Are you an employer finding yourself in need of workers? Recruiting talent is arguably the number one challenge facing small businesses today. There are myriad reasons why the labor market is so tight, but that doesn’t mean that valuable employees aren’t out there.
Maybe it’s time to think outside of the box of traditional recruiting and look instead to alternative sources of talent.
The concept of “returnships” has recently been getting some buzz. This talent pool consists of workers who have been out of the marketplace for various reasons – early retirement, childrearing, etc. – and are looking to return to a flexible work schedule. In return for shorter hours and remote work, these individuals can fill needed gaps in the workforce. Audible, for example, the largest producer of audiobooks in the world, launched a “Next Chapter Returnship” program in early 2021.
The program attracted a lot of internal buzz as workers were able to identify countless people they knew who had taken breaks in their careers and might be perfect candidates.
And don’t discount the skill sets that these return workers bring to the table either. Lori Mihalich-Levin, author and founder of Mindful Return, a program for parents transitioning back to work, encourages job seekers and returnees to think of the skills they gained as caregivers: leadership skills such as empathy, prioritization, and being able to pivot to deal quickly with unexpected situations. Likewise, seasoned workers who were bored in retirement have a body of knowledge that can augment a less experienced workforce.
Our team at Gotcha Covered HR is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to recruiting. Reach out today for help with your recruiting efforts!
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