Many employers are rethinking traditional hiring strategies in search of talent pools that bring both skills and resilience to the table. Two often-overlooked approaches—returnship programs and reentry hiring—offer access to experienced professionals who may not be active on job boards but are ready to contribute meaningfully to your organization. These candidates bring valuable life experience, professional expertise, and a strong motivation to succeed.
What Are Returnships?
Returnships are structured programs designed for mid-career professionals who have taken a break from the workforce—often to raise children, provide caregiving, or recover from health challenges. These programs provide a defined period of paid work, training, mentorship, and a pathway to full-time employment.
Returnships are not internships for beginners. Participants typically have 5-15+ years of experience in professional roles before stepping away. According to Path Forward, a nonprofit that supports return-to-work programs, 80% of returnship participants land full-time roles after completing a program.
Company Example:
- Goldman Sachs has been running its “Returnship” program since 2008. The 10-week program has helped hundreds of professionals return to roles in finance, operations, and tech.
- Cisco offers a 16-week returnship focused on roles like project management and software engineering. The program includes peer support, mentorship, and structured training to ease reentry.
Returnships benefit companies by providing access to mature, skilled talent, while allowing candidates to rebuild confidence and learn new tools or processes that may have changed during their time away.
The Value of Reentry Hiring
Reentry hiring refers to hiring individuals who are returning to the workforce after incarceration. These candidates often face barriers to employment, despite having skills, training, and a strong desire to contribute. With the right support systems in place, they can become highly engaged and loyal employees.
According to a report from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 85% of HR professionals say that individuals with criminal records perform as well or better than other employees. Additionally, second chance hiring helps companies meet diversity and equity goals while addressing talent shortages.
Company Example:
- Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation employs people with criminal records and has become a national advocate for second-chance hiring. Their workforce has seen strong retention and job performance outcomes.
- The Last Mile trains incarcerated individuals in digital skills such as software development. Graduates have gone on to secure jobs at companies like Slack and Zoom.
Implementing reentry programs helps reduce recidivism, provides economic opportunity, and can positively impact entire communities.
Business Benefits
1. Access to Skilled, Motivated Talent Many returners and reentrants are eager for stability, professional growth, and purpose. They often bring fresh perspectives, emotional intelligence, and strong work ethics developed through life experience.
2. Enhanced Workforce Diversity These programs can significantly increase diversity across age, background, and career paths. Reentry hiring, in particular, supports inclusive hiring practices by opening doors to individuals who are often excluded from the traditional talent pipeline.
3. Improved Retention Rates Returnship and reentry candidates often express high levels of loyalty to employers who give them a second chance or support their reentry. This results in better long-term retention, lower hiring costs, and stronger team cohesion.
4. Boost to Employer Brand Companies that embrace nontraditional hiring pathways are seen as forward-thinking, inclusive, and socially responsible. These values are especially attractive to Gen Z and millennial workers.
5. Positive Social Impact Supporting reentry and returnship hiring not only helps individuals but also strengthens families and communities. It’s a chance for businesses to play a tangible role in reducing inequality and creating opportunity.
Getting Started
1. Assess Organizational Readiness Before launching a returnship or reentry program, evaluate your internal capacity. Are your hiring managers trained in inclusive interviewing? Do you have structured onboarding in place? Are you ready to support candidates who may need extra guidance or flexibility?
2. Partner with Specialized Organizations You don’t need to go it alone. Organizations like Path Forward, The Mom Project, Defy Ventures, and The Last Mile offer frameworks, training, and support to help employers create sustainable programs.
3. Design a Clear Program Structure Outline the scope, duration, and goals of your returnship or reentry initiative. Include mentorship opportunities, peer cohorts, and manager training. Make sure the program includes pathways to full-time employment, rather than treating it as a temporary fix.
4. Build Internal Buy-In Educate hiring teams about the benefits of returnships and second chance hiring. Highlight success stories, include senior leadership, and encourage a mindset shift from “gaps” to “potential.”
5. Measure and Adjust Track key metrics: program participation rates, conversion to full-time hires, retention, and feedback from participants and managers. Use this data to refine and grow your program over time.
Final Thoughts
Returnship and reentry hiring aren’t charity—they’re smart, strategic ways to find talent in places your competitors may be ignoring. With intentional design and the right support, these programs can strengthen your workforce, improve retention, and reinforce your commitment to equity and inclusion.
Don’t overlook the untapped talent waiting to bring value, drive, and diverse perspective to your team. The future of hiring belongs to those who think differently—and hire accordingly.
