MICROSOFT TO ADD MORE WOMEN IN HYDERABAD CENTRE

Sreekala G, Hyderabad
The Economic Times

If you find the next version of software products from Microsoft coming with a ‘feminine’ touch, don’t be surprised because the world’s largest software major is planning to add more women to its development centre in Hyderabad.

Microsoft India Development Centre (MSIDC), the second-largest development centre of the company outside its headquarters in the US, has invited applications from girl students, who are doing final-year computer science engineering across the country.

“We have received applications from over 7,800 students, of which we have shortlisted 7,400. We don’t have any target in mind for recruitment because as per our company policy, if quality talentpool is available, numbers will not be a limiting factor,” staffing director Chitra Sood said.

The recruitment process will be completed in over a month. “It is an effort to encourage diversity in our campuses. A diverse workforce will be able to anticipate the needs of our customers and help build products accordingly,” she said.

Currently, MSIDC has 1,400 employees, of which 10 percent are women, while globally, the company has about 17 percent to 20 percent women in its workforce. The new initiative is a pilot project taken up by the company in India. Depending on the success of the project, it will be replicated at the other centres in the country in the future.

This year, the recruitment is limited to engineering students. However, in the coming years, the company plans to include girl students from other streams including those pursuing graduation.

“Though we wanted to increase diversity in our campus, there wouldn’t be any compromise on the quality criteria for selection. We have also found that though due to social conditions women may opt for engineering colleges near their hometown, leading to lesser representation in IITs, their competency levels are on par with men,” she said.