Digi celebrates diversity and inclusion this International Women's Day

Company puts a spin on #BalanceForBetter by celebrating broader inclusion categories in the workplace

SUBANG JAYA, 8 March 2019 - This year, Digi is celebrating International Women's Day by focusing on diversity and inclusion. With the belief that people are their greatest asset, Digi hopes to facilitate a shared and open conversation on how to build a more balanced world – beginning with the workplace.

Elisabeth Stene, Digi's Chief Human Resource Officer shared: "Digi believes that emphasis on diversity and inclusion in terms of age, nationality, gender, ability and experience matters for the future sustainability and growth of the company. By striving for better balance across the organisation, we aim to further our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and give equal opportunity for all Digizens to grow in their careers."

Diversity and inclusion have long formed the fabric of Digi's culture, with many initiatives in place to achieve balance across the workforce. With respect to women in the workplace, Digi has implemented solid practices to empower more women to be a part of its talent pool and leadership pipeline. These practices include the Women Inspirational Network that nurtures women leaders, a Board Diversity Policy, a 6-month maternity policy, and flexible work arrangements that support employees through every stage of their work and family life.

These efforts have helped Digi achieve a balanced workforce, which consists of 50% female and male employees, and balanced leadership representation as well. Women represent 46% of our senior leaders, with 25% women represented on the Management team, and 57% of women represented on our Board. Digi’s 1,600-strong team is made up of eight nationalities, with a strong mix of experiences from telco and non-telco backgrounds. This leads to more diverse perspectives, skill sets and more accurately reflects the customers we serve – which is important to drive our organisation forward and serve our customers better.

Riding on this year's International Women’s Day theme of #BalanceForBetter, Digi hosted a series of activities for its employees to share insights on bringing balance to all aspects of work, life and society.

This included talks to discover how society is shaped by diversity. Syed Azmi Alhabshi, Founder of Persatuan untuk Anak Kita, spoke on the state of diversity and inclusion in Malaysia; while Nadiah Hanim Abdul Latif, Co-founder of Opis, discussed on how corporations and NGOs can work together to enhance cooperation for diversity and inclusion.

To show appreciation for Digizens' contributions to the workplace and maintain balance at work, Digi also held various employee engagement initiatives that aimed to refresh their minds and bodies, while also introducing healthier food choices. Workout and music sessions injected an element of play into the work day while friendly game matches were held throughout the day.

Digizens also took to social media to share their take on "Balance for Better", celebrating the differences that come together to make the company and the community stronger.

Hegaswary A/P Ananthamani, Digi Retail Store agent said: "Practicing inclusion brings different talents together to work towards a common goal. With so many different minds collaborating, better solutions will arise as every one of us brings our own way of thinking, working, solving problems and decision making."

Meanwhile, Nur Yasmin Binti Mortaza, CXO apprentice for Corporate Affairs, said she appreciates the fresh perspective that a diverse team brings. "When you have such a diverse team, you might walk away from a discussion with several different solutions because each person brings something different to the table. It also helps us understand our customers better. If we just look around Digi, we have people from all walks of life – which mirrors who we serve in Malaysia."

Christopher Ian Rothwell from the New Business Development team commented that balance is more important than ever in today's world. "Every day, including others helps us to have honest conversations, explore new perspectives and solve problems in innovative ways. Differing ideas and motivations help us better grasp problems and understand various customer needs, bringing us closer to connecting customers to what matters most to them. It also provides equal opportunities for people from different walks of life, as well as helps us all become more conscious and accepting of different attitudes and viewpoints."