LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP how they want to treat their people, and then make sure these policies are reflected in people’s everyday experiences. Offering coaching and mentoring, with an established support network, can make all the difference. Flexibility is key. Simon Kelleher, from the charity Working Families, says companies that do not embrace flexible working will face recruitment and retention problems. A YouGov poll commissioned by Working Families and SF Recruitment found that flexibility was as important as salary to mothers, and second only to pay for fathers. In return, the best organisations will attract and retain experience and talent. They can develop their leadership pipelines with more senior women, taking real steps to reduce their gender pay gap, gain a reputation as being fair and supportive, and reap the benefits of a more inclusive, diverse workplace with engaged and cared-for employees. what businesses are offering is vast”. All this represents a huge waste of talent and experience whilst, according to The Week, “Britain is in the grip of an employment crisis, with labour shortages being the most urgent problem facing the UK economy right now.” What can workplaces do? According to Rachel Jackson, who has 2 small children, the whole maternity experience is often badly handled because of poor processes and inexperienced managers. Businesses need to understand the experience of returning to work within their organisation. How do they respond when mums tell them they are pregnant? What happens when they go on maternity leave, how do they keep in touch, manage their return and support them once they are back? Organisations need to identify best-practice processes, clarifying Emma Menzies, herself a new mum, says, “Fundamentally, mums feel constantly burdened by guilt, a sense of not being or doing enough at work or home, and a fear of being judged in the playground and the office. Then they tend to overcompensate at home and work, which can be a catalyst for burnout. “ The list of worries is long and dispiritingly similar to when I had my first baby 28 years ago, but why does this matter? And what can workplaces do to help? According to the most recent Office of National Statistics UK labour market figures, 1.75 million people have given up work to care for family, and 84% of these are women. In the last year alone, 43,000 women left the workforce. The Careers After Babies report published by That Works For Me found that while 98% of women want to return towork after having children, 85% leave the full-time workforce within three years, and 19% leave work completely, due to lack of flexibility and burnout. Furthermore, the number of female managers drops by 32% after having children, and the number in admin roles increases by 44%, suggesting women are ending up in lesser-skilled roles. The report concluded, “The deluge between what women need and Rosie Nice is the founder of MAGIC Coaching and is the author of the new book, The MAGIC Happens in the Silence, a guide to the art of reflective coaching. 77
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