Diversity boost: HSBC arm to only hire female interns

As part of diversity drive, HSBC has decided to hire only female students as interns for its Global Service Centres (GSCs) from next year. It’s a company commitment to enhance levels of diversity across the Bank. 

Pradeep Reddy, Head of Recruitment, said:

Our GSC internship programme is just the latest stage in our efforts to achieve a greater balance, in terms of gender, across all of our sites. This is also part of our commitment to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the customers that we serve, and to provide the flexibility that our people need to perform at their best”

In recent years, HSBC has sought to increase opportunities for both female students and applicants, while also providing greater flexibility for women working in the Bank’s GSCs.

The Bank began an internship programme this year focused solely on its GSCs, which are located in Kolkata, Vizag, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. A total of 130 interns took up positions in a range of different departments across the GSCs, and of this number, 89 were female students.

Last year, HSBC’s GSC in Kolkata received the award from NASSCOM, the trade association for the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry, for the ‘Highest Percentage Female Employees in IT/ITES’ for the third consecutive year. The award was on the back of efforts by HSBC to provide greater support for female employees, which saw the Bank become one of the first in India to provide up to six months maternity leave, subject to management approval. Female employees can also claim for childcare expenses up to a maximum of Rs 5000 per month or 50% of the monthly childcare facility expense, whichever is lower.