DBS Bank India's New Initiative Aids Women Professionals Returning To Work

In a continued effort to foster an inclusive workplace, DBS Bank India announced a program aimed at women who are transitioning back into the workspace, including new mothers. This initiative is part of DBS's ongoing focus, as part of its responsible business practices, to develop a more diverse workforce and support employees through different life stages.

Kishore Poduri, Managing Director & Country Head – Human Resources, DBS Bank India spoke at length with BW People journalist, stating “Women who re-enter the workplace after a career break may find it challenging to adapt to the demands of corporate life, particularly given the rapid evolution of technology and the workplace. To address the unique challenges and concerns faced by these women, we have implemented a comprehensive six-month returnship program.”
This program has been designed to provide hands-on experience and guidance from seasoned industry leaders. It also supports them with suitable training programs, enabling them to refine their skills. This program focuses on recognising and mitigating unconscious biases, as well as helping women in their transition back into the workforce.
 By providing equitable career opportunities and empowering employees to grow to their fullest potential, DBS Bank India aims to attract the best people, build the best teams and deliver the best customer experience.

“A diverse talent pool and a well-supported workforce is a foundational reason why DBS prides itself on being a future-ready bank. In 2023, the overall engagement score for women in DBS Bank India has increased by 13 per cent compared to the previous year. These are signs that our efforts are paying off as we continue to focus on creating an environment where all employees are supported to thrive professionally and live fulfilled,” states Poduri
 

The Program At Length
By providing equitable career opportunities, DBS Bank India aims to attract the best people, build the best teams, and deliver the best customer experience. A well-structured project-based internship program, like the one we launched, allows returnees to gain confidence, acquire new skills, and facilitate gradual assimilation into the workplace, with the opportunity for a potential job offer at the end of the program. 
To ensure support for women re-entering the workplace, DBS has been actively empowering its people managers to facilitate equal career advancement and professional development opportunities. Under our DBS Triple E (Education, Exposure, and Experience) Development framework, we delineate specific development paths for all employees, including returning women. 
Poduri is of the view that, this program can help break down barriers that prevent talented women from advancing into leadership roles, offering an on-ramp for women leaders to return to the workforce and thrive. It also enables organisations such as ours to tap into a high-calibre talent pool. We believe that gender diversity fuels innovation and ensuring that women are well-represented in the workforce is one of the cornerstones of organisational success.
 

Effective this year, DBS Bank India has extended its paternity and adoption leave for new fathers from 2 weeks to 4 weeks, in an effort to advance parity and enable a more balanced sharing of parental responsibilities. The benefit gives new fathers the time to participate more actively in the crucial early stages of parenthood, supporting a more equitable distribution of parental duties so that both partners can enjoy this formative time as a family.  

sugandh bahl

BW Reporters The author is working as Sr Correspondent with BW Businessworld and BW People