Mindtree will launch a returnship program for technology professionals to restart their careers after a break.

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

This program 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. The program 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," said Suresh Bethavandu, Chief People Officer, Mindtree. "The objective of our returnship program 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. The program 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."

While the program is open to all professionals looking to return to the workforce, the majority of them are expected to be women. D&I is a core tenet of the company's people function and philosophy. 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% to 40% before the end of this decade.

Mindtree has created a community of women professionals in the company. Named Athena, it fosters a spirit of togetherness at work through several dedicated initiatives. Women Wednesdays, a special get-together for women professionals, provides women leaders from within and outside the company share their life stories and experiences in order to guide fellow professionals. The Women Tech Trailblazer initiative involves coaching women at the associate, junior and mid-senior levels to help them make the right choices and grow. The 'She WILL' (Women in Leaders League) initiative is targeted towards senior women leaders and promoting a gender sensitive and inclusive work environment.

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. The company's 'In Harmony' initiative is focused on creating an environment where unique persons of varied ethnicities, nationalities, abilities, and sexual orientations can come together to redefine possibilities for themselves and the others around them.