For many professionals, taking a career break to care for children, support ageing parents, recover from burnout, or relocate is a necessary and valuable part of life. But the journey back into the workforce can be unexpectedly difficult — and all too often overlooked.

“It’s like starting all over again.”  It’s a phrase that echoes across returner communities; reflecting the shared reality of many individuals who find themselves disconnected from the working world.

Despite years of experience, many returning professionals describe the disorienting sense of being on the outside looking in. Confidence can wane, skills may feel outdated, and even seasoned professionals can question their value and relevance in today’s job market.

According to new research from social enterprise Career Returners, 94% of returners say they find it difficult to re-enter a professional role after a career break. Despite this, the issue remains largely absent from mainstream hiring discussions. In response to that, Career Returners is launching the first ‘Career Returners Community Week’ — a UK and Ireland-wide initiative running from 12–16 May 2025.

The programme is designed to offer support, build confidence, and raise visibility for returners navigating their way back to work. Throughout the week, there are virtual events and in-person gatherings taking place in London, Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle, and Dublin, all aiming to connect returners with each other, provide practical guidance, and showcase supportive employers.

It has already gained the backing of several major organisations, including JPMorgan Chase, Sage, and the Bank of England — each of which runs returner programmes to attract and retain skilled professionals who’ve stepped temporarily away from work.

“The involvement of leading employers sends an important message. Taking a career break should not be a career ender,” says Julianne Miles MBE, co-founder and CEO of Career Returners. 

The organisation is on a mission to build a fairer, more inclusive working world, where career breaks are seen as a valuable part of a lifelong career. It has supported returners for over a decade through coaching, advocacy and partnerships with progressive employers. 

Their new Career Returners Indicator 2025 report reveals the road back to work is becoming tougher. Nearly 70% describe the experience of re-entering the workforce as extremely challenging — marking a rise from last year’s findings.

The research highlights two major hurdles returners continue to face: recruitment bias against CV gaps (identified as the greatest barrier by 46%) and a loss of professional confidence (experienced by 89%, and considered the biggest challenge by 24%).

Recruitment bias in 2025

Worryingly, bias in recruitment persists. A recent study by the UK Recruitment & Employment Confederation found that recent work experience within the past year remains one of the top criteria for CV screening.

According to Lucy Standing of Brave Starts, there are real problems within traditional recruitment.

“Zero regulation of the recruitment industry means that there is no requirement for people to be replied to, given feedback or informed about the management of their application,” she says. “AI is being utilised within the sector with little guidance or safeguards other than those self-imposed. Being ‘ghosted, rejected or ignored’ (after four seconds of ‘careful consideration’) feels to many like a poor return on their time investment.”

The current economic and political climate is only making matters worse. As hiring pressures mount and many returner programmes are paused, there’s a real risk of undoing years of hard-won progress on inclusion and opportunity.

But increasingly, employers are recognising the value of returner talent — not as a charitable gesture, but as a strategic advantage. Returners bring with them valuable life experience, adaptability, and diverse perspectives; huge assets to any business.

With 1.7 million people currently on a career break in the UK, many of them highly skilled and experienced, the untapped potential is enormous. According to economists, if more of these individuals were supported back into the workforce, the benefit to the UK economy could be in the billions each year. 

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How to join the Career Returners community

Anyone who has taken a career break — whether for 18 months or 18 years — is invited to join the Career Returners Community, a peer-led network offering access to advice, coaching, job opportunities and supportive events.

Membership is free or pay-what-you-can, and includes access to all Community Week events, plus ongoing resources to support the return-to-work journey.

If you’ve taken time out and are now thinking about your next step, it’s worth remembering — you’re not starting over. You’re coming back with experience, perspective, and value.

Visit careerreturners.com to find out more and register.

How your business can support career returners:

  1. Learn about returners. Listen to real stories. Challenge your stereotypes.
  2. Remove screening bias: Check that your automated or manual application process is not screening out candidates because of their CV gap.
  3. Reduce advertising bias: Make sure your job adverts are only asking for ‘current/up-to-date knowledge’ or ‘recent experience’ if this is essential.
  4. Reduce interview bias: For competency-based interviews, adapt your questions to not ask for ‘recent work examples’. Focus technical interviews on skills rather than knowledge. 
  5. Promote returners as a strong candidate pool: Put career returners on the radar for your recruiters and business leaders as a high-calibre and diverse talent pool. Educate on the full business case and ESG case for hiring returners.
  6. Support returner hires: Provide transition support for returner hires, such as training, mentoring and coaching to help them to rebuild confidence and re-integrate.
  7. Provide returner training to line managers: educate on hiring and supporting candidates returning from career breaks.
  8. Target returner applicants: Consider adding to job adverts ‘We welcome applications from candidates who have taken a career break’.
  9. [If larger] Run a cohort returner programme: Use a proven framework to accelerate returner hiring and create a peer support network. 
  10. Champion returner successes. Continue to break the bias using your real-life examples of successful returner hires.