Women Back to Work after a Career Brake: Untapped Talent Market

Have you bought in to the old-fashioned idea that a woman (or man) who takes time away from work to raise a family, care for a parent, or explore a passion is not a desirable job candidate? Think again. Many of those women who return to work after a hiatus are just as ambitious, committed, and talented as their colleagues who worked straight through or skipped these life events. In other words, they are an untapped talent market.

Organizations are springing up all over the U.S. to help this underestimated group get geared up and back to work. iRehire, ReacHire, and others are offering networking, internships, and career management services to this group of Millennials and Boomers who have turned their talents, ambitions, and focus onto personal goals for a time and are now ready and able to return to the workforce.

The time away from traditional employment has benefitted this group, which can benefit your organization. Employers are finding that this is a group with additional soft skills such as time management, multitasking, negotiating, and social engineering, developed during their time away; often they have gained entrepreneurial experience as well, which gives them a longer, more holistic perspective on their industries and their organization’s interests; and they have a renewed enthusiasm, commitment, and focus on their career goals.

Tech companies like GoDaddy and Financial giants such as Morgan Stanley are discovering this untapped resource, and offering “returnships” or internships to bring those who wish to return to full time employment back up to speed. This allows the companies to educate, evaluate, and provide networking opportunities to entice these valuable candidates back to work.

The bonus? Companies who participate in returnship programs, or who make the effort to hire those who have taken career breaks are seen as more family-friendly, and more female-friendly workplaces. This in turn can boost morale, add to a positive corporate culture, and increase longevity.

Are you interested in learning more about returnships, or hiring those who are re-starting their careers after a hiatus? Contact Step Up Recruiting today!