Bias in the recruitment system is still preventing STEM professionals on a career break from returning to employment, according to a new survey by STEM Returners, which specialises in this aspect of recruitment.
Participants in the STEM Returners Index said they felt they were being penalised for their age, gender, ethnicity and whether they had a disability. However, bias against their lack of recent experience was their main barrier to entry, according to the survey.
The annual index compiled by the group asks more than 1,000 STEM professionals on a career break a range of questions to understand their experiences of trying to re-enter the sector.
In the 2024 Index, more people said they felt they had experienced personal bias in the recruitment system compared to the previous year, (40% in 2024 vs 33% in 2023) and said they found returning to work difficult or very difficult (65% in 2024 vs 51% in 2023).
Half (51%) of respondents said a perceived lack of recent experience was a barrier to entry, an increase from 38% in last year’s survey.
In the survey, more than a quarter (26%) of women said they felt they have personally experienced bias in the recruitment process due to their gender compared to eight per cent of men. One in five women said they experienced bias due to their childcare responsibilities and more than half (58%) of women said they experienced bias because of a lack of experience, a stark increase from last year’s survey when 10% of women reported this.
Both men (38%) and women (33%) said they felt they have personally experienced bias in recruitment processes due to their age.
In the survey, professionals from minority ethnic backgrounds represented a large proportion (40%) of candidates attempting to return to work in 2024. They were twice as likely as all other ethnic groups (38% vs an average of 18%) to feel they have experienced bias in a recruitment process related to race or ethnicity.
42% of returners who identified with a limiting health condition or disability reported experiencing bias due to their health circumstances, a sharp increase from 12% in 2023.
Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, said: “It’s disappointing to see that returners are still being penalised because of a gap on their CV. We know that most people do not take a career break out of choice – only 15% of our survey’s respondents said it was their choice to take a career break. So why are more people being penalised for a lack of recent experience when for many, it’s something that cannot be helped? It’s particularly concerning to see more people saying they’ve experienced bias against their health and disability status.
“There are growing skills gaps across the engineering, tech and green jobs sectors that returners are ready and waiting to fill,” she said, adding that she believed that “industry leaders must do more to update recruitment practices and challenge unconscious bias to give returners a fair chance to rejoin the industry they are passionate about.”
Her firm works with leading companies like BAE Systems, E.ON, Leonardo UK and Boeing, to support people back to work. Through paid, 12-week placements, candidates are able to rejoin the workforce in a supportive environment. They receive mentoring and career coaching and at the end of the placement have the opportunity to become a permanent member of staff in the host organisation.
Emma McLoy completed a placement with Orano after a career break when she left the armed forces. Emma had dedicated 19 years of service to the Royal Navy before being medically discharged in 2021.
“After finishing school, I wasn’t sure what or where I wanted to go in life, I tried different jobs, and nothing seemed to fit. So, I decided to join the armed forces and see where that would take me,” Emma explained. “I always had a strong curiosity of how things worked so it felt natural training as a marine engineer. Throughout my military career, I completed various apprenticeships with a combination of classroom-based learning and hands-on skills, and I completed my foundation degree, management qualifications and several others.
“Being medically discharged allowed me to have a career break and take time out of work to concentrate on being a mum and adjust to civilian life whilst adapting to a new home. However when I decided to return to work, my applications were often overlooked for the more technical positions I applied for. The few who responded to my applications would offer me interviews or determine I was “over” qualified, so I started applying for anything that became available.”
Emma said she discovered STEM Returners and completed a placement with Orano in the dismantling and decommissioning department as an engineer, a role which has now become permanent. She said: “I am proud of everything I have manage to achieve so far. I have learned a lot from this experience and would fully encourage anyone who wants to return to STEM to do it. This opportunity has opened so many doors for me and I am excited about my new career and the opportunities that will come along.
