Companies typically want to attract the best talent to work for them. Monetary benefits are enough to attract a lot of people. But for some, it may take more than just money to make the idea of working for a company appealing to them. This is particularly true among working mothers who want to pursue their careers but are also inclined to take care of their families.
Working mothers normally look for companies that provide certainty to their roles in the company and the right job expectations. Since they have families to take care of, they need to know what roles they are expected to play in the company.
Aside from this, companies can also help talented working mothers with the opportunity to pursue their careers by offering other things.
Work-From-Home Arrangement
Aside from a suitable remuneration, a work-from-home arrangement should also be on the table when negotiating with working mothers, especially single mothers. It is not easy for a mother to turn off her personal life when she is at work. She will end worrying about the children while working.
To ease the situation, providing working mothers a work-from-home option is a great idea. Working from home gives mothers the chance to take care of the family while continuing to work. It will also ease their minds since they know what is happening to their kids even if they are working.
Working from home also allows working mothers to celebrate milestones in the lives of their children, especially the younger ones. Being able to celebrate these milestones may result in better productivity for the mothers since they are happy.
Work Flexibility
Flexibility at work is one of the things that employees look for in a company. And when their company offers flexibility in their working hours, they are typically happy and productive. These employees also feel empowered and have lower stress levels.
The same is true among working mothers. When they have flexible working hours, they’ll have more time to spend with the family. It also gives them the chance to help their children with their schoolwork and have fun with their children. Single mothers may even use the opportunity to check out websites for matchmakers to find someone they can spend their life with and raise a family.
Offering employees flexibility at work means the company will focus on the results and actual time spent. This allows the employees to concentrate on their work to finish what they need to finish each day.
Gender Equality
Another thing working mothers are concerned about is the lack of gender equality in the workplace. Gender equality is still elusive for women, including married mothers. This is evident in the disparity in salary and promotion opportunities. For working mothers, this is a major factor when deciding whether to join a company.
Implementing policies that promote gender equality is a good step in the right direction since it can motivate working mothers to join the company. Aside from equality in their salaries, companies should also give working mothers the same opportunities men receive for promotions. Rather than looking at gender and status, companies should focus on performance when considering the promotion of some of their employees.
Companies should avoid having an unconscious opinion that working mothers cannot take on challenging roles as a manager. They should take this notion out of their minds since working mothers can perform just as well, if not better, than other employees in the company.
Parental Leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act requires companies to provide employees up to 12 weeks to take care of a newborn baby or handle adoption issues. But the leave is typically unpaid, and there are limitations on who among the employees are eligible.
Providing a paid parental leave makes the company an appealing option for working mothers. The company can also expand the eligibility so more working mothers can benefit from the law. The company can also extend the leave period, but they can opt not to provide payment beyond what is indicated on the law.
Companies can also offer flexibility when working mothers use parental leave to gradually transition back to work mode after taking some time off to take care of the family. It is challenging for working mothers to transition from being full-time mothers to working mothers. So, the company should take this into account to attract talented working mothers into their fold.
Providing additional benefits to working mothers can make a company appealing to working mothers who have the skills and talents the company needs in their industry.
