Business is all about taking risks, but wise business person will take a calculated risk whenever the opportunity arises. So as unlikely as it may sound, such businesses have the perfect opportunity in Pakistan to hire from a pool of professional women managing their side businesses along with their day jobs.
Lately, foreign companies and freelancers are flocking to the country, because they know this is where they can build or expand their empire. But there is one problem: the nation’s pool of fresh graduates lacks the hunger or the drive sought by foreign investors. In fact, these youngsters are so comfortable in their ways that they are not interested in changing their work ethic. Their education degrees have given them the confidence to feel that they cannot be replaced.
Against this backdrop, I have seen companies beg and offer higher than market salaries to overseas Pakistanis to return to their homeland because they cannot find anyone suitable locally. I have seen companies settling for someone with work experience in a bank just because that is the closest they can get to a ‘finance guy’.
So here is why the woman who owns a startup that sells shoes online might be a better bet for these companies.
She is more patient and willing to put in more hours. A woman seeking employment in Pakistan generally has to deal with a ‘boys club’ workforce. Thus, over the years these working women have developed thicker skins and they have dealt with their work situation by exerting more than usual effort on increasing their productivity at work.
The working woman is a fast learner because she is driven to be more competitive. Sure, she may not have taken all those macro-economic courses and may need more on-the-job training, but that will incentivise her to be more committed to her work. And since she has been maintaining her own business on the side, the basics are already self-taught.
Her digital marketing research has allowed her to tap into who-is-who and — what of work. Most working women use Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook to sell and advertise their products in Pakistan. Online shops are easier for them to work from home or after office hours. They are also aware of market trends online and have gained a sense of all industries with their social interactions.
Working women are more grateful and excited to work in a professional environment. In a country where your marital status and gender determines your salary and treatment in offices, women are more likely to take more pride in the job prospects given to them.
They have multiple careers, meaning they are all-rounders. To prove their worth in their careers, a lot of women take on extra tasks or create startups because they want to have more on their plate then given.
Working women are more sensitive and aware of their surroundings. This makes her more likely to keep a professional attitude even in stressful moments. They are less distracted by outside factors because they have been spending more time in improving their side businesses. And with learning how the cheeseburger was made from start to finish, they make better leaders with their experience and decision making skills.
They are young and passionate for an opportunity to prove their worth. So, take a calculated risk on working women of Pakistan.
The writer is an entrepreneur and a freelance journalist