Credit Suisse decided to extend a career program designed to lure what it calls talented professionals back to business. The move is primarily aimed at mothers who took time out to take care of their children.

The extension of the program, which Switzerland's second-biggest bank launched last year, comes as the managers of the project received positive feedback from the business side and participants alike, underscored by hard facts. A total of 92 percent of participants in the first round either were hired permanently by the bank or received an extension of their work assignment, Credit Suisse said in an internal memo obtained by finews.ch.

The return-to-work program called «Real Returns» is designed to help the bank attract experienced professionals and increase the diversity within its workforce.

Way Back for Top Talents

The initiative was taken by Pamela Thomas-Graham (picture), responsible for talent promotion at top management level. The program first was started in the U.S. in 2014, as reported by finews.ch, and later extended to the bank's Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

The application process for the new program of March 2016 started in September in Switzerland. «Real Return» takes four months to complete and entails project work that corresponds to the knowledge, experience and interests of the participants. They also receive business-related training, allowing them to freshen up their knowledge about technologies and networking skills. Program participants are accompanied by mentors.

We need to approach top talents, Thomas-Graham said in a Credit Suisse Video. These aren't only to be found at elite universities and our competitors, but also in the pool of mainly women, who've forgone the continuation of their careers to take care of their children.