A new return-to-work playbook launched at a Kolkata symposium is seeking to help micro, small and mid-sized enterprises recruit, onboard and retain women returning to employment after career breaks.
Developed by the diversity, equity and inclusion task force of the Bengal chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Indian Women Network, the guide was unveiled during a day-long event focused on bringing women back into the workforce. The initiative brought together corporate leaders, human resource professionals, entrepreneurs and women who have returned to work after breaks linked to childcare, health, education and other reasons.
The playbook provides MSMEs with a step-by-step framework for building return-to-work pathways. Its focus is on connecting fragmented roles and business requirements with the skills of professionals seeking to re-enter employment, according to the organisers.
The guide cites research indicating that a candidate with a career break is 24 percentage points less likely to be called back than an otherwise identical candidate without such a break. The figure highlights one of the recruitment barriers the playbook is intended to address, particularly for smaller businesses that may need skilled workers but have less formalised hiring and onboarding systems.
“Losing women’s talent to caregiving at home is not merely a personal loss — it is a loss to the national economy,” Swagata Guha Mustafi, chairperson of CII IWN West Bengal, said. “By identifying fragmented roles and mapping them with the talent needs of MSMEs, we can create a win-win situation: enabling women to re-enter the workforce while helping MSMEs access skilled talent for greater performance and growth.”
The symposium also examined how employers can make re-entry routes more accessible and support professionals after they return. A fireside conversation featured Radhika Singh Banerjee, chief of talent management and employee experience at Tata Steel, and Navneet Damani, vice-president of human resources at ITC Limited. The session was moderated by Vishnupriya Sengupta, senior director at PwC India.
The discussion linked the experience of larger organisations with the practical challenges faced by MSMEs, including the design of return-to-work pathways, support for returning professionals and the creation of sustainable employment approaches. A separate panel included representatives from Narayana Health, the Cognitive AI Institute, The Paperclip, Click 1 Consulting Services, NMD Placement Consultancy and Essel Mining and Industries. Asha Pillai, CFO of Shell Recharge, moderated the panel.
The playbook’s launch places MSMEs at the centre of the return-to-work conversation. While the supplied report does not specify a rollout timetable, the framework is intended to help smaller businesses access experienced talent while creating a more structured route back into employment for women who have taken career breaks.
