When Jenny Roberts became pregnant with her daughter Olivia over nine years ago, she kept her commercial real estate license active because she wanted to maintain a foot in the door at work. Ultimately, though, after Olivia was born, Roberts realized the high cost of childcare where she lives in western Colorado far exceeded what she was making at work.
“I was probably ready to go back to work when Olivia was quite young,” Roberts said. “But the economics didn’t make sense.”
Roberts’ had another daughter, Ivy, just over a year ago, and she’s now starting to think again about dipping her toe into paid work. The problem, though, is despite an MBA and years of experience, she can’t figure how to make up for such a big gap on her resume.
Fortunately, it seems as if PepsiCo, the parent company of Pepsi, is one step ahead of Roberts and so many others like her, who stepped out of successful careers to focus on caring for children and other family members. The corporation recently announced a groundbreaking new program called “Ready to Return,” kicking off at its New York Headquarters in April 2017.
It’s a 10-week-long paid internship program, specifically designed for professionals looking to re-enter the workforce after taking two years or longer off work. Its aim is to ease parents and caregivers back into working again by offering them mentorship, coaching support, networking opportunities, and training sessions to refresh skills. They’ll also get the chance to learn more about career opportunities within PepsiCo.
According to the PepsiCo website:
“[The program] is important because our teams reflect the diversity of our consumers and our communities — inclusion is a way of life at PepsiCo. We see great value in the experiences and perspectives of professionals who have taken time away to care for another.”
Irv Cohen, managing partner of the New York-based executive recruiting firm IRC Partners, also sees tremendous value in programs like Ready to Return:
“It’s not a simple transition [to go back to work after a long hiatus],” he tells Babble. “For the person trying to ease back into it, the culture shock can be considerable. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, but the mindset shift from ruling the roost to being ruled is not insignificant. You have to want to be adaptable.”
Depending on their expertise, skills and career aspirations, Ready to Return participants will work on either a research and development or marketing project. After completing the program, they’ll also be considered for open roles within the company. The primary goal is for people like Roberts to increase their technical knowledge and fill in any holes their absence from the business world has generated. The aim is for participants to revive their confidence in their creative instincts and analytical skills while “embracing technology with an innovation mindset.”
Going back to work after an extended absence can be daunting emotionally, especially knowing just how much the business world has changed and how fast it continues to evolve. Certainly being a stay-at-home mom is its own kind of reward, but for those who are either longing to get back to work, in need of some extra income, or are looking for new and exciting opportunities, Ready to Return is as exciting a prospect as a kid at Christmas.
“To be empowered again would be such a gift,” Roberts said. “I want to start doing something again in a professional setting where I’m stimulating my brain in an intellectual and creative way.”
The bonus, too, would be doing it within a company that sees its employees as more than just the work they churn out, and within a wider perspective of doing the right thing.
And that’s exactly what PepsiCo seems to be doing. According to its website, the corporation is deeply committed to an approach that “empowers us to embrace a deeper sense of meaning in our daily work by improving products we sell, protecting our planet, and empowering people around the globe.”
I can’t think of a nobler cause for a company.