Date: 23-Jul-2020
What if your perfect “intern” was really a mid-career professional returning to work after taking some time off from their career?
Similar to traditional internships, these “returnships” provide a paid position for 12 to 18 weeks to give returning employees a chance to find their feet again in the workplace. “Companies recognize that there is this large pool of talent sitting on the shelf and not being engaged in the workforce,” says Tami Forman, executive director of Path Forward, a nonprofit organization that creates mid-career internship programs to ease the transition back to work. “Hiring managers might worry about a gap in a resume, but these programs create an onramp for employers to bring people on board.”
These programs are likely to grow as employers try to deal with shortages in specific fields such as software development, says Leigh Steere, co-founder of Managing People Better, a management research and consulting company. She says employers can also consider former military personnel, people moving from self-employment and people looking to phase into retirement as candidates for returnship positions.
Forman says a returnship should be fairly structured, with a defined start and end date. It may encompass a specific project and include training and feedback goals. In return the company gets to assess a seasoned employee who may be a good fit for a full-time position. A returnship program might be right for your company if any of these scenarios apply.
Consider what’s not getting done at your company and identify opportunities for mid-career professionals. Returnships work best when you have a specific position with assigned projects and tasks ready for the returning employee, so if you have a temporary project coming up, a returnship could fit the bill. “This gives you the opportunity to test skills, and it feels less risky,” Forman says. “It gives them the time they need to get back up to speed.”
Forman also recommends bringing more than one person on for returnships, so don’t hesitate to consider returnships if you have a heavy workload. “There are lots of benefits to having a cohort,” she says. “Having a few people doing it together creates internal support among themselves.”
For Demandbase, which provides an account-based marketing platform, having a returnship program provided way to identify future hires in positions such as software engineering and customer success, says Landon Pearson, vice president of human resources and talent acquisition. “In our case, we wanted to hire for these positions,” he says. “Returnships give us an opportunity to get a feel for their skills and hopefully convert them to full-time hires.”
One of the benefits of returnship programs is they can give your permanent employees the chance to develop leadership skills. Forman recommends working with your managers to identify which departments can provide mentors for people in the returnship program.
People who have been out of the workforce for a time may need to brush up on job-specific skills, but even day-to-day technology and processes may have changed enough that they feel a little uncertain. “When your managers are engaged and supportive, that helps craft a role that’s meaningful for several months,” Forman says.
Companies that are looking for new blood but maybe aren’t ready to hire permanently are prime for returnships. You’re likely to find that people in returnship programs are energized and ready to get back to work — and that energy is contagious.
As Forman says, “One of the hallmarks of the participants is that there’s so much passion and enthusiasm and motivation to succeed. When someone’s coming back, they’re ready and energized. They may have children or elderly parents relying on them, which can be motivating. They’re excited to be part of something.”
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