20% of companies look for recent mothers
Reconciling work and motherhood continues to be a challenge for many women in almost every country in the world. Specifically, in Spain this effort is especially difficult because of the limited opportunities for conciliation offered by most companies. However, the good news is that the trend is changing, as proven by a global study conducted by the company Regus, which is dedicated to providing professional spaces.
Flexible work is the best hook for mothers
According to the results of this study, during 2015, 20.8 percent of companies have sought to hire women who have been mothers recently. This surprising news has been the object of investigation of this study, which has been carried out worldwide with a sample of more than 44,000 workers from more than 100 participating countries.
Among the main reasons for the rising value of rising women who have just been mothers highlights the important role played by a flexible working day and the proximity to home workplace to attract female talent. This is what 88 percent of respondents have said that flexible work is the main reason that attracts and keeps working mothers.
Flexible work allows companies to take advantage of the untapped potential offered by qualified mothers, who can not be incorporated into the labor market for the care of young children. The offer to mothers of flexible work opens a door for these women to return to the working world. But, what benefits do companies obtain from working mothers? "Less staff turnover, reduction in hiring and training costs, and access to talented staff" are some of the benefits pointed out by Philippe Jiménez, Country Manager of Regus Spain.
Keys of attraction of companies by women who have been mothers
Among the multiple reasons for hiring a young woman who has just become a mother, the study highlights the following:
1. Experience and skills. According to 54.3% of respondents, mothers who return to work are particularly valuable for their experience and skills.
2. Reliability. 25.1 percent of respondents recognize the reliability of mothers as a rising value among women.
3. Excellent time management. By having to divide their time between their working hours and their dedication to their children and family, 39.8 percent of respondents recognize that mothers know how to manage time better.
4. Stability Women who are just mothers are seen as less likely to change companies, which provides stability to the workforce in companies.
Increase in productivity and boost for GDP
Previous research by Regus confirms that 57 percent of companies believe that keeping working mothers helps improve productivity, since training costs are lower than hiring new employees.
However, the Regus study considers that mothers who return to work play a very important role in the economy by helping to boost GDP. The greater female participation in the labor force is supported by reports suggesting that if the number of women in the work team reaches the same figure as that of men, the GDP growth could be up to 10 percent, which makes important to promote flexible work.
Marisol Nuevo Espín
Advice: Philippe Jiménez, Country Manager of Regus Spain
