Welcome to Back To Work Connect’s Reignite, Reskill & Recruit Audio Series. In this episode, Sarah Healy of Tools for Better is discussing company preparedness.
Most companies we speak to want to hire more inclusively.
They’re open to Returners.
They see the value.
They talk about flexibility.
But when it comes down to it… their hiring processes haven’t caught up.
And that’s the real gap.
Because being “open to returners” isn’t the same as being prepared to hire them.
From what we see at Back to Work Connect, company preparedness comes down to a few very practical shifts:
• Stop treating career breaks as red flags — and start recognising the experience behind them
• Design roles with flexibility built in (not added on as an afterthought)
• Simplify job specs so great candidates don’t self-select out
• Create structured pathways back — returner programmes, mentorship, buddy systems
• Train hiring managers to recognise bias and focus on skills, not just recent experience
• Build cultures that value growth and adaptability over perfection
None of this is complicated.
But it does require intention — and more importantly, it requires capability.
Because without the right training, most organisations default back to what they’ve always done.
That’s why we built our Returner Friendly Recruitment Training.
Not to overhaul everything — but to give companies the tools to make these shifts in a way that’s practical, scalable, and aligned to real business needs.
Because the organisations who get this right won’t just be more inclusive.
They’ll be the ones who access better talent, build stronger teams, and stay competitive in a changing workforce.
The question is no longer why Returners matter.
It’s whether your organisation is actually set up to hire them.
Thank you for listening to Back To Work Connects reignite, reskill, and Recruit audio series. If you’d like to get more information, you can reach out to us at info@backtoworkconnect.ie.
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