Women Back to Work / Farmers Insurance Returnship Event - A Returner's Perspective
It’s been an exciting and busy fall for the WBW team. A good part of the excitement comes from our recent partnership with Farmers Insurance for a Full-Service Returnship. This WBW service is the most comprehensive and effective ways to engage talented, technology-focused women looking to return to the workforce.
On Tuesday, November 5th, thirty-two Returners attended a kick-off event at Farmer’s HQ in Woodland Hills, CA. This special event provided the Returners with the opportunity to learn about Farmer’s unique culture (they were recently awarded as a Best Place to Work), hear from Farmer’s leadership, and meet with Farmer’s hiring managers. Conversely, Farmer’s got to meet and interview some amazing technical female talent that they likely would not have had access to through traditional recruiting channels. It was truly a win-win situation.
(Learn more about WBW’s industry leading Full Service Returnship)
On an individual level, we had the pleasure of speaking at length with returner Fion Yuen, who has taken charge of her ‘return to work’ journey and attended the Farmer’s Returnship event.
We asked Fion to share her perspective on the program from the eyes of a returner. Below are the highlights from our conversation:
Please tell our readers a bit about yourself, your professional journey, and your path as a woman returning to work.
My name is Fion Yuen. I am trying to get back into the workforce after a 2-year career break. I was in the telecom and consumer electronics industry for over 16 years. In my early career, I was a software engineer using waterfall methodology. I then transitioned to customer-facing roles and managed cellular wireless network deployment projects. After that, I got an opportunity at a mobile device OEM where I served 3 different functions from managing the device certification program to leading the software quality team to overseeing regulatory compliance matters. After I got laid off, I decided to take a career break to spend some valuable time with my children and family.
What challenges did you encounter while trying to relaunch your career?
Some challenges I faced were being behind the technology trends and the lack of professional certifications. To cope with that, I am taking online courses on different technologies such as IoT, Blockchain and also preparing for PMP certification.
Another challenge was that most of the recruiters that contacted me for specific positions didn't seem to be willing to assist further when they realized I was not the perfect match for the requisition they were responsible for. They seemed to just close my file and didn't bother to pass my resume to the appropriate teams after learning more about my specific skill sets and interests. After this WBW experience, I know already that WBW wouldn't just put me aside if a position didn't work out, rather they would keep trying and helping along the way.
Listen to Farmers Insurance Head of Contingent Workforce Management, Koenraad Lecot, share his experience with the Returnship and WBW Partnership.
What would you say this differentiates Women Back to Work from similar programs?
I'd say the whole experience was different, from the very first conversation I had with the WBW Program Director, Deepika Chhibber, to the day of the Returnship event at the Farmers Insurance HQ. Not only are the WBW staff professional and approachable, they are very passionate and encouraging in helping returners back to the workforce. Deepika and her team went above and beyond to prepare us returners diligently throughout the whole process from the elevator pitch practice to attire reminders.
Another aspect that I noticed from attending this event was the close relationship between WBW and Farmers Insurance and that they share a common goal and put a lot of value to the Returnship program. In addition to the WBW team, the involvement of a large number of executives, team leaders, and HR from Farmers was also impressive. They talked about team functions, shared their experiences, and answered returners' questions. At one point, I even saw the HR person going around the venue and getting water to the returners and hiring teams during the 1-on-1 discussion! That showed how much they care for people!
How did you hear about WBW and the Farmers Returnship?
I registered as a job seeker at Akraya's recruiting site and received an announcement about this new Farmers Returnship Program. Shortly after, I received a phone call from WBW Program Director, Deepika Chhibber, introducing the opportunity.
What was your expectation from the kick-off event before you actually attended it?
Since I have attended other returnship events organized by different organizations before, I expected a similar format at this one, i.e. senior leadership presenting company and team overview, team leaders go in-depth about the open positions followed by Q&A, then returners go to the tables for their respective interests. However, what made this one extraordinary in my experience was that the CIO actually took the time to kick off the meeting; the number of the Farmers' employees represented was the highest I have seen so far and most of the returners were pre-assigned based on their relevant experiences to specific hiring teams to talk to. All these experiences were beyond my expectations.
Was there any one thing during the event that stood out as a highlight to you?
The sincerity and encouragement received from the team leaders who shared returnship experiences from other members of their own families and expressed their understanding of the challenges returners may face. This further emphasized my belief that the leaders recognize the importance of the program and the value it brings.
Has this event shifted your approach to your ongoing job search?
Yes, I am more eager to attend these kind of events because such event not only allows us to find out more about the job opportunities, but it also tells us a lot about the company's culture, people, and values.
Is your company interested in tapping into this amazing pool of talented women? Get in touch with us to learn more.
