Telecom, staffing, BPO show highest demand for women returnees

Industries such as telecom, staffing, and BPO held the highest demand share for women returnees as of May 2023, finds data from talent platform foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME). The data further suggests that India Inc is actively implementing inclusive practices and experiencing an improved hiring momentum for women returning to the workforce after a career break.

6% of the total women workforce on the platform were those who have taken a career break, demonstrating a growth in participation and intent to rejoin the workforce.

The telecom/ISP industry has been largely accommodating of women returning from a career break with the highest share of job postings (19%). Other segments such as recruitment/staffing (15%), BPO/ITES/call centres (14%), advertising PR MR and events (12%), and IT (11%) were also among the top five industries.

Roles in software development (33%) held the maximum share of demand for women returnees. Other roles such as HR/admin (18%), operations (12%), finance and accounts (11%), analytics (8%), and content (7%) were also among the top.

"While there are government-mandated policies in place, including paid maternity leave and other benefits, career reboots are often challenging for women, especially with job hunting hurdles and additional responsibilities. Industry studies have found that there still lies considerable bias and inequity for women in the workforce, whose employment-related decisions are rooted in family expectations and societal structures. It is heartening to see that more and more industries are opening up to hiring women returnees for roles in HR, software development, and finance," said Sekhar Garisa, CEO, foundit.

The hiring momentum for women returnees with 4-10 years of experience has been considerably high. Bengaluru (24%) held the highest share of job postings for women returnees, followed by Hyderabad (19%), Chennai (14%), Delhi (11%), Pune (11%), Kolkata (10%), and Ahmedabad (10%).

With constant adaptation to changes in the work and workplace, many companies are offering flexible arrangements, such as part-time work, work-from-home options, and job-sharing arrangements allowing women to balance their work and personal responsibilities more effectively. Some organisations also provide childcare support, such as onsite daycare facilities or subsidised childcare expenses, to help working parents manage their responsibilities.