Datamatics to appoint handicapped as associates

After having recruited hundreds of qualified housewives, Datamatics Technologies is now extending the offer to highly qualified physically challenged candidates.

Manish Modi, managing director and CEO, Datamatics Technologies, said: "We are tapping the resource pool of qualified people across our society.

"We have been very successful with our concept of knowledge associates (KA), which is basically home based working. We have extended this concept to physically challenged people, especially those who are affected in the lower limb, for whom this mode of working is ideal."

Datamatics Technologies has tied up with the National Society for Equal Opportunities for the Handicapped (NASEOH) to choose qualified physically challenged persons in their computer training centres.

"There are more than 50 physically challenged employees who are our knowledge associates.

"This number is likely to go up to 75 within a few months," Modi added.

In case of qualified women as KAs, Modi pointed out that, "usually we identify housewives who are qualified and have worked for at least one year in any field. However, they have to go through a training period."

To help its knowledge associates, Datamatics Technologies provides them with training material and computers. The individuals are trained and the programmes are designed to develop individual proficiency levels. Also built in is the technical aspects of the job and the soft skills required by the knowledge associate.

Meanwhile, with better infrastructure such as availability of bandwidth, Datamatics Technologies is planning to increase its number of KAs from 1,200 to 2,000 by the end of this year. "The new recruits will be inducted at both its centres - Mumbai and Chennai", Modi added.

However, the company is planning to rope in KAs across the country and not restrict to these two locations. "This is now possible with better telecom connectivity and broadband available across the country," Modi said.

Modi pointed out that the recruitment criteria, training modules and HR policies for the knowledge associates were identical to the policies for a full time employee. "This is precisely why a KA can move to be a full time employee if she wants to be on a regular staff or vice versa," he added.