Getting women to return to work after a career gap

Career breaks are not uncommon. Professionals across fields take a career break for a variety of reasons – be it to study further, do volunteer work, travel the world or spend time with one’s family. But more often than not, women are forced to drop out of the workforce due to life stage conflicts. Lack of support structures at home and work leave them with no choice but to quit work to focus on familial caregiving responsibilities.

Today, with over two million women in the workforce, the Indian technology sector fares relatively well in terms of women’s participation. However, more needs to be done, and retaining women is a critical priority for the industry. Bringing women back into the fold post a career break is equally important to boosting women’s participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) jobs, bridging the digital talent gap and unleashing critical innovation potential.

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Towards this, returnship programmes are a wonderful way to get talented women to rejoin the workforce. They are based on the underlying premise that a career gap is not a deterrent to growth and that the organisation understands and attempts to solve socio-cultural challenges that women face beyond the work environment. Beyond bridging the skills gap, returnship programmes set the tone for a true culture of equality – they help weed out any conscious or unconscious biases that might be barriers to diversity. For instance, there are inherent biases at play when women get asked about their plans to ‘start a family’ at job interviews and appraisals.

For most people, starting afresh after a prolonged career break can seem daunting. As a result, returnship programs - such as Accenture’s Career Reboot initiative - offer hands-on guidance on returning to the professional world along with reskilling or upskilling in one’s chosen technology or business domain. In addition to structured learning interventions, mentorship from experienced women executives can help restore the confidence of the trainees and equip them with practical guidance. It is just as important to encourage these women to build their networks and offer them access to employee resource groups or similar avenues to do so.

Beyond the returnship program, an equal workplace culture that inspires, advances and empowers women is critical. This includes opportunities for continuous learning and meritocratic growth. Flexible work options, initiatives focused on holistic wellbeing, gender neutral parental leaves, and benefits that provide for childcare and eldercare support are critical enablers. The essence of a good returnship program is not just to get women to resume work, but to offer them an environment where they can thrive, grow and build long-standing and fulfilling careers.

(The writer is Inclusion & Diversity Sponsor, Accenture in India)