For those of you who missed hearing Sylvia in person, we asked Sylvia to respond to some of your key on-ramping questions.  Here are her answers.  We hope they inspire you!

Why are companies interested in hiring on-rampers, women in particular?

With Baby Boomers retiring, the war for talent is heating up. Women who are looking to return to the workplace are a key employee pool for employers.  They have the skills, drive and desire to be back working.

In terms of successfully retaining and re-engaging women who have taken time off from the workplace, what have you seen as the most powerful employment practices?

Programs like American Express’ “Project Embrace” which allow employees the flexibility to work on a specific project how they want to. The project resource teams in Project Embrace allow people to work at home, at the office, at a coffee shop –wherever they feel is the best place for them to be productive. This program does not sidetrack women who want to work differently or take them off their career path. They are able to stay on track and do meaningful work while figuring in their personal constraints.

Is there one company in particular who is the best one to look to as a role model of success?

Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs have been pioneers in the on-ramping space. The Encore and New Directions programs, respectively, are a successful model for how to start to tap into the power of off-ramped employees.

If you were to give advice to a company that currently does not have a
women's initiative in place, what advice would you give them on how to
start?

Start by talking to your female employees and see what their needs are. What do they feel is lacking from the company? What would they want to be addressed in a women’s initiative? We have found in the company’s that we have worked with that a women’s initiative is a powerful tool that employees use for networking and making change.

Where are we on your "arc of career" concept, is success breeding success i.e are companies realizing the benefits of the relatively untapped labor force and will they continue to look to his talent? Is it too early to tell?

As the talent pool continues to shrink, companies will be looking to this
talent more and more. We are still in the early days of this idea, but it is
catching on quickly.

What do you mean by "crossover careers" and why should nonprofit
organizations be more opportunistic in reaching out to these women?

Many women who off-ramp look to non-profit work to stretch another part of their skill set and keep themselves in the employment game. They often come back to the private sector with even more to offer than before. They are refreshed and ready to apply what they have learned.

What advice do you have for women who are re-entering the workplace after time away?

Get back in contact with everyone and anyone whom you knew when you were working. You never know where your networking will lead you. Also come back with what we call a “360 degree resume” that explains your time off and everything you did during that period. Whether it was volunteering, running the parents’ group at your child’s nursery school, or perfecting a musical talent all of the skills that were gained should be showcased. You are a valuable asset that many companies are looking to hire. Make sure that you let them know what they will be missing out on by not taking advantage of your skills.

Thank you Sylvia!