India Inc happy to give you a 2nd innings

comeback programmes — designed to help professionals, primarily women, re-enter the workforce after a career break — are paying off for companies, but there's still a long way to go, say experts.

Companies that have adopted returnship programmes are seeing the benefits: access to a bigger pool of talent, improved diversity and low attrition rates among the returnees. Alumni of these programmes often become the organisation's strongest advocates, frequently referring friends, former colleagues and other professionals.

«Returnships are likely to become a standard part of talent acquisition strategies as companies realise their strategic value in addressing skill shortages and promoting diversity,» said Shilpa Khanna, people advisory leader, India, at professional services firm Aon. «The vision is for all talent that is interested to work have a fair and objective chance of returning to the workforce, get relevant support to be successful and not be discriminated against for stepping away from their careers,» Khanna said.

She added, «They should instead be valued for what they learned during their 'work' away from work.»

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In the last 10 months, Infosys has hired more than 800 restarters through its second career initiative, 'Restart with Infosys', said Shaji Mathew, chief human resources officer at the technology services major.

«We are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where diverse talent is valued and nurtured by creating opportunities for professionals looking