Flexibility and openness have to be taken on board when it comes to getting back into work.
A recent report From Career Woman to Working Mum for Mums Enterprise, asked 1,000 mothers on happiness in their working lives. The survey highlighted that 24% were denied flexible working, 15% were passed over for promotion, 8% were made redundant whilst on maternity leave, 18% returned to a different role.
There is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed.
Maddy Parram, Rock commercial director highlighted, “When you take a career break, you still have an armoury of skillsets embedded within you.”
“Having children and then getting back into the working world, is where the challenge lies. It doesn’t matter whether someone has an MBA or reached a heady place within their respective profession, when it comes to a working parent they simply cannot sit at a desk for 45 hours per week.”
Whilst we can all acknowledge that society is changing when it comes to getting back into work, there is a trust issue when it comes to a flexible approach to working.
Angela Piromalli, Rock managing director, stated, “We have an abundance of commercial businesses in Dorset. However, we cannot ignore the fact that some businesses would not entertain a world that is away from 9 to 5. Those who win will be those businesses who actively want to empower their staff. There needs to be a 360 degree circle of trust. For instance, if one of the Rock team is writing a report away from the office, it’s not a case of an excuse to go shopping or spend the afternoon down the beach.”
Angela continues, “Attitudes around trust and the ability to work remotely have to be addressed. In the next five years, the businesses who will suffer are those who cannot recruit the best talent because of a rigid attitude. There has to be a transition. Looking for a work life balance, should not be seen as a negative approach.”
Practicing what you preach is important. At Rock Recruitment we believe that a flexible working model is a successful model to adopt. To put this into context, none of our clients want to know that we are continually sitting behind a desk in our offices in Westbourne. Clients want to know they are cared for and supported and someone to talk and discuss.
Whilst the world of flexibility presents a commercial nirvana, let’s put the brakes on slightly. When it comes back to getting into the rhythm of work again, people may be frightened that they may lose their jobs. Being open and discussing with HR straight away may seem easy on paper, but the last thing a parent wants is a heavy burden of anxiety. Angela explained, “I went back into work (before I set up Rock Recruitment) three months after my daughter was born. Nursery did not start until 8.30am, so I had to pay for another level of childcare, so I could be in for work at 9am. I carried guilt heavily around with me.”
There are options available. Whilst the step to build your own one man army provides independence, it also provides the challenge of starting everything from scratch to build a customer base. When heading back to work, whilst there are the issues of self-doubt and building confidence again, if this is supported by flexibility and openness, the world becomes more accessible.
Empowerment and transparency is a very real and powerful driver for change within businesses and also individuals.