The way we work has changed. For many that may mean varied working hours, logging on over the weekend and, potentially, a struggle to achieve a good work-life balance. It’s true that fresh graduates may have the level of flexibility that means they’re comfortable with working unusual hours or sacrificing the occasional evening. But as we get older, other considerations come into focus, and responsibilities naturally extend beyond the office walls.
New mothers can feel at risk of losing a sense of balance, and by not addressing this issue, companies are making themselves vulnerable to losing important talent.
However, there have been attempts to remedy this. For example, there is a growing awareness of the importance of bringing women back into the workplace following extended career breaks – usually taken to raise a family. In addition to helping women return to work, though, employers need to do more to help currently employed parents. In turn, they will see their business thrive.
Children in the workplace
Considering how to help parents begins with those who are new to the experience. Returning to work as a new parent can be particularly daunting task, and I speak from personal experience. I worried about my child, as all new parents do, and I had concerns about how I was going to balance work and family. Making sure you have clear policies in place, and that all team members are aware of them, will go a long way to reassuring your employees at the outset.
Balance can often be particularly hard to strike when it comes to travelling for work, and this was one of my biggest concerns as a parent. Prezi’s headquarters are in the US (where I’m based) and in Hungary. With key offices in Budapest and Riga, I find myself crossing the Atlantic on a regular basis on behalf of the company. The chance to return home is a huge perk, but when I became a mother, leaving my child on the other side of the world was wholly unappealing.
Thankfully, Prezi’s Budapest office has a bring-your-children-to-work policy that has enabled me to bring my son along on those trips. Without that flexibility to bring him with me, I simply would not have been able to continue working. It’s a win-win-win: I get to keep working, the business doesn’t have to train someone new, and my son gets to immerse himself in the culture of Budapest, meet other children ‘in the company’, and practise his Hungarian.
While some may expect this to be disruptive or distracting, that’s actually far from the truth. We’ve had C-level meetings with toddlers hopping on and off their parent’s knee, without the rest of the team batting an eyelid. Of course, the kids aren’t just running wild – there’s a set supervised play area and activities to keep them occupied during the day. If they do join the adults, though, it’s never seen as an issue.
Flexibility is offered to our team in various ways beyond a policy that only benefits new parents. We encourage our team to take a flexible approach to the hours they work and provide feedback on what they need from us. We even have a bring your pets to work policy in place.
Understanding changing demographics
The benefits of workplace flexibility extend well beyond peace of mind for parents. Retaining talent is hugely important for any business, and perhaps even more so for startups and technology companies. With young teams brimming with creative talent, technology companies can expand at speed, but without the policies to retain talent long-term, those same companies can easily see an exodus of talent as they get older and begin to start families. The risks created by this demographic shift can be neutralised by scaling up your working policies alongside your business.
As a company grows, providing benefits becomes more and more affordable, while the potential impact of talent and experience leaving becomes greater and greater. It’s not only about protecting the business, though. This is also about creating workplace policies that will empower employees, allow them to continue careers they have worked hard to build, and maintain a diverse workforce across age groups and throughout the hierarchy.
Work is changing and we need to keep up
Advances in technology mean that we can work from just about anywhere, at any time. That level of access may mean we are asked to give occasional ‘out-of-hours’ time, like joining a call in the evening due to time differences, for example. Offering that flexibility to our employers must be respected and returned. A diverse and stable workforce, particularly for international companies, is key to success. Attracting and maintaining a variety of talent from across the globe begins with ensuring the right approaches to working culture.
There are other people in the workforce now who may be worrying about how they can maintain a family, considering their roles. Others may have commitments of care with unwell relatives or parents that need them. These commitments must be considered by employers. This consideration is not costly, but ignoring it could be. Policies that empower those most at risk of abandoning a career stand to benefit the individual, the business, and our wider working culture.
Find out more at Prezi’s Career Page
Emőke Starr is Prezi’s Global Head of HR. Prezi, founded in 2009. Emőke has worked across the globe and is currently based in San Francisco. Previously, she has built her career in HR in Europe, including her native Romania, and she also continues to regularly work from Prezi’s office in Budapest. One of Emőke’s key motivations at Prezi has been to help attract and build an inclusive, diverse and aligned team through forward-thinking employment policies and an engaging working environment.
