YOUR next best hire as a small business might be a “career break” returner and they could be a “cheat code” for you, experts have revealed.
They say it is often childcare, caring duties, illness, relocation, burnout recovery, or just life happening.
And returner programmes are back in fashion because employers have realised something obvious: experience does not disappear just because someone stepped out for a bit.
Data shared by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) shows many returners are seriously experienced: 80% have 5+ years’ experience, 50% have 10+ years, and 60% hold professional or postgraduate qualifications.
Timewise research also flags what returners actually want, and it is not all “full-time or nothing”: 93% want part-time and 70% want the outcome to be a flexible job.
If you are struggling to hire, this is one of the most hopeful talent pools sitting right there.
You might be binning your best hire
Kate Underwood, Founder at Southampton-based Kate Underwood HR and Training, said small businesses may be missing out.
She added: “Bin a CV because of a ‘gap’ and you might be binning your best hire. For UK small and medium enterprises (SMEs), career break returners are a bit of a cheat code. They have real skills, real-life experience, and they are usually past the drama. They are not chasing office politics.
“They just want a decent job that fits around, well, life. And that is not laziness. That is maturity. Here is the legal bit you cannot ignore. If you treat a career break like a character flaw, you can stray into discrimination territory fast. Sex, age, disability, caring responsibilities.
“All the fun stuff that ends in tribunal costs and sleepless nights. Also, flexible working requests are a day one right now. So ‘we do not do flex’ is not a policy; it is a problem. Put ‘flexible or part-time considered’ in the advert and interview for skills, not timelines. And ban the nosy ‘so who looks after the kids then’ chat. That is how good hires walk, and claims get made.”
They are a bit of a cheat code
Mary Maguire, Managing Director at Derby-based Astute Recruitment Ltd, said small businesses need to be flexible.
She continued: “Catch a genuine career breaker looking to return to work, and you have caught a great hire. A 30 year career in recruitment has yielded fantastic placements for me who have stepped off the career ladder, but when they have wanted to climb back on I’ve given them a hand.
“The precious experience pre-career break plus potentially flexible salary expectations can provide a business with much needed talent for their team. The key is to understand their motivations – full time? Part Time? Are they back for a while? Is promotion important? Are they able to adapt to the myriad changes since they were last working?
“A career break of 1 to 4 years is often more than compensated by the quality and potential of the career breaker – if they are given the chance to prove themselves.”
Colin Crooks MBE HonDsc, CEO at Intentionality, said many small businesses are screening out experienced people.
He added: “CV gaps aren’t red flags – they’re untapped talent. A career break doesn’t erase a decade of expertise – it just means someone had caring responsibilities, relocated, recovered from burnout, or dealt with illness.
“Right now, 80% of returners have 5+ years’ experience, half have 10+, and 93% want part-time or flexible work. That means growing businesses can access senior-level skills they couldn’t afford full-time. If you’re struggling to hire, stop using CV gaps as a filter – you’re screening out experienced people who are ready to contribute from day one.”
CV gaps aren’t red flags – they’re untapped talent
Colette Mason, Author & AI Consultant at London-based Clever Clogs AI, said an uninterrupted doesn’t necessarily mean a better candidate.
She continued: “Candidates with industry experience, loyalty, and the aptitude to spot what needs doing and genuinely enhance a business? That beats any uninterrupted CV. I’d rather hire someone fit for the job ‘now’ than someone whose only credential is an unbroken work history from ‘back then’.
“Dependable people shouldn’t be penalised for older-parenting, childcare, or having enough backbone to step off the treadmill before they became another statistic in the ‘worked loyally for decades, got the gold watch, collected the pension, then dropped dead’ club.
“Because here’s what gaps often signal: someone who reassessed, survived something, learned what actually matters, and came back with their priorities straight. They made a bold decision. The plodders? They’re still hiding below the parapet, too scared to change anything, coasting on ‘consistency’ because it’s easier than taking a risk. Gappers are still doers. That’s not a liability. It’s life experience you can’t teach with onboarding decks.”
Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash.
