The impact of parenthood on professional careers

Diversity and inclusion are hot topics when it comes to the 21^st century workplace. Today, studies show that more diverse teams work smarter and are more engaged, more profitable, and more innovative. In sum, businesses enjoy many benefits from cultivating a culture of inclusion and equity in their organisation, and although many companies have begun to embrace this, there is still much to be done before workforces equally reflect the demographics of society. This is particularly true of parents. 

This fact couldn’t be made any more apparent in a study on working parents by Mdina HR and Training Executive Lara Debono. Focusing on parenthood’s impact on professional life, the study explores how the pressures and demands of work and family can both complement and negatively impact one another, demonstrating how these outcomes are often the result of a presence, or lack thereof, of the right support systems.

More importantly, the study finds that disregarding working parents’ struggles and needs not only does a disservice to them but also to companies. Why? Because a workplace where employees do not feel seen, valued and supported leads to decreased employee engagement, diminished psychological safety and high employee turnover. The need for the right policies and interventions to assist working parents in achieving a better work-life balance is thus crucial. So how can companies create a more supportive and inclusive workplace for parents? Here are some tips.

1. Cultivate a culture of open communication and support

The importance open and honest communication has on running a business and managing employees cannot be stated enough. Studies find that creating a support system in which working parents feel heard and are encouraged to discuss their problems they are facing is essential in ensuring they are able to return to work.

Leaders must encourage managers to engage in open discussion and carry out regular check-ins with team members. Facilitating and soliciting individualised feedback deepens relationships and builds trust and helps employers figure out how best the organisation can better cater to the needs of its people.

2. Be more patient and understanding

Caring for a child is incredibly time-consuming and exhausting and without the right support employees can feel disengaged and start to check out. As leaders, we must understand and work with our people. We must recognise the individual differences and talents of our team members and work on drawing them out. We must be there for our people in good and in bad times and support them in their personal goals.

When employees know that their managers are willing to work with them to overcome issues and help them grow, the workplace is a much better place to be. Not only does it build trust and loyalty, but it also makes people feel valued and want to give the business their all.

3. Create effective parental benefits

Smart companies realise that it’s no longer good enough to provide working parents with basic benefits and vague policies. To meaningfully transform the workplace into a more parent-inclusive environment, companies must identify the challenges working parents face and work towards introducing more effective parental leave policies, childcare benefits and work-life balance measures. For companies, the pay-off for supporting parents in such a way can mean greater engagement, increased productivity, higher morale, longer employee retention and better teams talent attraction.

4. Introduce employee flexibility

With the pandemic, the concept of workplace flexibility has exploded in popularity and the term ‘hybrid workplace’ has become increasingly common. There are a host of unique ways in which flexibility can be implemented to help working parents make the most of both worlds. Some flexible working arrangements that employers can adopt to make the workplace more parent-friendly include remote working, flex time, job sharing, compressed work weeks and reduced hours. Whether employees work remotely or share job duties with their co-workers, having a flexible working arrangement provides many benefits to both you and your people.

In conclusion

As a business owner, you have the ability to ensure the policies and infrastructure of your organisation can cater to parents. This will help them make greater contributions to your business and ensure they have a healthy and happy work-life balance. Simply put, your people will be more engaged and eager to return to work as they know they are supported and can manage both sides of their life without having to choose one over the other. In return, this will lead to increased employee engagement and employee trust.

Fostering a culture of inclusivity at the workplace is vital in ensuring that your employees are heard and appreciated. After all, it is with an inclusive work culture that people feel respected and valued and give the best of themselves.