Freshworks Career ReStart Program Empowers Women to Rejoin the Workforce

Rhea-AI Summary

Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH) has launched its Career ReStart program in the US, inspired by a successful initiative in India that promoted gender parity in tech. The program, unveiled on International Women’s Day, aims to support women returning to the workforce after breaks due to family or health reasons. In India, 74 women were shortlisted from over 1,000 applications for a training course, with plans to hire them full-time. Freshworks is committed to increasing female workforce representation to 40% by 2022, currently standing at 35%.

Positive

• Launch of Career ReStart program in the US expands workforce diversity initiatives.
• Successful training program in India yielded 18 graduates, enhancing the company’s talent pool.
• Commitment to hire all returnship participants for full-time roles promotes long-term employment.

Negative

• None.

Successful workplace program launched in India expands to US on International Women’s Day

SAN MATEO, Calif. and CHENNAI, India, March 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH), a leading software company empowering businesses to delight their customers and employees, announced today – on International Women’s Day – the launch of its Career ReStart program in the US after a successful returnship initiative in India helped to increase gender parity in the technology sector.

The program in India kicked off in November 2021, with a goal to find talent in the areas of Sales and Marketing, product management and engineering. After receiving over 1,000 applications, 74 women were shortlisted to complete an interview training workshop. From there, 18 women were selected to complete a 16-week developmental course training S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research. The training is currently underway and once complete, Freshworks will welcome these ReStart graduates to its workforce.

The US program, in partnership with Women Back to Work, seeks to fill Customer Success and Solution Engineer Roles with Career ReStart applicants.

“We help companies that value diversity and inclusion hire career-ready returners with technical backgrounds through custom returnship programs,” said Sonu Ratra, Founder, Women Back to Work. “We look forward to partnering with Freshworks as they continue to tackle gender parity and strive to ultimately reach a 50/50 workforce across the globe.”

The Freshworks Career ReStart return-to-work program is for women who have been on a career break due to family commitments, taking a career pause to focus on motherhood, being widowed, personal health issues or other crises.

"The thought of heading back to work after a 12-year hiatus was daunting, but also exciting," said Freshworks Restart member, Asma Akram, Software Engineer. "The Freshworks Career Restart program interview workshop was thoughtful and has made me feel more confident in my interviewing skills. I am delighted to complete the next part of the training program and begin my new career journey as a member of the Freshworks kudumba."

While many returnship programs utilize a temporary or internship model, Freshworks has committed to the success of these individuals by making offers to hire all returners to full-time roles. In addition to the professional development opportunities provided by Women Back to Work, Freshworks has developed its own 12-week mentorship program for returners.

ReStart aligns with the #pledgeforequality campaign commitment Freshworks made on International Women’s Day in 2020. Suman Gopalan, Chief Human Resources Officer at Freshworks said, “We committed that by the end of 2020, women would constitute at least 30% of the workforce at Freshworks. We met that goal and increased our commitment to women making up 40% of our workforce with 20% holding leadership positions by the end of 2022. The ReStart experience seeks to be about helping bridge one’s passion with one’s potential.”

Presently, Freshworks currently has an overall workforce of 35% women, 25% who are in leadership roles. In the US, 45% women make up the workforce with 37% in leadership roles.

To learn more about Freshworks Career ReStart North America, or to apply for the program visit https://www.womenbacktowork.org/freshworks-returnship.

About Freshworks Inc
Freshworks Inc., (NASDAQ: FRSH) makes business software people love to use. Purpose-built for IT, customer support, sales and marketing teams, our products empower the people who power business. Freshworks is fast to onboard, priced affordably, built to delight, yet powerful enough to deliver critical business outcomes. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Freshworks operates around the world to serve more than 56,000 customers including Bridgestone, Chargebee, DeliveryHero, ITV, Klarna, Multichoice, OfficeMax, TaylorMade and Vice Media. For the freshest company news visit www.freshworks.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Women Back to Work
Women Back to Work is the leading returnship organization specializing in helping companies hire technical, female professionals with a career gap.

© 2022 Freshworks Inc. All rights reserved. Freshworks, Freshdesk, Freshservice and the associated logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Freshworks Inc. All other company, brand and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Media Contact
Jayne Gonzalez
408-348-1087
pr@freshworks.com 

FAQ

What is the Freshworks Career ReStart program?

The Career ReStart program is an initiative aimed at helping women return to the workforce after career breaks, focusing on filling roles in Customer Success and Solution Engineering.

When was the Career ReStart program launched in the US?

The program was launched on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2022.

How many women participated in the initial Career ReStart program in India?

In India, over 1,000 applications were received, resulting in 74 women being shortlisted for interview training.

What percentage of women currently constitute the workforce at Freshworks?

Freshworks currently has a workforce composed of 35% women.

What is Freshworks' goal for female representation in leadership by 2022?

Freshworks aims for 20% of leadership positions to be held by women by the end of 2022.