Maybe you are making great progress in inclusive recruitment in your organisation but there is a gender gap when you look at retention and progression data. That might be linked to the way you support parental transitions.
Research from That Works for Me shows that:
• 85% of women leave the full-time workforce within three years of having their first child
• 19% leave work completely because businesses aren’t offering the support and flexibility they need.
• 44% of women are earning less than they were before they had children and it is taking more than 10 years for their careers to recover.
This is backed up by a recent study from Careering into Motherhood. With over half of mums believing that their career has been negatively impacted by asking for flexible working and 65% of mums feeling that there have been fewer career opportunities available since returning from maternity leave.
There is a critical period 9 to 12 months after return when mums start to question their role in the workplace. (International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 2008). Providing the right support through parental transition helpsvalued employees to stay and to reach their potential. Boosting employee wellbeing, loyalty and engagement.
If you are ready to move from talk to action and support parent talent in your organisation:
1. Talk to your returners – what was their experience really like?
2. Train all managers to have meaningful conversations about parental transition and careers after babies
3. Provide parental transition coaching
4. Focus on flexibility – not just policies but the values, beliefs, actions and narratives about flexibility
5. Make sure your leadership programmes focus on the skills needed to thrive (in all areas of life)
If you need a case study for your Leadership teams there is a great one from Ernst & Young Ernst & Young: Think, Act, Report case studies - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Parents who return to work tell stories about their return for years. What stories do you want your parents to share?
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