Returnships for Moms: Top Companies and How They Work

Forbes

2 days ago

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported in 1989 that 86% of mothers cited home and family care as the leading reason for exiting the workforce. In 2021, 79% reported the same reason.
No working mother decides to step away from the workforce lightly. Unfortunately, women overwhelmingly represent spouses who do not participate in the labor force to provide care. Yet whether driven by childcare needs, elder caregiving responsibilities, or mental health, time away from a career can often lead to one of the most daunting question, 'If I want to go back, how do I return?'
The answer: a returnship. A growing trend reshaping how companies welcome back professionals who've taken a career pause, returnships give working mothers a chance to brush up on skills and ease back into a full-time job without having to start from scratch. A background gap is viewed as part of the returnee's unique story.
Returnships should not be mistaken for charitable initiatives; they are strategic investments in experienced talent. They are often recognized as a DEI initiative and talent pipeline driver, particularly for mothers seeking to reenter the workplace with dignity, support, and a clear path forward.
Unlike internships targeting early-career candidates, returnships are tailored for individuals with prior professional experience. They have higher expectations and more tailored support, but competition for these roles can be fierce.
Returnships are a structured, short-term paid program (usually lasting between 12 and 24 weeks) with specific eligibility criteria and application timelines. Participants are assigned real projects, receive mentorship from senior leaders, and are offered training to refresh technical and soft skills. They are more common in specific fields, such as tech, finance, and consulting. Goldman Sachs pioneered the concept with its Returnship program, which launched in 2008.
Not all returnships guarantee a full-time position, but many programs are designed as 'try-before-you-hire' experiences that often result in permanent offers. While many are paid, the compensation may not match a full-time role. Some programs lack flexibility in hours, which can still be challenging for caregivers.
For example, Goldman Sachs states that exceptional performance during their program may lead to consideration for full-time roles, depending on business needs and individual qualifications. For global companies, they're often available in multiple regions.
Working mothers who feel disconnected from their previous industries, lack current references, or feel overwhelmed by technological change are prime candidates.
Eligibility requirements vary by company, but returnships typically target individuals with a career break of two or more years. Some programs focus exclusively on mothers, while others are open to any caregiver or mid-career professional who stepped away for personal reasons. Companies often look for candidates with prior industry experience, transferable skills, and the willingness to learn and adapt.
Over 100 companies work with Path Forward, a nonprofit that partners with employers to create mid-career return-to-work opportunities. These partnerships include major employers such as Walmart, Netflix, Audible, Amazon, Meta, Apple, PayPal, and SAP. They provide a Returnship Builder tool to assist companies in planning and implementing these programs effectively.
Path Forward also helps the working mother returning to work restart their career after taking time off for family responsibilities. They provide resources like career advice, success stories, and the Returnship Matcher tool to help individuals find opportunities that fit their backgrounds and goals. Career coaches advise applicants to tailor their résumés to highlight skills over chronology, emphasize volunteer or caregiving experience, and demonstrate a growth mindset.
Several Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders have established returnship programs in recent years, reflecting a broader shift toward inclusive hiring practices. Some of the most well-known include:
For mothers reentering the workforce, returnships offer substantial benefits. While foundational skills may have been acquired through college or previous roles, even a short absence from the workforce can necessitate a skill refresh. Industries such as finance and healthcare are dynamic, with frequent updates to automation tools, data dashboards, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) programs. Additionally, regulations and compliance expectations in these sectors evolve regularly due to technological advancements, political shifts, and changes in consumer protection laws. Returnships provide structured opportunities to update these skills and stay current with industry standards.
Self-doubt is a common challenge among working mothers returning to the workforce, influenced by external and internal perceptions. Societal biases, often called the motherhood penalty, suggest that mothers are less committed or current in their professional roles, leading to fewer opportunities and stalled promotions. Internally, many mothers report feelings of disconnection from their previous roles and uncertainty about succeeding in high-performance environments after time away. This internalized pressure to "prove themselves" anew is compounded when peers have advanced during their absence.
Up to 70% of all jobs are not published on publicly available job search sites, and research has long shown that anywhere from half to upwards of 80% of jobs are filled through networking. Networking is pivotal in securing employment, especially for those reentering the workforce. Employers often trust candidates recommended by their existing employees, making referrals a powerful tool in the job search process. Returnships provide skill updates and facilitate the rebuilding of professional networks, leading to mentorship opportunities, job leads, freelance gigs, and potential full-time roles.
Returnships directly address the broken rung in the corporate ladder, where men significantly outnumber women at the manager, director, and C-Suite levels, enabling women to re-enter the workforce at a level that aligns with their experience and potential. They offer a critical on-ramp back into leadership pipelines. Returnships acknowledge a fundamental truth: careers aren't always linear, and taking a break, especially for caregiving, shouldn't disqualify someone from meaningful work.
For companies, returnships rebuild the pipeline of qualified female leaders, thus diversifying thought at the leadership level and creating more growth opportunities. By investing in returnships, companies send a clear message to women: careers can pause for personal needs, and still progress.