Employers views wanted: What are the benefits of employing mothers/parents?

[onetowatch]

Hi, there are lots of skills I think I've gained as a mother, and I put things in my CV like multi-tasking, emotional intelligence, ability to work under pressure etc - but what about employers? Do you employ parents or mums who have returned to work? Do you think they have valuable skills / qualities specific to them becoming/becoming parents?

ON a personal level I do think the skills that you describe are valuable, but you may need to help a potential employer to understand what you mean (and to show that you are better than other parents who might apply).

Can you think of specific examples to back up what you are saying? e.g. for multi-tasking, can you describe how you managed to prioritise getting all 17 of your dc to their ballet/judo/flute lessons on time; or how you have combined doing the shopping for your elderly parents with volunteering in your dcs classroom one morning a week.

I also think that people don't always understand what emotional intelligence means so giving examples of specific interpersonal skills / problems you have resolved etc can help with that.

fwiw, I would ask the same of a non-parent who listed skills "organised, efficient etc", although it can sometimes be easier to see their examples if they have a recent career history.

Trust me, (i'm not an employer btw) if you work with men, they are like kids (rolls eyes) so your skills will be appreciated

I am always used as an agony auntie or asked "WWYD if you were my missus and i did this"

Good luck in your job search

thanks. I've got plenty of examples to back up skills, good advice. I just wondered if you had noticed any extra maturity or anything from those who had become parents.

I've recruited lots of people and plenty of them have been parents, but I wouldn't dream of generalising and saying that parents as a group have x,y and z skills or qualities because they are parents. I don't know what proportion of the workforce are parents but it's obviously huge so saying parents tend to be more mature, or tend to cope better under pressure, for example, would be a massive generalisation and unfair to non-parents imo.

When recruiting I look at the individual concerned and look at the skills/experience/qualities they offer. I only think about where those skills have come from when asking for examples, and I don't assume that any particular group of society will have certain skills.

when I'm interviewing, I'm looking for somebody who is reliable and wants to work. Whether they're male, female, or a labrador, I dont mind

so, if I'm a parent with a labrador I'm on to a winner? I see...