Client Resources
Return to Work: A Practical Playbook to Bring Experienced Skilled Women Back
Written by: Flexing It
29/09/2025
5 minutes read
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Many organisations are eager to support women who are returning after career breaks. Successful programs are defined not just by the opportunities they present but also by the flexibility these opportunities offer in the short term and the transition pathways they lead to full-time work.
When designed with care, return-to-work programs, often referred to as returnships, offer businesses immediate access to experienced professionals while providing women with a structured and supportive route back into the workplace.
As Harvard Business Review notes, returnships have now become proven and effective pathways for companies to attract and retain mid-career women looking to reignite their careers.
This playbook outlines how organisations can design programmes that deliver lasting value, from attracting and welcoming returners to managing projects, contracts, and establishing clear pathways into permanent roles with confidence and scale.
Why Project-Based Return-to-Work Programs Work
- Reduce hiring risk: Short- to medium-term freelance projects allow you to evaluate delivery and cultural fit before making permanent offers.
- Boost retention and productivity: Hybrid and remote options improve satisfaction and reduce turnover. An NCBI study on hybrid work confirms that flexible setups increase engagement and loyalty. Research also shows that companies with substantial gender diversity consistently outperform their peers in terms of profitability and innovation.
- Highlight genuine commitment: Purposeful re-entry programs signal a true commitment to inclusion, strengthening the employer brand and attracting highly experienced women who are often overlooked in traditional hiring funnels.
The Flexible Return-to-Work Model
The most effective programs value expertise and skills, and create a pathway to enable a more seamless transition back.
Returnship Program
Based on our support to clients in their returnship programs, we have compiled a quick checklist to evaluate your program and embed elements that can make it not only effective but also attractive.
- Awareness: A branded microsite with role categories, FAQs, and case studies to minimise friction. Utilise targeted campaigns to connect with networks and women returnee communities. Titan’s Sequal program is a good example.
- Talent matching: Understanding the background of the applicants and ensuring they are a good fit or not is a critical part of early evaluations. This can reduce the challenge of too many applications and too few hires. A single point of contact to manage hiring from start to finish can help reduce dropouts and accelerate the onboarding process.
- Onboarding, mentoring and peer support: Provide structured onboarding plans, buddy systems, and peer cohorts. Research confirms that structured re-entry, combined with mentoring, significantly boosts confidence and performance, making women feel supported while delivering strong business outcomes. Bring together colleagues with similar experiences, and make them available to shortlisted applicants and new hires.
- Contracting and compliance: Make the practicalities simple and stress-free with clear contracts and straightforward compliance processes.
- Build Returnship Cohorts: Open the program applications for a specified period, and offer a well-rounded experience in terms of 1:1 coaching, mentoring and integration support. This establishes a culture of returnship akin to campus programs.
- Payments and tax support: Support returners with timely payments, simple invoicing, and easy-to-follow tax guidance. Reliable, predictable payments build trust and keep consultants motivated.
- Clear pathways to full-time roles: Offer consultants a fair and transparent route into permanent positions, with criteria based on project experience, performance feedback, and cultural fit.
Start small with 10–20 well-managed projects and clear conversion routes and scale steadily, building a reliable pipeline of talented women ready to shape long-term success.
Making It Work Smoothly
While the value of return-to-work programmes is apparent, many organisations struggle with the demands of attracting the right talent, managing administrative tasks (contracts, compliance, payments), and ensuring a positive experience for consultants.
This is where platforms like Flexing It can provide valuable support, helping organisations establish a structured process, source talent and create a seamless experience for both businesses and returners alike.
Learn more about Flexing It's Return To Work Program
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