Talking about Comeback on Christmas Eve

It is the 24^th evening of an unexpected warm December, closing an “interesting” 2018, a year with a lot of stories that impacted my personal and professional life. Among them, is the one of talented people willing to return in the corporate world after an either entrepreneurial or sabbatical break. The discussions I had with many of them revealed the difficulties they faced in being perceived as “affordably-relevant” by the companies they were interacting with.

I was surprised, as I knew many companies were still struggling to find the right applicants for their business’ new normal, despite the overwhelming pool of candidates, made available for them by a restricted surrounding economy. I thought companies were missing an excellent human capital investment as, most often, the returning professionals offer them the opportunity to benefit from a level of professional experience and reliability that young candidates would still need lot of time to explore and acquire. And, for companies, “time is money”.

Previously, some companies have tried to capture the benefits brought by highly educated professionals willing to return to work. In 2008, Goldman Sachs introduced a new form of temporary employment, the “returnship” (an “ intense” short term paid internship for full fledged professionals whose time “off-the-grid” might have discarded them as relevant “recruiting options” in the first place).

The company offering the returnship opportunity would benefit from returning professional’s focused attention on business-critical issues based on his proficiency, comfort zone and prior experience while still keeping own liberty to assess returner’s professional suitability for a permanent role at the end of the collaboration period.

Becoming trendy in the following years, returnships were also seen by some companies as a “buffer” used to reduce the risks of getting on board professionals who’ve chosen to take an extended break. Returnships have been criticized as well, some arguing that such programs might impact negatively returner’s future chances of employment as they can be perceived as job hoping (due to their limited tenure) and might wrongly “label” someone’s expertise.

The critics were pushing forward concepts as “interims” or “contractors” as being more relevant to the skills, education, competencies and leadership experience these returners posses. On the other hand, as “perception is reality” as far as most of us are concerned, some argued that the “40-year-old intern” label (https://hbr.org/2012/11/the-40-year-old-intern/) will have a negative impact for those trying to get a foot back in the corporate world, by “placing” them among the more junior rank and file.

However, none of the above was relevant for those I have spoken with, as it never reached in their case this debate level. More often they were almost immediately discarded as “over qualified” and “expensive” vs. more junior counterparts being them denied, in my view, the least chance to reach own costs/benefits analysis with the interviewers.

These types of situations, in which relevant decision holders valued potential (junior) over actual (experienced) achievement, contrary to the accepted truth that “people tend to prefer certainty” were analyzed by Elisabeth Macbride in Stanford Business Magazine. (We Tend to Value Potential Over Actual Achievement https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/gsb/files/stanford-business-magazine-2015-spring.pdf).

Quoting the research of Stanford Professor Zakary Tormala, done along with Jayson Jia and Michael Norton, Ms. Macbride argued that the explanation of the above dichotomy lies in the power of potential and the allure of uncertainty for those deciding, as high potential engender greater interest and can be more appealing than equally high achievement:
“…when potential is being compared with achievement, the uncertainty surrounding potential can make it more engaging, or maybe even pleasurable, to think about. It’s as if people engage more as they try to work through the uncertainty and figure out what the truth will be”. Looks like an “adrenaline rush” to which is hard to resist, determine decisions impacting both companies’ and returners’ chances for success.

At this point I would have argued that returners’ chance would have been improved by changing the relevant factors they decide to be benchmarked upon, from age and wage to the potential professional and cross-integrating reinvention, giving those reviewing their application, the “adrenaline rush” they were unconsciously looking after.

But then, something magical happen… I took my eyes from the screen watching how my 13 years old Letitia was still preparing the cookies and the milk for Santa Claus’ arrival. I was astonished to see how just under my eyes was taking place one of the oldest and most successful returnship stories… 🙂

So, I wondered, how is it possible that an old bearded guy is joyfully expected and welcomed every year despite age and costs involved :)? I think that the answer rest in the followings:

• 1^st is about Comeback, something more than a returnship. It is his Comeback expectation that is associated with the return of a dear person that we care about
• 2^nd is about understanding the Purpose of Santa Claus’ endeavors year after year – to deliver “value-added” joy in the life of those welcoming him
• 3^rd is about embracing the Story that Santa provides to the rest of us – unstoppable commitment to contribute to the appreciation we have for those impacting our day to day life. In the end he is traveling in one night an entire earth to reach each and every one of us
• 4^th but not at all the least important is about continuing to Believe in him and his presence in our lives, many times willingly overcoming own educated rationality, that most of us acquire with age passing

If we accept all these elements as contributing to world’s best repetitive comeback :), would it be possible then for high-educated returners to relate to it in their endeavor? I think not only that this is possible but will also change their odds for success as well.

If high-educated returners will see their endeavor as an enjoyable Comeback, then they should not be afraid to accept short-term challenges, beyond potential false labelling or potential rank misplacing. It will be about going to the core of their professional enjoyment that made up their career so far. It will be about sharing it with others and leveraging their life once more upon it.

It is about returners finding their comeback Purpose, understanding clearly what their new role will be about, the time frame of their rejoining  with the former life style and the contribution they will make to the organization.

For returners will also be about articulating clearly their Story, as this will ultimately be the one “labelling” them furthermore. Will be about mapping their core values based on previous accomplishments. It has to be about defining themselves through matching the subliminal business needs of the company they talk to.

But most importantly will be about returner’s unstoppable Belief that his part in the “play” is still valid, year after year, project after project. It will be about the commitment one has to have in permanently setting own business and ethical will in accordance with the core values embraced throughout own career.

I have to close now… NORAD showed me that Santa is approaching my home. I will join now my daughter in expecting Santa. 🙂

Merry Christmas!