Tami Forman
Executive Director | WBW
In this interview, we spoke with Tami Forman, Executive Director of Women Back to Work, an organization dedicated to helping women re-enter the workforce after career breaks. She shared how structured returnship programs create lasting opportunities for women and help companies tap into an overlooked pool of skilled, motivated talent.
Tami shared what makes Women Back to Work’s mission unique, the common misconceptions employers have about returners, and how structured programs can unlock incredible untapped talent.
What first drew you to Women Back to Work and what makes its mission unique compared to other programs helping women re-enter the workforce?
I started working on programs that help women re-enter the workforce back in 2015. At that time, I had not taken a career break myself, but I knew many women who had.
I was working in a tech company and I remember looking around and thinking, where are the women? Especially in leadership. Even in companies that had great culture and had a people-centered philosophy, there was still a gendergap.
I had always been aware that gender equality and equity in the workplace were systemic issues, but seeing it so clearly made me realize how deep the issue really is.
When I began working on these programs, I got to know Women Back to Work. I was drawn to how they provided an end-to-end service for employers who wanted to support returning caregivers. They not only helped organizations build structured returnship programs but also worked directly with HR teams, recruiters, and managers to make sure those programs succeeded.
They combined that with their ability as an IT staffing and recruiting firm to actually find, screen, and present qualified returners to employers. Then they stayed involved to support both sides during the returnship period. That combination of structure, partnership, and ongoing support was something I really wanted to be part of.
Can you share a story that shows the kind of impact Women Back to Work has had, either for a woman returning to work or for a company you’ve partnered with?
There are so many stories. Over the years I have worked with more than a hundred companies and thousands of women.
At our large conference in August in Santa Clara, we had about 250 returning professionals attend a full-day career fair and event. I moderated a panel featuring three incredible returners.
One woman went back to work at Cisco after being out of the workforce for more than twenty years. She was one of the very early participants in the Women Back to Work program and has now been at Cisco for more than 6years.
Another woman re-entered through Walmart’s program, later moved to Albertsons, and has continued to grow in her career.
A third started through PayPal’s returnship, later joined Google, took another career break, and then returned again through a returnship at Netflix before joining Adobe.
Their stories show how varied and dynamic these paths can be. It is not just about going back once, but about staying in the workforce and thriving.
What I love most is when I see women who went through these programs years ago show up on my LinkedIn feed with promotions, new roles, and career milestones. It shows that the impact is not only personal but also organizational. Those employers now have long-term, loyal, high-performing employees who might have been overlooked otherwise.
When you talk to employers, what is the biggest misconception they have about hiring women who are returning after a career break?
There are a few misconceptions. The first is about skills. Many assume that if someone has been out of the workforce for a while, their skills are no longer up to date.
In reality, many returners have spent time learning new skills. Some have gone back to school, taken certifications, or even taught themselves new technologies. Also, skills do not simply disappear. People retain knowledge, and the life experience they gain during their time away adds even more to what they bring to the table.
The second misconception is around commitment. Some employers question whether returners are still ambitious, motivated, or fully committed. That assumption often reflects outdated ideas about women and caregiving.
The truth is that these women are deeply committed. They are ready to work hard to rebuild their careers.
There is also an ingrained hiring habit where employers prefer to hire people who are already employed in a similar role. It feels easier and safer because it is what they have always done. Hiring returners can require different systems and more deliberate evaluation, so they often default to the familiar.
I do not think this comes from laziness. It comes from bias and lack of experience. When talent feels abundant, companies rarely push themselves to look beyond their usual sources. But when they do take those extra steps, they discover incredible people who bring new perspectives and loyalty to their teams.
From your experience, what are some of the most effective ways companies can make return-to-work programs successful, both in hiring and in helping women grow once they are back?
When I talk to senior leaders such as CEOs, CHROs, and heads of talent, most of them understand the value of return-to-work programs. They see the long-term benefits and recognize the missed opportunity when women are left out.
But middle managers often struggle with this more. They are the ones making the hiring decisions, and for many of them, hiring is not their main job. They are engineers, marketers, or lawyers who suddenly have to fill a role. It feels risky, emotional, and high-stakes. They are afraid of making a bad hire.
That is why structured returnship programs are so powerful. They give managers permission to take what feels like a risk but is actually a smart move. When leadership openly supports the program, funds it, and sets clear expectations, it sends a message that this is not a gamble. It is an opportunity.
The data speaks for itself. Many companies that run these programs convert 80 to 90 percent of their returners into full-time roles. These employees stay longer, perform well, and are often the most loyal people in the organization.
It takes investment, but it pays off. It also creates a mindset shift within the company. Once managers see that this works, they become more open to diversity in all forms of hiring, which widens the overall talent pool.
How do you define success at Women Back to Work and what does real impact look like beyond the numbers?
For me, success means that the women in our community feel seen and valued.
Job searching is difficult for everyone, but for returning caregivers, it is even harder. They face self-doubt, financial pressure, and sometimes a lack of support from family or friends who question whether they really want to go back.
Every Tuesday we host a Power Hour for our community. My goal in that session is to remind them that what they are doing is hard, but possible. I tell them the truth. I do not sugarcoat it. But I also tell them I have seen hundreds of women go through this, even those with longer breaks or more complicated paths, and they have succeeded.
I want them to walk away knowing they are capable, that we are advocating for them, and that they are not alone.
That feeling of encouragement, of being part of a community that believes in them, is what success looks like to me. It is not something you can measure in a spreadsheet, but you can see it every week when people leave those sessions with renewed hope and confidence.
What’s next for Women Back to Work and what new initiatives or directions are you most excited about?
We are currently working on our next strategic plan, so this is the perfect moment to ask that question.
Over the past couple of years, the return-to-work space has quieted a bit. Some companies paused programs because of tighter market conditions, but others have continued to invest and grow. Now that hiring demand is increasing again, I see a big opportunity to re-energize this conversation.
Many leaders I speak to still do not know that returnship programs exist. When I tell them that Goldman Sachs launched the first one back in 2008, they are surprised. It is not new, but it remains underutilized.
My goal is to bring attention back to this proven model and help organizations see that it can and should be a key part of their talent strategy.
We are also raising awareness about the broader issue. There are still about 12 percent fewer women than men in the workforce during prime working years. If we believe talent is equally distributed, that means we are leaving a lot of ability and innovation untapped.
I want to make sure leaders understand that this is not only a gender issue. It is a talent issue. We are missing out on incredible minds and potential because of systemic barriers that push caregivers, especially women, out of the workforce.
Reconnecting that talent benefits everyone: families, communities, and companies alike.
Tami’s perspective highlights that true inclusion starts with creating pathways back, and when companies invest in returners, they do more than fill roles. They rebuild confidence, careers, and culture.
Stay tuned for more conversations with inspiring leaders in the HR Connect series. Interested in sharing your story? Contact us at info@fip.agency to be featured.
Dilara Cossette
Founder
Dilara Cossette is the founder of FIP, a boutique demand generation agency helping HR tech companies accelerate growth. With deep experience in B2B, she partners with HR tech companies to build strategies that drive demand, grow pipeline, and strengthen brand presence. Passionate about workplace culture, Dilara spotlights insights from HR tech innovators through the HR Connect interview series.
