Fleximoms builds smart bridges between women with skills and expertise seeking professional challenges and organizations who understand the value of an experienced and qualified work force. Founded by Sairee Chahal and Anita Vasudeva, this unique platform is focused on empowering women and helping them meet their professional goals.
We managed a quick Tête-à-tête with Sairee Chahal to learn more
How did FlexiMoms.in happen ?
Fleximoms was launched with the following objectives:
- Create a connecting point for women professional across buckets (back to work, work for first time, career changers, ones looking to rework their hours, looking at different work arrangements and ones looking to manage their current roles with adequate support systems in place) with corporate workforce needs.
- To create conversations around flexibility and diversity, since that sits at the heart of Fleximoms as a concept and to create a space where all major stakeholders in the flexibility and diversity debate connect.
- To put in place value adds to the Flexibility Curve.
- To provide products and services to women professionals and companies which enhance their flexibility, diversity and efficiency quotient.
- Businesses today have issues of capacity building, overheads, scalability to manage and Fleximoms can contribute towards easing those pain points using this particular demographic and making use of technology as a key supporting driver.
Primarily there are needs of businesses and there are needs of women professionals and both need to be connected and put into practice in a relevant and realistic manner. Fleximoms intends to do that. The business objective is also driven by the current economic environment, technology as a driver and the call for greater diversity at the workplace.
Why the name FlexiMoms.in?
Fleximoms is a name symbolic of anyone who is a key holder of the ‘CARE ECONOMY’ and thereby needs to manage multiple roles, multiple responsibilities and multiple systems. You may or may not be a mother to a child, but you could be someone who takes of an elderly person, an aging parent, a pet, a home, a garden or managing to focus your attention on another pursuit or track.
A study reveals that more than 70 percent of women professionals take careers breaks, opt out or never start their careers owing to reasons, which include pregnancy/child birth, having/raising children, taking charge of related familial responsibilities, including taking care of elders, pets, parents or even moving/setting up house with their spouses.
Since it is mainly women who provide maternal support to families, children and homes and drop out of the economic map, therefore the need flexibility in order to make effective career comebacks /changes.
How has the response been?
The response has been wonderful. We are getting calls from women professionals from all over the country. There are women professionals who are calling, signing in, enrolling for training programs, looking for jobs and of course becoming a part of the Fleximoms fraternity. New jobs are being added everyday, the Career Advisory service has got a fantastic response and the various training programs are being launched in the next few weeks.
What is the FlexiMoms Professional Associate (FPA) network?
Fleximoms Professional Associate Network is a pan India team that works closely with Fleximoms to take the message out, reach out to women professionals, engage with corporates and keep an ear to the ground for developments that are relevant to conversations and action on flexibility, diversity and businesses.
FlexiMoms.in is enabling women to explore opportunities in franchising and SOHO (small office home office) segments. Explain
There is a significant percentage of women professionals who opt out of the job routine to pursue entrepreneurial ambitions or work on businesses, which fit their schedules and needs. These range from SOHO businesses like cafes, restaurants, boutiques, apparel businesses, educational franchises etc. Franchising has emerged as a key option for such professionals and Fleximoms allows businesses which use the Franchise model to reach these professionals fairly effectively. In this case, Fleximoms derives from SAITA Consulting’s legacy of working with small and medium businesses and makes the appropriate connect.
Could you tell us about your offline training workshops ?
There are three kinds of offline training and re-skilling products. The Career Advisory, The Business Refresher Programs and Skill based training modules.
The Career Advisory is perhaps the most sought after service and women professionals are coming onboard in order to chart their professional course. The Career Advisory is a handholding process, where Fleximoms experts and counselors engage and guide professional marry their aspirations with their situations and harness the potential.
Business Refresher programs are designed both for women who gained an education but never worked and are working their Way In , and Way Back programs for women professionals who took career breaks and want to start work again, skill based trainings, workplace orientation and induction programs etc.
Not many Indian women are Internet savvy. How do you aim at reaching out to such women ?
The execution of the entire Fleximoms model is offline and one can exist without the other. The website is a virtual connecting point and it works well if one can connect using that. However, a person who is offline can easily avail of all Fleximoms offerings and services irrespective of their internet status. All Fleximoms solutions are offline services, which will be taken to all parts of country by the FPA teams.
The out reach and marketing is very primarily focused to get the offline women professionals involved.
Is FlexiMoms.in looking at any tie-ups ?
Always open to tie-ups which add value to Fleximoms offering and stakeholder set.
What should we expect from FlexiMoms.in in the next one year ?
I think to begin with you shall see a lot more conversation around flexibility and diversity in businesses. One can also expect a small well equipped talent pool making their way back into the workforce. One can see some traction on companies beginning to look at flexibility as a driver if efficiency and thereby on-board with Fleximoms. One will also see a larger product/service basket available to the Fleximoms demographic.
This interview was published in Digimouth
