Bloomberg Reports on the Rising Trend of Short-Term “Returnships” Among Retirees

In a new article, Bloomberg notes a rising trend of older professionals who are choosing to return to the workforce through project-based work. In what the author dubs “returnships,” these experienced professionals are delivering their best skills in positions that reflect internships in duration but are more tailored to their high-end expertise. To get a better sense for the surge, Bloomberg reached out to Jody Greenstone Miller, Business Talent Group’s co-founder and co-CEO and other industry experts to talk about the next steps for retirees.  

It's not about furthering careers – it’s about utilizing time. 

“We’re seeing more evidence that retirees are looking for project-based work to combat boredom and ageism,” says Jody Greenstone Miller. She notes that our findings in 2022’s High End Independent Talent Report show that demand for seasoned, interim leaders has more than doubled in the past year across several industries and functions. 

Independent retirees can fill urgent needs with tried-and-true experience. 

According to Bloomberg, many top recruiting firms have divisions that are focused on enabling such returnships. Recruiters say hiring typically moves swiftly, with projects staffing up in just a few days, without multiple interviews and protracted negotiation.  

“If a company has an immediate need for someone with supply-chain expertise,” Miller says, “they don’t really care about anything except whether a person has supply-chain expertise and can accomplish what they need done immediately.” 

Read the full article from Bloomberg or reach out to find out how Business Talent Group can help you source these high-end independent retirees.