Taking a career hiatus is now perfectly okay

Career breaks are starting to become the norm. 62% of all employees worldwide have taken a career break, and 64% of women have done so. Most people associate career breaks with either women who leave their employer to have children and care for them or younger workers who head off into the world for a gap year, but there are many other reasons employees take time away, including parental leave (22%), medical leave (17%), and mental health reasons (14%).

The power dynamic on breaks is shifting, especially as the number of people with breaks on their résumé increases. The shift in the workforce toward millennials and younger generations is also forcing employers to reconsider their positions on career breaks. The vast majority of millennials (84%) expect to take an extended career break at some point in their life.

In the future, it will be increasingly difficult for employers to find potential hires who have not had a break.

Just because an employee leaves the workforce temporarily does not mean that they are not developing relevant skills. Of those who returned to the workforce, 53% say they are better at their job after taking a break.

50% of hiring managers believe people returning from a career break have often gained valuable soft skills, and 51% believe workers who take breaks can restart their career any time.

Some skill sets built during a break are harder to sell than others. Hard skills, such as solving healthcare issues for family members, is a chore that requires creative thinking and brainstorming. Employees may have to juggle mortgage payments, student loan payments, and the added medical and living costs for family members, teaching them how to optimize spending.

And when employees have to unexpectedly take in a family member, they must become logistics and budgeting experts—critical skills for many employers.

Those who take breaks for caregiving reasons, whether for children or ailing family members, often cite increased patience and self-awareness as benefits of their time away.

These soft skills can be more difficult to translate into benefits for employers, even though they are undoubtedly important for both team building and effective management. Yet, for employees to showcase these skills, employers must get past the career break stigma.

The pandemic and the ensuing Great Resignation shined a spotlight on workers’ legitimate needs and desires for a career break. In fact, 69% of people who took a break say the time away helped them gain perspective, and 68% say taking a break positively impacted their well-being. It’s time for employers and employees alike to change their perception of breaks.

By offering certain profile features and sharing research, platforms like LinkedIn are making it easier for employees to include their new career-break skills and attract employers.