Data by World Bank shows that women made up only 23 per cent of India’s labour force in 2019, compared to 48 per cent of the global average. The study at the Center for Talent Innovation suggests that 36 per cent of Indian women take a break from work. The reasons include- pursuing a passion, getting married, starting a family, or for eldercare. Among Indian women, only 58 per cent can rejoin work full-time. This is due to lower pay, rejection for the gap year and outdated skill sets.
Organising programs for returning professionals is currently a popular hiring strategy for many companies in the tech sector. Returnee programs are appearing as a developing way for employers to understand a woman’s potential along with offering a woman a good restart strategy. By implementing this training as part of their human resource strategy, they not only encourage gender equality and diversity in hiring processes but also benefit from the immense wealth of experience brought onboard by these women technologists.
Below is the list of some of these programmes for returning women by tech firms in India:
The Incredible Intuit Again Returnee Program
Apart from offering a chance for professionals to work for one of the top-ranked tech companies in India the Intuit Again Returnee program also offers technical training to sharpen the candidate’s professional skills. According to the centre for women in technology, a critical aspect of returnee internships, like the one offered by Intuit is that such reskilling programs are meant to enhance a women-friendly workplace. The returnees are allowed to work on projects which draw on their experience and existing skills. The 6 months program also offers training, mentoring and access to corporate networks.
Back to Work program at GHC India
This program provides a chance for returning professionals to connect with various organisations, build their skills, and rebuild their self-confidence. The GHCI program offers a chance for candidates to learn and network as they start their journey back to the corporate world. During the conference, candidates are provided with workshops that are customized to the unique need of participants. Panel discussions are held that feature professional who has successfully resumed their careers along with providing soft and technical skills sessions. Applicants are required to submit a resume to the GHCI database, even when unable to take part in the conference to take advantage of the opportunities.
IBM Bring Her Back program
IBM’s tech re-entry program for mid-career women aims to address the overall skill shortages in the tech sector along with enhancing incorporation and diversity. Women enrolling in this program are typically mothers who have exited the professional scene in response to a workplace culture that does not permit balancing of family and career. The re-entry program is a 12-week internship that starts with an orientation for three days, followed by a chance to be placed in one of IBM workplaces. Returnees get experience in programming and data analytics. The main aim is to generate a smooth transition for returnees before they can be actively hired.
Rekindle with Amazon India Returnships
The Rekindle program, an initiative of Amazon India focuses on women who had been on a professional break but now want to rejoin the workforce. The company offers structured onboarding, focussed mentoring, on the job learning and flexible work arrangement for candidates who join their returnship programs in India.
PayPal Recharge
Paypal launched its Recharge Program in 2015 intending to help women technologists to restart their careers after a long break. It aims to bridge the gender discrepancy in workplace composition. The program runs for 6 weeks and seeks to eliminate the shame that comes with taking a career break to focus on family.
Vapasi’s ThoughtWorks Mid-Career Internships
Vapasi means to come back in Hindi is one of the women returnship programs focussing on women technologists, particularly developers. The program is spread throughout four weeks and assists returning women developers to sharpen their programming skills through object-orienting programming practices. With the help of this program, candidates are better placed to access good returnship jobs for moms returning to the workforce.
Microsoft’s Springboard Program
Microsoft initiated its women in tech program in 2014, which together with the springboard program, aims towards bringing more women into the IT industry. The program is designed to help women on a leave get back to their tech paths. The program is attractive due to its flexibility, where candidates are free to choose their preferred projects.
Google Next innings Program
This program aims at easing the process for women to get back to the workforce with guidance and mentorship from experienced leaders. The shortlisted professionals get to work on Google Cloud’s core technologies while learning from the experts and experiencing product development at the tech giant. To apply to this program candidates must have at least five years of experience and have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or an equivalent field. The Next innings program allows professionals to work on data analytics, google cloud storage, cloud security and its application management platform. The six months paid program is currently available in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
