Would a Returner know you want them?
Your organisation may be committed to inclusive recruitment. But would an experienced professional returning after a career break see themselves in your organisation, feel confident applying and believe their experience would be valued?
The Back To Work Connect Returner-Friendly Recruitment Check looks at your recruitment through the eyes of an experienced Returner.
We review five key areas:
VISIBLE | ACCESSIBLE | INCLUSIVE | FAIR | CONNECTED
Find out how Returner-Friendly your recruitment looks
REQUEST YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CHECK
👇👇👇👇
Why this matters
Experienced talent may be overlooking your opportunities
You may already offer flexible working, have inclusive policies and genuinely welcome people returning after a career break.
But do Returners know that?
After time away from the workplace, experienced candidates can look at recruitment differently.
They may be asking:
👉Will my career gap count against me?
👉Is my previous experience still relevant?
👉Do I need to meet every requirement?
👉Would someone like me actually get an interview?
👉Does this employer genuinely want Returners – or simply say it welcomes diverse candidates?
The BTWC Returner-Friendly Recruitment Check helps you see your recruitment from their perspective.
The five pillars
What do we look at?
VISIBLE: Can Returners see themselves working in your organisation?
We look at how clearly your employer brand signals that experienced professionals with different career journeys are welcome.
ACCESSIBLE: Can an experienced Returner identify and confidently apply for suitable opportunities?
We consider the candidate journey, job descriptions, experience requirements and potential barriers that could cause suitable Returners to screen themselves out.
INCLUSIVE: Does your recruitment messaging recognise different career journeys?
We look for language that recognises transferable skills, career breaks and the reality that successful careers don’t always follow a straight line.
FAIR: Could someone with a career gap progress fairly through your recruitment process?
We consider the publicly visible evidence of fair and inclusive recruitment. Where internal processes can’t be assessed externally, we say so rather than assume.
CONNECTED: Are you actively connecting with experienced Returner talent?
We look at whether you’re simply open to Returner applications or actively reaching this experienced talent pool.
What you’ll receive
A practical one-page review – not another lengthy report
We’ll review your publicly available recruitment information and provide a personalised Returner-Friendly Recruitment Check highlighting:
✓ Your overall Returner-Friendly finding
✓ Your position across the five pillars
✓ What you’re already doing well
✓ One specific opportunity we’ve identified
✓ Something practical to consider next
Our aim isn’t to find five things you’re doing wrong.
In fact, we’re often finding employers are already doing many of the right things. The opportunity is frequently about making those things more visible to Returners.
What does Returner-Friendly recruitment look like in practice?
During the Check we may look at things such as:
- Careers page messaging and employer branding
- Job description language
- How essential and desirable experience is presented
- References to recent versus relevant experience
- Recognition of transferable skills
- Flexible working and life-stage support
- Career-break and non-linear career messaging
- Candidate application information
- Returner stories or representation
- Dedicated Returner initiatives or programmes
- How your organisation connects with experienced Returner talent
Note: The Check is a high-level review of publicly available recruitment information. It is not an audit of internal recruitment or selection processes.
Sometimes the opportunity is surprisingly simple
We might find:
Your careers page has strong messaging around flexibility, development and inclusive recruitment.
But notice:
Individual job descriptions focus heavily on recent experience and essential criteria, without acknowledging transferable experience or encouraging candidates returning after a career break.
A small change:
Same role. Same standards. A very different message to a Returner.
Why Back To Work Connect?
Because we see recruitment from both sides.
Back To Work Connect works with employers to improve how they attract and engage experienced Returners, but we’re also working directly with the people you’re trying to reach.
Our community supports midlife professionals who are returning to work, retraining and changing career, with practical resources designed around the challenges they experience on that journey.
Through our community, events, Career Hub and Back to Work Roadmap, we see first-hand the questions, concerns and barriers experienced professionals encounter when trying to return.
That insight is what sits behind the Returner-Friendly Recruitment Check.
EXPLORE OUR BACK TO WORK ROADMAP
REQUEST YOUR EMPLOYER CHECK
👇👇👇
What happens next?
Sometimes the Check identifies one small change, sometimes it opens a bigger conversation about how an organisation could better attract experienced Returner talent.
Depending on your priorities, BTWC can support you with:
Returner-Friendly Employer Partnership
Connect your employer brand and opportunities directly with our Returner community.
Returner-Friendly Recruitment Training
Help HR, Talent Acquisition and hiring managers recognise Returner talent and reduce unintended barriers.
Community Engagement
Meet and engage directly with experienced professionals considering their return to work.
Career Relaunch Events
Create a focused route for experienced Returners to discover your organisation and explore potential opportunities.
Returnship Programmes
For organisations ready to develop a more structured pathway back into the workplace.
You don’t need a Returnship programme to become Returner-Friendly. Sometimes the right starting point is simply understanding what a Returner sees today.
We work with organisations across Ireland that recognise the value experienced professionals can bring to their workforce
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Returner-Friendly Recruitment Check free?
Yes. We’re currently offering the initial high-level Check on a complimentary basis.
What do we need to provide?
Nothing initially. We review publicly available recruitment information including your careers content and, where appropriate, current job descriptions.
Do we need to have a Returner programme?
No. Most employers don’t. The Check looks at how accessible your existing recruitment is to experienced Returners.
Do we need to be recruiting right now?
No. The Check can also help organisations considering future recruitment understand how they could begin building a connection with Returner talent before vacancies arise.
That last one comes directly from what you’ve just learned with Very.
Will you assess our internal recruitment process?
No. We only assess what can reasonably be established from publicly available information. Where something can’t be assessed, we’ll say so.
What happens after the Check?
We’ll send you your one-page findings. There’s no obligation to take anything further. If the findings raise an area you’d like to explore, we’d be happy to discuss it.
Would a Returner know you want them?
Find out what your recruitment looks like through the eyes of an experienced professional returning after a career break.
Request your complimentary BTWC Returner-Friendly Recruitment Check
No questionnaire. No preparation. No obligation.