The “Great Resignation,” “Big Quit,” and “Great Reshuffle” are terms that anybody who has worked in the previous several years (or has a social media account) has heard at some point. A movement that began in the United States and spread globally

workers quit their jobs en masse, a trend that quickly spread across Europe.

In any case, many people either switched industries, took a break from work, or abandoned their employment and relocated overseas to experience digital nomadism. Some people saw the epidemic as an opportunity to retrain, taking use of furloughs or other supports to pay for their education.

These returnships are becoming increasingly popular as a way to re-enter the workforce without having to begin at the bottom. To attract and retain top talent, businesses like Amazon, Accenture, and Goldman Sachs have implemented return-to-work programmes for former employees.

In spite of the fact that returning to work after an absence isn’t novel (just ask any parent who has taken a few years off to care for children), the fact that so many firms have identified this talent pool and are building programmes to assist it is novel.

So, what exactly is the benefit here?

Anyone who has been out of the employment for a time knows how difficult it can be to regain self-assurance and overcome feelings of impostor syndrome. The benefit of returnships becomes most apparent in this context. Goldman Sachs, an early adopter of this practice, has operated a returnship programme since 2008, providing salaried, structured assistance to returnees.

The virtual nature of Amazon’s 16-week returnship programme facilitates a less daunting re-entry into the workforce. Structured environments are provided during paid returnships, which also qualify for benefits. Employees who have been away from the workforce are given tasks designed to ease them back into the workforce and familiarise them with Amazon’s processes.

Accenture, a global management consulting and professional services firm, offers several returnship programmes to its female and male employees. These include the Technology Returnship Program, the Women Return to Work Program, and the ReSUME track for those who have taken a career break of more than two years.

One of the benefits of Oracle’s Career Relaunch programme is access to a supportive cohort group. If you join at the same time as other people who are restarting their lives, you can count on receiving and providing mutual assistance.

The benefits don’t end there, though. Reentrants who participate in a relaunch programme may be able to jumpstart their careers by learning new competencies or honing existing ones. A “sense check” into a new field of work is one reason why some persons returning to the workforce after an extended absence might opt to participate in a returnship.

The duration of the programme is also considered. Individuals enrolled in a returners programme are not usually required to dedicate as much time to the experience as one would to an internship of the conventional variety. Remember, they are seasoned experts who only require a re-entry programme.

Do any drawbacks exist?

Paid returnships are available in several fields, although finding work thereafter is not always assured. In Oracle’s Career Relaunch programme, you may join the firm full-time and get 12 weeks of specialised onboarding, complemented by organised job training and coaching.

At Amazon, though, the internship experience is more typical. Depending on how well they do in the returnship and how the firm responds to their suggestions, the company states that selected applicants may be granted permanent employment at the end of the programme.

It’s difficult to view a returnship as anything other than generally pleasant, regardless of the specifics. There is little doubt that the participants will have improved their employability by gaining fresh job experience, both in terms of expanding their present skill sets and developing whole new ones. In addition, they should have taken advantage of networking and mentorship events to improve their marketability in the job market as a whole.