Why returners programmes are good for business
In a fast-changing and innovative sector like tech, where new technologies are transforming work practices every day, the prospect of returning to work can be daunting. Returners programmes shift workplace perceptions surrounding people's right to return to work and challenge the unconscious stigma around career breaks.
techUK members dedicated returner programmes
This page features dedicated tech returners programme from techUK's member companies. Formal schemes in the rapidly changing tech sector are designed to support individuals as they transition back into the workplace after a career break, providing the training needed to update technical skills and business awareness, and sometimes offering additional benefits.
Free resources for returners
techUK signposts to a range of free courses, mentorship opportunities, and re-skilling initiatives for those looking to re-enter the tech sector. These organisations are dedicated to providing free opportunities to returners after a career break.
Training providers
This section is for tech companies who are ready to embark on a returners journeys. These dedicated organisations will help you create a bespoke returners programme for your organisation, and get you on the right track to attract, retrain and progress the best talent.
Toolkit for returners: helping you back to work
Advice from the Government Equalities Office. Whether you’re just starting to think about getting back into work, or you’re part-way through the journey back and looking for some extra advice and support, this Toolkit can help. It’s been designed as a roadmap that takes you through every stage of the return-to-work process, with a wide range of information, ideas and actions.
Women’s Business Council: a toolkit for employers
The toolkit is based on best practice guidance developed by Timewise and Women Returners for the Government Equalities Office and is designed for businesses wishing to develop returner programmes of their own. This toolkit sets out the characteristics of a successful programme, clear guidelines on how to attract and recruit candidates, how to support returners, and case studies.
Looking at returner programmes with Corndel
Management and technology training provider Corndel shares information about returner programmes. In Corndel’s experience, best-practice returner programmes, which benefit both businesses and returners. adopt a delivery model that is structured, scaffolded, tailored and coaching-led to support returners back into work.
10 Steps to Become a Returner Inclusive Employer from Career Returners
- Learn about Returners: Listen to returner stories on Career Returners Podcast. Challenge your stereotypes.
- Remove Screening Bias: Check that your automated or manual application process is NOT screening out candidates just because of their CV gap (2021 Harvard Business School research in UK/USA/Germany found 43-48% of ATS systems filter out gaps over 6 months).
- Reduce Advertising Bias: Make sure your job adverts are only asking for ‘current/up-to-date knowledge’ or ‘recent experience’ if this is essential.
- Reduce Interview Bias: For competency-based interviews, adapt your questions to not ask for ‘recent work examples’. Focus technical interviews on skills rather than knowledge.
- Promote Returners as a Strong Candidate Pool: Put career returners on the radar for your recruiters and business leaders as a high-calibre and diverse talent pool. Educate on the full business case and ESG case for hiring returners.
- Support Returner Hires: Provide transition support for returner hires, such as training, mentoring and (if you have the budget) Career Returners Coaching to help them to rebuild confidence and more rapidly re-integrate.
- Provide Returner Training to Line Managers: Educate on hiring and supporting candidates returning from career breaks.
- Target Returner Applicants: Consider adding to job adverts ‘We welcome applications from candidates who have taken a career break’.
- [If larger] Run a Cohort Returner Programme: Use a proven framework to accelerate returner hiring and create a peer support network.
- Champion Returner Successes. Continue to break the bias using your real-life examples of successful returner hires.
If you’d like expert advice and support on returner inclusion – or returner programme design, promotion and coaching/training support – get in touch with Career Returners at: [email protected].
The value of returners programmes cannot be understated. They offer access to a largely untapped pool of talent that conventional recruitment methods often miss. We all benefit when we offer alternative routes and pathways for people who are looking to get back into the workforce, and break down the barriers to returning to fulfilling tech careers. It's great to see so many techUK members leading this.
Nimmi Patel
Nimmi Patel is the Associate Director - Skills & Talent Policy at techUK. She works on all things skills, education, and future of work policy, focusing on upskilling and retraining. She is a member of the UK government's Digital Skills Council, an external advisory body within the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT), which provides expert advice and fosters collaboration to address the UK’s evolving digital skills needs and ensure the workforce is equipped for the digital economy. Nimmi is also an Advisory Board member of the Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (digit). The Centre’s research aims to increase understanding of how digital technologies are changing work and the implications for employers, workers, job seekers, and governments.
Sheila Flavell CBE
Sheila Flavell CBE is President of techUK, and both Chief Operating Officer and an Executive Board Director of FDM Group. She has spent 35 years operating within the international tech space. As a “woman returner”, Sheila is passionate about promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in today’s workplace. She founded the FDM Returners Programme in 2015, which has since helped over 550 men and women return to work after a career break.