3 minute read
11/04/2018
We hosted a careers fair at our Newbury headquarters as part of ReConnect, a recruitment programme for talented women wanting to return to work after a career break.
We’ve all been there, examining our CVs down to the last letter, tirelessly scouring the internet for job openings, sending countless emails but not always achieving immediate success. Job hunting has its setbacks. But what if you’re hoping to get back into paid work after taking time out? Despite having a wealth of experience, it’s not always an easy path, which can shatter self-confidence.
There are currently just under 1.9 million women out of work, caring for their home or family members. When these women decide to take the plunge and re-enter the workplace, they may struggle to find a job role that provides them with the flexibility they need. As a result they may find they’re overcome with self-doubt. Many also worry that they lack the digital skills that today’s business environment relies on to survive.
But there’s hope. Through our ReConnect programme, we’re helping ‘returners’ to address these challenges by bringing them together with employers under one roof. We caught up with a number of career experts and attendees at one of our return-to-work events, to uncover the true value of ReConnect.
This event included a careers fair, CV drop-in, interview workshop, LinkedIn masterclass and a keynote from serial female entrepreneur, Tamara Lohan. It not only gave women the advice and training they needed to feel comfortable in the work environment again, it gave them the reassurance that they could do it - despite the doubts they had.
I would definitely recommend ReConnect to women who are sitting at home thinking they won’t be able to get back into work ever again. See for yourself that you’ve really got it in you.
Sabeen - ReConnect attendee
These events are equally valuable to employers who are looking for talented and experienced employees, but are sceptical about hiring someone who’s been out of paid work for a long period of time. We sponsor Returners, a toolkit for employers by Timewise and Women Returners. It supports and encourages employers to create opportunities for returners, and helps them to get started.
It’s designed for businesses wanting to set up returner programmes of their own. It focuses on the benefits of hiring returners, how to develop a returner programme and even better, has a specific section for business owners who are less likely to consider returners as employees – the very people who could supercharge their business.
So, if you’re a business owner who wants to diversify your workforce, take a look at the talented people struggling to catch a break and return to paid work.