If You Want to Hire Returners, You Have to Rethink How You Hire
There’s a growing awareness across organisations that Returners represent a valuable, untapped talent pool. But awareness on its own doesn’t change outcomes. You can’t expect different results from the same hiring process.
At Back to Work Connect, we see this gap every day. Organisations are open to hiring Returners — in principle. But their recruitment processes are still built around a very traditional, linear career path.
It starts at the very beginning
Becoming Returner-friendly isn’t about one initiative or one programme. It starts at the very first touchpoint — the moment a potential candidate considers applying.
Ask yourself:
- Does your organisation feel accessible to someone with a career gap?
- Do your job descriptions invite non-traditional candidates — or filter them out?
- Are you signalling support, or expecting people to figure it out themselves?
These early signals matter more than most organisations realise.
Small changes, big impact
What’s encouraging is that becoming more inclusive doesn’t always require large-scale transformation. Often, it’s about making more thoughtful, intentional choices across the hiring journey.
For example:
1. Create structured pathways back to work
Returnships or structured programmes can provide a vital bridge — helping individuals rebuild confidence, refresh skills, and transition back into the workplace in a supported way, like Back to Work Connect’s Career Relaunch Programme and Return To Work Programme – Returnship.
2. Be transparent about support
If you offer onboarding support, mentorship, or training — say it clearly. Returners are not just evaluating the role; they’re assessing whether they will be set up to succeed.
3. Simplify how roles are presented
Overly rigid requirements and jargon-heavy job descriptions can exclude strong candidates. Focusing on core skills and explicitly welcoming non-linear career paths can significantly widen your talent pool.
4. Rethink how you assess talent
Traditional interview panels don’t always surface the best candidates. Alternatives like work trials or project-based assessments can provide a more accurate view of capability.
5. Build diversity into the process itself
Diverse interview panels and fair, equitable offers are not just “nice to have” — they reinforce trust and signal genuine intent.
6. Prioritise flexibility
Flexibility is often a key enabler for returners — and increasingly, for the wider workforce too.
The part organisations often miss
Many companies implement some of these changes — and still don’t see the results they expect.
Why?
Because Returner-friendly hiring only works when it’s consistent.
If your job ad is inclusive, but your interview process isn’t…
If your leadership team supports it, but hiring managers aren’t aligned…
If bias isn’t actively addressed…
You create friction. And that friction leads to lost talent, this is why alignment is critical.
Everyone involved in the hiring journey — from leadership through to recruiters and interview panels — needs to understand the objective, recognise their role in achieving it, and be equipped to challenge their own biases.
This is a system, not a single change
Becoming returner-friendly isn’t about adding more steps to your hiring process. It’s about removing the barriers that were never designed with diverse career paths in mind. It requires a shift in mindset, in approach, and in execution — across the entire hiring journey.
Turning intention into action
This is exactly why we developed our Returner Friendly Recruitment Training at Back to Work Connect.
Because organisations don’t need more theory — they need practical, actionable ways to embed inclusive hiring in how they operate day to day.
The talent is there.
The opportunity is clear.
The question is whether your hiring process is set up to access it.
For more information and supports on creating a Returner Friendly recruitment process reach out to our team at info@backtoworkconnect.ie
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