Are there any mums out there who are software developers?

[lostraveller]

I have a small software business and looking to build up a strong and loyal development team. Been based in central London, there is a lot of competition for good talent so I am looking to do something different.

My questions are;

1. Are there mums out there who want to get back to work who can develop using C#, JavaScript and who ideally have experience developing with SharePoint 2010 (or SP20013)?
2. If there are Mums out there with these skills, what would I need to do to make my business an attractive employer to you?
3. How would I need to structure things to enable you to be productive, develop your professional skills and play your part in the team while also fitting in your family commitments?

I don't have kids myself (yet - my wife and I are due on Oct 31) so you feedback would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

Hi. Congratulations on your wife's pregnancy, hope all is going well for you both.

1. I've been a software developer for a while but have taken time out since dd2 who is now 16 months old; I can code in C# and have dabbled in a bit of Javascript.

2. I would be looking for a company that would consider flexible/part time working for their employees. More on this below.

3. I worked for a large corporation work/life balance strategy for their employees. They had:

• A flexible working policy. I worked 8 until 4 for 4 days a week so I could get back home at a reasonable time to pick up dd (my commute was 1hr 20 mins each way). Sometimes I would change my hours so I would catch up with documentation etc in the evenings; others I knew worked compressed hours.

• Everyone in our department was allowed to work from home for part of the week if they wanted to. We could access the network through a VPN connection and could contact anyone on instant messaging or phone so the home became a virtual office. I found it more productive as I didn't waste any time travelling and wasn't distracted by other people in the office.

• An understanding manager! At the end of the day I got recognition for completing my tasks, not how many hours I spend at my desk. I am so glad my manager could see this and gave us the ability to organise our own time. If I had to leave early because of an emergency or the children were unwell, I could just catch up by working from home instead - no need to create a fuss.