By K R Balasubrama

Copyright indiatimes

Software major Infosys has sought referrals for its women-specific hiring program called Restart With Infosys, in a recent mail to employees. The initiative targets women professionals on a break who are keen to resume their careers.To be eligible, candidates must have a minimum of two years of work experience and be on a continuous break for a minimum of six months, according to an internal mail to employees. The company may be seeking to fill a wide range of jobs, including Java, .net, SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, Pegasus, React, Python, Angular, Informatica, Selenium Testing across developer, tech lead, and manager positions, sources briefed on the subject said.Diversity goals The initiative comes at a time when the company is beefing up efforts to increase the number of women in its workforce and meet its ambitious diversity goals. Infosys is aiming to achieve 45% female representation in its workforce by 2030 as part of its ESG Vision 2030. In its latest ESG report, the company said women make up 39% of its workforce of about 3,23,000 people.“This program offers nurturing mentorship and valuable skill development to rebuild their confidence and help them achieve their career aspirations. To show our gratitude, we offer rewards of up to Rs 50,000 for successful referrals,” the mail says. The company has offered incentives of Rs 10,000 on successful closure of referrals to positions at job level 3 (JL3), Rs 25,000 at JL 4, Rs 35,000 at JL 5 and Rs 50,000 at JL 6.Infosys’ chief human resource officer (CHRO) Shaji Mathew said the company’s ESG vision has inclusion at its core. “One of our programs, for example, encourages talented women in tech who’ve taken career breaks to ‘Restart with Infosys’ and re-enter the workforce.”In fiscal year 2024-25, the initiative led to the hiring of about 900 women in mid-management roles, and 500 women the year before. “It’s a significant step in fostering inclusion at scale. This program is an investment in our commitment to diversity, not just for our own business but for our industry to grow in women’s participation,” Mathew said in an email response.In its latest ESG report Infosys said the program offered a structured learning platform and mentorship support to help women professionals rejoin the workforce with confidence. The initiative, it added, strengthened the company’s diverse talent pool.Industry trendCompanies are looking to tap passive talent that is not available on job sites, said Vijay Sivaram, CEO, founder RVAi Global, a Bengaluru-based AI services company. “Many women professionals would be open to return to work as most companies now have a hybrid work policy unlike in the pre-Covid era. Also, with the advent of Edtech, many have re-skilled or upskilled themselves in newer technologies,” he said.According to a senior woman tech professional at a global software firm, companies are no longer looking at overall diversity targets but chasing vertical-level targets. More women in the workforce would improve their global standing in the eyes of customers, she said.Infosys’s latest annual report said it was recognised as the ‘Champion of Inclusion’ for the fifth year in the Most Inclusive Companies Index 2024 by Avtar and Seramount.