7 Ways Women Returners Make an Impact on Your Business

The idea for the Reignite Academy was born in the Spring of 2018.  Melinda Wallman, well known for her work on diversity through her XX Advantage network, had been approached to help out on a returners programme for a law firm, for the second year in a row.  She had one question:

“What happened last year?  Did it have an impact?”

The answer?  Whilst participants had found the two week programme useful, none had actually gone on to find jobs as a result.  We set out to change this by creating a programme which would, indeed lead to jobs.

The Reignite Academy Purpose

The Reignite Academy was officially launched in September 2018. Our purpose: to provide a path back to private practice for women who had taken time out and to provide law firms with access to this incredible, experienced talent pool. Our pilot cohort began work in January 2019 and since then many more have passed through our doors.

A Bigger Impact

We've been going just over a year now and decided to take time out to reflect on our progress. On reflection, bringing back women has provided a much bigger impact than we originally anticipated. We are in the middle of writing our first every "Annual Impact Report" but in the meantime, here's a sneak preview of the headlines.

Our Impact in Numbers

Our Impact In Words

Whilst we love numbers, they don't tell the whole story. Here are some of the other ways our programme is making an impact:

1. Changing minds: Our clients now fully understand the reasons that women's careers rarely follow straight lines and are bought in to the opportunity presented by this talent pool.
2. Providing role models: Our candidates are older, wiser, more mature and more experienced (in life if not in the law). They act as wise counsel and advisers to more junior associates on the team (who, in return, explain how document management systems work).
3. Plugging the pipeline with senior women: Attrition of women at mid to senior levels in law firms is a persistent problem. Whilst our clients figure out how to stem that attrition, we're helping by plugging the gaps with women who are ready to return and raring to get their careers back on track.
4. Busting myths: that women "drop out because of children". Some do, many don't. Only 28% of our candidates were on complete career breaks, 24% had been working in-house, 12% as consultants and another 12% running their own businesses. And they are not all parents. They are a diverse group and offer a diversity of experience for anyone savvy enough to recognise their potential and employ them.
5. Making a difference to people's lives: We have seen single parents return to financially rewarding work; professionals who love the law finding a way back after time away; and women who had previously assumed their careers had stalled realising they still have many years’ of potential ahead.
6. Providing firms with access to clients and contacts. Our candidates' many years experience means that they bring back with them a tremendous wealth of contacts and networks, many of whom are in senior positions in client organisations.
7. Putting candidates back into the mainstream recruitment market. We consider it a mark of our success that our candidates are now being headhunted. By the very recruiters who previously turned them down. The irony is not lost.

Their Impact on Us

So, a big thank you to the candidates who have been brave enough to put themselves forwards and to the clients who have been willing to try something different. Together you've made a tremendous impact and have given us here at the Reignite Academy the enthusiasm and motivation to continue. We can't wait to see what year two brings.

Onwards!