Soon to be a first time mum I have found it relevantly easy to juggle my work with motherhood. I acknowledge that this is because I am a master of my own time and have the ability to schedule my work around antenatal appointments and the sickness of early pregnancy.

Not many working mothers are able to afford this luxury, especially if they are in management as there are preconceived ideas that pregnant women can’t cope with the demands of a senior role. Worse still there is an assumption that women lose their mental capacity once they become pregnant.

Are working mothers inherently at a disadvantage in the modern workplace?

I don’t believe all women are at a disadvantage as business practices differ across industry sectors and types of company. There does seem to be a substantial disadvantage to women who are wishing to enter the managerial grade or are changing jobs from one company to another however. I have found that businesses, generally speaking, find it difficult to reconcile what they believe are the needs of the business and the desires of the working mother. Often the business makes a number of assumptions, and is too worried to get their assumptions verified in case their questions trigger potential claims of sex discrimination.

Some HR professionals are even concerned that they would be unable to justify hiring a young working mother in a managerial position and therefore prefer to avoid hiring her.

Some working mothers at interview do not consider the concerns that the employer may have and therefore do nothing to negate them. This puts them at a substantial disadvantage to other professionals who are better prepared.

What can employers do to help foster a more equitable work environment for women?

There is often a presumption by businesses that management roles need a full time commitment demanding a minimum of 55hrs a week to deliver satisfactory results. If a woman has young kids then it is presumed that much of her time and mental energy will be spent baby sitting them through various illnesses, attending sports days and other unforeseeable events. Employers can look at the way that they design their roles and the assumptions that are made about them. It can often be cheaper for employers to hire two people to fulfil a role than to hire one – it also offers them a clear contingency plan. With the changes to flexible working and the likelihood that fathers will be given increasing rights within the workplace – it makes sense for companies to consider the way that they design roles and the output that they expect from them. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that key talent is being lost from organisations due their own inflexibility.

Many organisations also foster an environment that is incompatible with working mothers without realising it. This can cause the working mother a dilemma – should she stay at work to show her commitment, ignoring her responsibilities as a parent? Or should she go home to be there for her children?

For example, it is common for senior management to have meetings that finish late in the day, to be rewarded by attending team building exercises that take place over the weekend, or there is a need to attend overnight conferences. Whilst it isn’t wise to assume that the working mother cannot attend it is wise to consider the necessity of some of these activities.

Organisations can also do much to educate the workforce on the need for flexible working and the need to consider the output of individuals rather than the input. All because someone is working less hours does not mean that they are producing less.

Can flexible work approaches [to accommodate the extensive talent pool of stay-at-home or working mothers] offer a net advantage to employers?

There is often a higher level of commitment from people working flexibly as they are often available 5 days a week although they are only being paid 3 days a week. They are also more likely to work the odd 5 day week to help the company meet its objectives, providing some sort of contingency to the business.

Companies that support flexible working arrangements tend to retain key talent in the workforce, lower their attrition rate and become more attractive to new recruits – especially Generation Y employees. Flexible working is becoming increasing important to secure and retain these employees and a company that can do that now will be investing solidly for the future.

What can HR do to address this issue?

Education, education, education! HR can ensure that senior management understand that flexible working arrangements are not just for working mothers but is an integral part of the company’s talent management/succession plan. Flexible working is a key requirement to secure the top talent of the future and a company that can do this well has a better chance to survive.

HR can also measure the impact to the business of flexible working so that the company can have accurate information which means that they do not need to rely on unverified assumptions.

HR can also ensure that jobs are designed to suit the needs of the business, now and in the future.

About Judith Germain

I am the managing director of Dynamic Transitions, a leadership company that advises on Talent Management. We specialise in working with Troublesome Talent® and improving leadership performance within organisations.

I decided to set up Dynamic Transitions for a number of reasons. I was a senior HR Manager from the age of 24 (having spent 8 years in the Insurance industry) beginning in the Retail Industry. I had worked with a number of market leaders at director level often with senior operational responsibility. In terms of HR I had ‘seen most things’ and found that I was enjoying the talent management/leadership side of HR far more than the strategic/operational aspects. My increasing business/operational responsibilities at senior level (including mentoring of the Board) were becoming a far bigger pull.