2025. As we move forward in our DEI journey, socioeconomic background and veteran status are experiences that we plan to explore in USI. Where needed, we will reevaluate self-ID options to create opportunities for professionals to share their unique identities, help leadership understand the composition of the workforce, and inform analysis that directs DEI strategy and programming to advance inclusion and equity for all professionals.