Does having children negatively impact your career, or do parents make better employees? Photo / Getty Images
OPINION
“That’s so unfair: that you should have to consider your future reproduction and your future additions to your family based on whether that would impact on your career life.”
This was the response from clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire when I shared with her my fears about career advancement as a woman who may, or may not, want more children.
Speaking to us as part of the One Day You’ll Thank Me podcast, I also shared with Maguire that I often defaulted to making myself too available so that people knew I was as serious about my career as I was about motherhood - cue the exhaustion and self-inflicted answering of emails at 11pm.
While a lot of parents feel that keeping any potential family plans under wraps, and working outside their usual hours to get ahead is totally normal while juggling children, Maguire was horrified.
“That p****s me off to hear you say that.”
But even though she was unhappy at the notion, Maguire admitted there was an element of historic truth to these fears.
“In the past, there probably has been an element of truth to that - gender pay gaps that still exist in this country. I think that some fears that people have are based on these historic truths.”
And given just 6 per cent of New Zealand-listed companies have a female CEO, the lack of representation adds to the concern.
Maguire’s response stuck with me and made me question why women are still made to feel this way in 2023. Laws are in place to protect parents, flexible working arrangements and financial support are available, yet women still feel becoming a parent is potentially hindering workplace progression.
Is it an outdated view that, should you be planning to take maternity leave, employers might see this as a hindrance and career advancement and opportunities would be given to those without kids?
Does having a child actually negatively impact your hard-earned career - a key piece of your identity? Or do parents actually make better, more efficient employees?
And what can employers do to ensure that they retain valuable employees as they enter the exciting time of parenthood?
To find out, I spoke to Jane Kennelly, a mum, founder of the Fantail Group, which enables women in business, and GM of Wellbeing and Skills Consulting Group. With more than 33 years in HR consulting and supporting women in career advancement, there was nobody better to comment on what’s what when it comes to parenting and careers.
Kennelly explains that taking parental leave simply means putting your career on hold while you prioritise your family.
But in the long term, becoming a parent can have a positive impact on your career, she notes.
“Working parents can improve their ability to balance multiple tasks, work to deadlines more efficiently, sharpen their empathy and soft skills - and broaden their perspective of the world, which is highly advantageous for business.”
And while some more conservative employers may feel that parenting can distract from work, Kennelly says “we’re not living in the 1950s”.
“As an employee, ask yourself, do you want to be working for an organisation that doesn’t show fairness and equity to its people? A key message employers are hearing these days is all about flexibility – which means both parties working together to make sure that objectives and needs are being met. It’s so encouraging to see that we are living in enlightened times.”
Instead, employers should be supporting new parents - and the not-so-new, Kennelly says.
“You know what they say; ‘walk a mile in someone else’s shoes’. I think to build wider acceptance and improve the experience of new parents returning to work, change has to happen across both genders and for all identities.
“If more men - and this is growing in popularity - shared the experience of being their family’s primary caregiver for a finite period of weeks or months, this could support a mother’s return to the workplace sooner than later, and also go a long way to shifting real perception and the status quo.”
Kennelly adds that communication is key if you feel like you’re missing out on a career opportunity because you have kids, or are planning to have them.
“First, talk to your manager about your experience and give them a chance to address it. If you can’t resolve it between yourselves, proactively approach your HR or people manager to let them know your experience, and ask if they can help to initiate a change in your situation.”
As for whether parents make better employees?
“You know the saying – if you want a job done, give it to a working parent.”