Glasgow is thriving and with many businesses continuing to
accelerate their growth in the city it's an exciting time.
Business services already employs 40,500 people within insurance,
banking, legal and accountancy. Barclay's expansion
will see 2500 additional roles and the FinTech sector is rapidly
growing. This is all positive for the growth of Glasgow, but
it begs the question, how will employers find the talent needed to
meet the business demands?
In April this year, Women Returners launched a Returners to
Financial Services Scotland Programme. The programme, which
was funded by the Scottish Government, enabled 12 financial
organisations based in Scotland to connect with professional women
who had taken a career break and wanted to return to corporate
work. With over 450 applications for the programme, there was
a phenomenal response, and this is indicative of the number of
women who have professional experience and want to get their foot
back on the career ladder. Several Glasgow based companies
including CYBG, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Incremental Group,
Mazars and Prudential participated in the cross-company pilot and
have reported it as being a great success for their business.
Following the success of the Returners to Financial Services
programme, we have been granted additional Scottish Government
funding to deliver another returner programme for the wider
business sector in Scotland. This is a great opportunity for
business services companies in Glasgow to pilot a returner
programme in a very cost-effective way and benefit from the wealth
of return talent that is available in Scotland. Barclays Scotland
have signed up and many other companies are showing interest.
We all know that increased diversity is proven to improve client
relationships, increase innovation, build better teams and helps
create an attractive brand. In addition, hiring returners
into the business also helps retain younger employees who see the
opportunity for taking a career break and returning to a
progressive environment. Ensuring that businesses fill their
talent pipeline with women who have chosen to step out of the
workplace is an essential part of talent strategy. It also
helps improve the gender pay gap by bringing experienced women back
in at a level commensurate with their experience.
As a returner myself, I know how difficult it is to get a foot
back on the career ladder following an extended career break.
My strategic HR career was in the shadow of my 3-year break to
spend time with the children. I was told by recruiters that I
didn't stand a chance because of my time out, a message that we
hear all too often. A recent US study reported that employers
would rather hire someone who was less experienced than someone who
was on a career break. There is fear that someone who has
taken time out has lost their skills and ability to perform when in
fact they've learnt new skills and bring a different and fresh
perspective.
So, in answer to my question, how will employers find the talent
needed to meet business demands? By sourcing talent from different
routes and returners should be one of them. In Scotland it is
a relatively untapped talent pool that brings fantastic business
benefits.
If you are an organisation within business services who values
diversity and wants to leverage this pool of experienced and
talented professionals, then please contact me . The
programme will run for 16 weeks starting in November. Women
Returners will provide employers with expert consultation, best
practice guidance, promotional and manager support, including
a returnship toolkit, programme advertising and line manager
training. Returners will receive Career Returners Coaching
Programme through four group workshops. The full cost of this
is covered by the government funding.
Participating employers will provide CV worthy work (either a
project or BAU role) and an internal buddy and mentor and will pay
the returner salary at a professional level.
Women Returners is a consulting, coaching and network
organisation. We are the UK experts in enabling the return to
work of professional women following an extended career break.
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