Bangalore: Now, it is the multinational companies that are chasing women to fill the top management positions. The objective is to infuse gender diversity into the workforce in India, especially at the upper echelons, reports Economic Times. Headhunters have been mandated to specifically look for women candidates for senior positions, and to bring the senior corporate woman into their fold, many search firms are being offered a premium consulting fee of 25 percent to 30 percent (of the annual salary) for hiring women against 15 percent to 20 percent generally given for hiring. Another reason for corporates wanting to hire more women is that, they are better communicators and negotiators. They are capable of bringing a unique perspective to the table. Also, the recent recession seems to have stacked the deck in their favour - they are thought to have worked better in a tough environment than their male counterparts. A couple of years ago, the workforce gender ratio was 95:5 and last year it was 80:20. Hema Ravichandar, strategic HR adviser, says that gender diversity is high on the agenda of many MNCs. "Enterprises are keen to reflect multiple dimensions of diversity. Of these, gender diversity is the key. It's about cultivating an inclusive mindset to increase women participation across the board in an enterprise." Nirupama V G, Managing Director, AdAstra says, "Corporates are eager to become equal opportunity providers. So, there is a great thrust on hiring women to fill positions irrespective of the level. Globally, companies are working on diversities of different kind, including gender and race. Compared to developed geographies, the gender ratio is pretty low in India. That's why enterprises are specifically asking for diversity candidates."