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Professional breaks are not a break, but a resource. Whether after parental leave, care, illness or reorientation: those returning to work bring with them skills that companies urgently need today. Katrin Witte, Chairwoman of the IBB, advocates an HR mindset that recognizes perspectives, enables learning and creates sustainable employee loyalty.
Executive Summary
Sustainably integrating returners: Mindset as a strategic success factor in HR
- The challenge: Today, professional breaks are diverse and are no longer a special case. Nevertheless, those returning to work in companies are often still defined by gaps in their CV. A lack of support, unclear perspectives and insufficient targeted qualification mean that existing skills remain unused and re-entry fails.
- The solution: The starting point is an HR mindset that recognizes strengths, enables development and systematically accompanies learning. Individual competence analyses, practical further training, coaching and regular feedback provide security in the transition phase and make a successful new start easier.
- Your benefit: Strategic integration of returnees expands the talent pool, reduces fluctuation and strengthens long-term employee loyalty. At the same time, it promotes a learning-oriented corporate culture that offers perspectives and effectively addresses the shortage of skilled workers.
- Focus: Sustainable integration of returnees, HR mindset, employee retention, upskilling and coaching, sustainable talent strategies, learning and development, perspectives instead of deficits.
After a career break, many people are faced with the question of how they can regain their footing in the world of work. This offers companies a great opportunity to attract experienced specialists who are ready to take on new tasks. However, in order to successfully return to work, a few important points must be taken into account. Those returning to work need close support, practical training and, above all, a clear perspective, especially at the beginning.
Of course, returnees are not a homogeneous group. Here you will find, for example, those returning from parental leave, people who have cared for relatives, people who have recovered from illness or rehabilitation, the unemployed and career changers who have not yet followed a traditional career path. This group also includes people without completed training who fear that they no longer have a real chance in the modern job market. It’s worth taking a closer look here: What skills do people have, what experiences have they gained, what excites them?
Upskilling and coaching: step by step to the next level
A nice example of a successful new start was a ballet dancer who came to us when he was almost 40 years old and was nearing the end of his career. For him, since childhood, only dance existed. And suddenly this was over and the big question arose: What happens next? We worked out his creative abilities and personal strengths in the coaching process, and his path ultimately led to retraining to become a media designer. He graduated with excellent results and immediately gained a foothold in his career.
Such developments show the potential that lies in a well-supported new beginning. Many people returning to work bring with them experience that corresponds exactly to the skills that companies are so desperately looking for today: organizational talent, resilience, adaptability and perseverance.
Successful reintegration begins with a precise analysis of the individual strengths and development opportunities of those returning to work. Based on this analysis, suitable further training courses should be selected that impart the practical skills that are essential in the new working environment. Especially at the beginning, individual coaching helps to define goals and reduce uncertainty in everyday work. In the first few months after starting, continuous support is crucial: regular feedback discussions and quickly achieving success in new tasks help to build fresh motivation and trust.
Companies benefit in the long term from this special effort: those who accompany employees step by step reduce fluctuation, strengthen loyalty and create a culture of mutual trust. An example from industry shows that career changers in logistics companies who were trained and supported internally often stayed with the company long-term and showed greater loyalty than traditional new hires.
It all depends on your mindset
For HR professionals and managers, this means one thing above all: see perspectives, not deficits. Instead of paying attention to gaps, it’s about recognizing existing skills and promoting them in a targeted manner. People who come back after a break have often developed skills that are valuable for new tasks. Parents have organizational skills and resistance to stress, caregivers show patience and a sense of responsibility, and people after illness have resilience and perseverance.
Dealing with uncertainty confidently is also crucial. Anyone who communicates openly from the start: “We are taking the first steps together” relieves the pressure on those returning to work and creates an atmosphere of trust. At the same time, it shows them that mistakes are allowed and are seen as part of the learning process.
Use practical support
Companies can provide targeted support to those returning to work without taking on major cost risks. Funding programs, government grants or educational offers help to implement qualifications and make employees fit for their new tasks. Support, practical training and coaching in the first few months ensure that the new skills are also applied in everyday life.
Those who specifically support returnees gain employees who are motivated, willing to learn and loyal. They bring experience and fresh perspectives. In the future, learning will become a measure of professional success and companies will thereby create a competitive advantage that goes far beyond filling vacancies.
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