Mindtree starts return programme for techies on minimum two-year break

Bengaluru-headquartered IT services firm Mindtree said that the company has launched a returnship programme for technology professionals to restart their careers after a break. While the programme is open to all professionals looking to return to the workforce, the majority of them are expected to be women.

Professionals with a minimum two years of experience followed by at least two years of break will be eligible for the programme. The initiative will be launched in Kolkata and expanded to all other locations of the company, said the company in a statement.

The programme forms an important part of Mindtree’s endeavor to expand its diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives to professionals whose personal circumstances may have resulted in a professional hiatus. It will include digital learning boot camps, skills-based intervention, mentorship, and opportunities to work on live, cutting-edge projects.    

“Restarting a career after a break can be at once exciting and daunting. The objective of our returnship programme is to make that return as seamless and effective as possible. It seeks to help returners rediscover their talent and a sense of purpose. We plan to leverage our acclaimed learning and development programs to give these individuals an opportunity to upskill and evolve into higher-end career opportunities," said Suresh Bethavandu, Chief People Officer, Mindtree.

He added that the programme will pave the way to bring in more diverse talent to Mindtree, helping them hone their skills to accelerate their careers, while enabling us to unlock greater innovation and creativity that come with a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace.

As part of its D&I charter, Mindtree is already aggressively working on a wide range of initiatives such as focused hiring, leadership development, coaching and mentoring to increase the proportion of women professionals in the workforce from the current 32 per cent to 40 per cent before the end of this decade.

To ensure a gender-equal workforce, Mindtree constantly encourages its professionals to refer women with the right talent, and provides 1.5-times the regular referral bonus for every successful woman professional who joins Mindtree.