In today’s tight job market, employers must innovate when it comes to filling positions. A growing number of for-profit businesses — including such big names as Walmart, Amazon, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase & Co. — have found success with returnship programs. These arrangements also could provide welcome and valuable relief for nonprofits facing hiring challenges.
Returnship defined
The name may not be familiar, but a returnship isn’t much different from an internship. The main difference is that, instead of bringing on board almost total novices, your nonprofit can obtain access to experienced individuals.
Basically, returnships target workers who’ve taken a career break. The pool ranges from early retirees, who find they need or want to return to work, to professionals who took time off to travel the globe. Frequently, returnships involve individuals who left the workforce to serve as caregivers for children or elderly parents. For this reason, returnship programs aren’t restricted to older workers. Applicants with an employment gap often are overlooked for no other reason. But your organization may not have the luxury of overlooking any job candidate these days.
During returnships, returnees, like interns, are typically given mentors to offer guidance and support as they’re upskilled and groomed for full-time positions that may require skills they don’t yet possess. You may also want to provide returnees with opportunities to interact with your organization’s leaders.
Benefits you can expect
Returnships are an emerging way to tap into workers with proven — but perhaps not fully current — skills and a strong drive to contribute. They also support workplace inclusivity by welcoming individuals with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Just as significantly, returnships can counteract biases that hiring managers may hold, for example, assuming that candidates re-entering the workforce may lack essential computing skills.
In reality, many returnees bring highly relevant strengths in social media, online research, peer collaboration and time management. Often, they apply these skills for years through sports leagues, community volunteer work or their children’s schools. Regardless of whether they were paid in such roles, good returnee candidates have consistently built and sharpened both hard and soft skills.
Potential risks you can expect
Seasoned professionals may find it challenging to begin in lower-level roles where they report to managers who are younger or less experienced. Although many workplaces know how to bridge generational differences, tensions can arise if returnees expect greater respect or deference based on their accomplishments from prior, unrelated careers.
Another potential hurdle is compensation. Some returnees may struggle with the smaller paychecks typical of returnships. Ideally, they’ll recognize the tradeoff: reduced earnings in exchange for the chance to refresh skills and boost long-term employability. Even so, it’s wise to discuss these expectations during the interview process.
Also keep in mind that returnships are temporary by design, usually lasting three to six months. If a participant isn’t the right fit, you have no obligation to extend a full-time offer. Make sure this is clear from the start.
Making a connection
Both nonprofit and for-profit organizations have become available as returnship resources, to connect employers who need experience with workers who have large gaps on their resumes. These organizations not only help determine whether returnships are a good fit for your workplace but they also assist in identifying candidates who bring the right experience and potential.
