The re-entry into professional life has its pitfalls

People who want to re-enter the job market after an extended absence often find it difficult to find a job. "A gap in the CV is still perceived as a major obstacle when looking for a job," says Evelin Bermudez, returnship expert at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The research team, consisting of Evelin Bermudez, Anina Hille, Gabrielle Wanzenried and Yvonne Seiler Zimmermann, has investigated which challenges are particularly great for those re-entering the workforce and how their chances of quickly re-entering the workforce could be improved.

Flexibility in time and place as a need

If the researchers have their way, there is great potential in the employment of returnees to counteract the impending shortage of skilled workers. "But the existing potential is far from being exploited," says Evelin Bermudez. Many of the so-called "returners" find it difficult to find a suitable re-entry position after their long break.

According to the survey, those re-entering the workforce have a particularly strong desire to work part-time and flexibly in terms of location. Most of them would like to be able to work at least partially in a home office. Thus, 38 percent of the respondents who are looking for a job again after a longer break stated that they would like to work between 60 and 80 percent. Around 35 percent of them are looking for an even smaller workload. Overall, 73 percent of those returning to work would like to return to work as part-time employees.

"Many companies in Switzerland are not yet ready when it comes to part-time positions and flexible working models," says Bermudez. The HSLU expert adds, "During the Corona crisis, however, awareness of flexible working has increased. This development suits those re-entering the workforce."

Well trained and motivated

According to the research team, companies could benefit from relying more on returnees. Returnees, for example, are often characterized by a high degree of flexibility. Around 60 percent of those surveyed who would like to return to work after a longer break are also prepared to attend an important meeting outside of agreed working hours.

"Returnees are also often well educated, motivated and bring many years of professional experience from before the break," says Prof. Dr. Gabrielle Wanzenried, diversity expert at the Haute Ecole d'Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud HES-SO.

Women particularly affected

The most common reason for a career break is childcare, as the survey shows. Other reasons cited in the survey include moving or caring for elderly family members. Women are particularly likely to take a longer career break.

Interesting: the partner's work activity does not seem to influence whether someone takes a break for childcare, for example. "That surprised us. We assumed that people who have an earning partner would tend to take a longer break," says Wanzenried.

Association founded

The charitable and non-profit association Companies & Returnships Network has set itself the goal of sustainably disseminating return-to-work programs - so-called "returnships" or "supported employment" - in Switzerland. To this end, CRN shows companies and organizations the added value of return-to-work programs and supports them in the introduction, implementation and evaluation of these programs.

Together with the Haute Ecole d'Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud HES-SO, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts has investigated which challenges are particularly great for returnees and how their chances for rapid re-entry could be improved. The results are based on several workshops with returnees held in 2019 and 2020, expert interviews and an online survey between August 2020 and January 2021. A total of 650 people participated in the online survey.