The progress that has been made in recent decades regarding the position of women and especially mothers in the labour market is unquestionable. However, the debate about dealing with both sexes in the workplace and whether, in the end, the same opportunities are provided to executives, regardless of gender, remains relevant and “alive”.
In modern times, women have entered the workplace dynamically. At the same time, it seems that the pressure on working mothers, who are called to be “very good at everything”, both in the role of mother and in that of a professional, has become more intense. Responding to multiple functions is now a daily challenge, to which the modern woman seems to be responding with great success, with the result that the older dilemma, career or family, tends to be eliminated. But in what ways can we achieve the desired measure so that the working mother is not paid by stress but can creatively and effectively combine professional development and personal / family life?
What do companies need to do to retain their talented executives and support them in their dual role:
Assessment of staff needs and creation of personalized work-life balance programs
The now active presence of women in the labor market has increased the challenges to achieving work-life balance for both sexes. Now that the woman-mother-professional is claiming and should have equal opportunities with the man-father-professional, companies need to develop effective programs to support them in order to remain productive.
In the first stage: Evaluate the situation in the company. Where are the parents, men and women, at what level, what positions in the company? What is their performance? How do they manage their dual role?
Second stage: Discuss issues and challenges they face in their professional and family life. How would they feel more efficient in their two roles? Objective: To recognize the real situation as opposed to what we assume or perhaps hope is true. It is this recognition that will lead to effective solutions.
Strategic planning
Most companies limit their efforts to supporting young mothers. Of course, these actions are necessary, but they are not enough. Being a working parent is a quality that lasts for at least 18 years and applies equally to men and women. So the planning of the organization’s strategy should be based on this reality.
Realistic expectations
The company must be sensitive to family matters and have realistic demands and expectations of staff.
Work flexibility
Whether it is work from home, flexibility in working hours or on working days, every working parent can perform better in both roles if he/she feels that he/she has the flexibility to organize their schedule in the best way for them. At work from home a mother can better organize her time, with proper planning. Working for example, as a voice actress from home, she has the opportunity to earn a significant income for the living of her family while remaining creative and active. Using her own recording equipment, she can create her own content for her projects whenever she wishes. This freedom and creativity of the profession draw more and more mothers to engage with it. Through Voquent‘s voice-over agency, even more, working mothers can find work as voice actresses, with high earnings and great development opportunities.
What do working parents need to do to achieve the desired balance in their dual role? There is no common way to effectively manage the dual role or any specific model of what a working parent should do. The “perfect” balance between family / personal and professional life is not at all easy if of course, we assume that it can never be achieved.
Time management and prioritization
Think about what is really important at all times. Maximize the time you spend with what is really important to you, respectively minimize your time on trivial matters.
