Bengaluru: Companies across sectors are stepping up temporary hiring of women ahead of the festive season, with staffing mandates rising as much as 60% from last year as India Inc’s focus on gender diversity plays out in seasonal staffing.
The trend is visible in sectors such as e-commerce, retail, logistics, manufacturing, banking and hospitality.
Top hiring firms including Adecco, TeamLease Services, Quess, Randstad, CIEL HR and Manpower told ET that diversity goals, talent shortages and evolving work models are driving the surge Swiggy, Amazon, Flipkart, Bajaj Finserv, Zomato, HDFC Sales, Axis Sales, Prestige Group and the Brigade Group are among the many companies looking to grow the count of women temporary workers this festive season, according to industry executives.
“We are seeing a marked increase in client mandates to onboard more women in temporary roles this festive season. Compared to last year, there’s been a 20-25% rise in such requests, particularly in sectors like retail, e-commerce, and logistics where seasonal demand peaks,” said Deepesh Gupta, director and head of general staffing, Adecco India.
Companies are not only aiming for gender balance but also recognising the value women bring in customer-facing and operational roles during hightraffic periods, said Gupta.
Aditya Narayan Mishra, CEO of CIEL HR, seconds this. “Companies believe that women can stand out for their customer-friendly behaviour, compliance with standard operating procedures and discipline. This move opens a new pool of talent for companies and new possibilities for them. They could see higher productivity and retention.”
CIEL is seeing a 50-60% rise in mandates for women as against last year, said Mishra. Many firms are setting internal targets for gender diversity in temporary staffing. “What’s notable is that this is no longer a passive expectation; companies are setting tangible goals,” said Nitin Dave, CEO, Quess Staffing Solutions.
“Some have defined gender diversity targets for their temporary workforce, which signals a stronger commitment to building inclusive workplaces, even during peak demand cycles. This can vary from 20-30% for retail organisations, and for certain electronic manufacturing units, to more than 50%.” Kartik Narayan, CEO-Staffing, TeamLease Services, said more women may be employed in night-shift roles in sortation centres where safety and transportation measures have been enhanced.
“Diversity-focused hiring is projected to grow by 15-20% from the previous year, highlighting a strategic move to tap into wider talent pools during peak demand,” he added.
Sectors like e-commerce, retail, logistics, and BFSI are at the forefront, introducing structured skilling, safer workplaces, and greater scheduling flexibility—making seasonal employment more accessible to women than ever before, said Yeshab Giri, chief commercial officer (professional talent solutions) at Randstad India.
Women are being sought out for a variety of roles: store staff, cashiers, customer service, and warehouse packers in retail and e-commerce; delivery associates and last-mile operations in logistics; field sales for credit cards and POS (point of sale) installations, especially in tier II and III cities in the BFSI sector and front desk, guest relations, and event support roles in hospitality and travel.
Shailesh Khanna, brand lead-manpower, of ManpowerGroup India, said that manufacturing units, retail, supply chain, logistics hubs and factories are preferring women employees for temp roles. “Some offer extra incentives based on target achievement,” he added.
The trend is visible in sectors such as e-commerce, retail, logistics, manufacturing, banking and hospitality.
Top hiring firms including Adecco, TeamLease Services, Quess, Randstad, CIEL HR and Manpower told ET that diversity goals, talent shortages and evolving work models are driving the surge Swiggy, Amazon, Flipkart, Bajaj Finserv, Zomato, HDFC Sales, Axis Sales, Prestige Group and the Brigade Group are among the many companies looking to grow the count of women temporary workers this festive season, according to industry executives.
“We are seeing a marked increase in client mandates to onboard more women in temporary roles this festive season. Compared to last year, there’s been a 20-25% rise in such requests, particularly in sectors like retail, e-commerce, and logistics where seasonal demand peaks,” said Deepesh Gupta, director and head of general staffing, Adecco India.
Companies are not only aiming for gender balance but also recognising the value women bring in customer-facing and operational roles during hightraffic periods, said Gupta.
Aditya Narayan Mishra, CEO of CIEL HR, seconds this. “Companies believe that women can stand out for their customer-friendly behaviour, compliance with standard operating procedures and discipline. This move opens a new pool of talent for companies and new possibilities for them. They could see higher productivity and retention.”
CIEL is seeing a 50-60% rise in mandates for women as against last year, said Mishra. Many firms are setting internal targets for gender diversity in temporary staffing. “What’s notable is that this is no longer a passive expectation; companies are setting tangible goals,” said Nitin Dave, CEO, Quess Staffing Solutions.
“Some have defined gender diversity targets for their temporary workforce, which signals a stronger commitment to building inclusive workplaces, even during peak demand cycles. This can vary from 20-30% for retail organisations, and for certain electronic manufacturing units, to more than 50%.” Kartik Narayan, CEO-Staffing, TeamLease Services, said more women may be employed in night-shift roles in sortation centres where safety and transportation measures have been enhanced.
“Diversity-focused hiring is projected to grow by 15-20% from the previous year, highlighting a strategic move to tap into wider talent pools during peak demand,” he added.
Sectors like e-commerce, retail, logistics, and BFSI are at the forefront, introducing structured skilling, safer workplaces, and greater scheduling flexibility—making seasonal employment more accessible to women than ever before, said Yeshab Giri, chief commercial officer (professional talent solutions) at Randstad India.
Women are being sought out for a variety of roles: store staff, cashiers, customer service, and warehouse packers in retail and e-commerce; delivery associates and last-mile operations in logistics; field sales for credit cards and POS (point of sale) installations, especially in tier II and III cities in the BFSI sector and front desk, guest relations, and event support roles in hospitality and travel.
Shailesh Khanna, brand lead-manpower, of ManpowerGroup India, said that manufacturing units, retail, supply chain, logistics hubs and factories are preferring women employees for temp roles. “Some offer extra incentives based on target achievement,” he added.
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