Whether or not people like to talk about it, one of the major concerns for many business owners when it comes to hiring women is how to handle a possible maternity leave and/or retain a great female employee once she enters motherhood. And although more men are taking an active role in child rearing, it’s still rare to hear about a guy whose chances for employment or career advancement might be blocked because of a hypothetical paternity leave. So while the debate on women in the workplace rages on, here are three surprisingly simple reasons why mums make for great employees:
Efficiency
Mums have to juggle responsibilities. Caring for another completely dependent human being as well as yourself is not easy. It requires the ability to anticipate and manage problems, and to use resources wisely. In order to be a great mother, a woman needs to be able to have the time to take her child to the park and leave on time to be able to tuck the kid into bed at night. She can’t do any of these things unless her work is well done.
Empathy
Being a mum makes you automatically try to identify how those around you might be feeling, and also makes you adept at using that information to make things better for everyone. ‘Mum-employees’ are often able to use that newfound empathy to to maneuver through challenges that others might find overwhelming.
Determination
Mums are determined. As a rule, they will generally do anything necessary to get the best for their children. This often makes firms worry that what is best for their child will not be best for the company. But if you can make the employee’s and your needs align, you will win a worker who is willing to go to the mat — with more tenacity than any other hire.
Moms should not be seen as high-risk employees, but rather as high-potential team members — as an indication of the qualities she will bring to the company that employs her.
Source: www.inc.com
