Informate increases female workforce to 60%

The key female role models at Infomate

Infomate, a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings (JKH), a leading financial accounting BPO and business process management firm and the pioneer in rural BPMs in the Island, has made significant strides in recent years in terms of inclusion and diversity and has today, one of the largest female workforces amongst the BPM organisations in the country

The company has proved to be a great place to work for females and has received incredible contributions and value from the women who constitute nearly 60% of its staff.

The strong professional development opportunities, on-the-job leadership and management training, flexible work schedules, all designed to meet the needs of various sectors of women, have contributed to making Infomate, a preferred employer for females, recognised for its dedication to nurturing female talent across all levels of the company. 

At a time when women’s employment has experienced drastic drops due to the pandemic, gender diversity and increasing women representation in the workforce has become an important topic in the boardrooms. 

As such, Infomate’s strong focus on successfully implementing gender diversity policies in their organisation is clearly a benchmark to be celebrated. 

Speaking of this success, Rohini Jayawardena, a key role model for the company, heading Human Resources and overseeing the HR function for over 300 staff said: “At Infomate, we help our female employees find meaning and enjoyment in their work. We take the time to learn about their personal values, passions, strengths, and life goals and brainstorm ways to integrate these things into their career. 

“We ensure equal opportunities for promotions, raises, and develop their leadership skills, and our training portfolio serves to unlock their full potential. This way, our younger employees have role models within the company to connect to and model their careers after, owing to numerous women leaders driving Infomate’s success.”

Another role model notably contributing to the company’s success is Aruni Kalyani with 25 years of continuous service and a founding member of Infomate, who heads the Client Services Team and has been instrumental in implementing and maintaining the high level of Customer Service that the company is known for.  

Nilmini Dasanayake another success story at Infomate completes 25 years of service next year. In addition to her role in managing multiple overseas clients, she has overseen Infomate’s outsource units in Jaffna, Mahawilachchi, and Seenigama and trained and provided a host of opportunities to the youth in these regions to step into the BPM industry and build successful careers. 

Yasasi Perera heading the Finance Division at infomate is an active member of the management committee, driving the ESG initiatives of the company. 

In addition to harnessing and producing such role models, Infomate also provides a host of opportunities to female university undergraduates and school leavers to work as trainees and enjoy internships and training opportunities in finance, human resource management, information technology, and marketing fields.

Infomate CEO Jehan Perinpanayagam outlining the company’s gender-inclusive policies stated: “We are proud of the progress made so far and remain committed to accelerating representation for women at all levels across the company. We have established equal opportunities in the system through our policies, process, and management practices to treat equally and respect individuals. 

“Today’s companies need to go beyond the softer areas of work-life balance options and women-friendly policies and also focus on open opportunities being provided for women to make a ‘step-change’ in their career, with cross-industry exposure, distinction, and front-line assignments and this is something we have done very successfully at Infomate. 

“We fully understand the compelling need to address women’s aspirations and to attract and retain a vast talent pool of women into our organisations. We do this by offering them development opportunities and in creating an organisational culture where they can truly thrive.”

Infomate today competes with other ‘new-age companies’ in the global arena, as an organisation that sports an inclusive and sustainable culture, has diverse top management and corporate board directors, where promotion policies are gender-neutral, with clear metrics for building a ‘balanced leadership in the organisation.