Combatting the Talent Drain

How Maternity Coaching Can Help Keep Working Mothers Working

In a job market that struggles with employee retention and gender inequality in leadership, it is startling to note that the reintegration to work following maternity leave is currently cited as one of the key reasons why women choose not to remain the workforce long term. The economic implications of this kind of talent leak are considerable. For every highly qualified and experienced working mother that leaves the workforce, organisations face recruitment costs, retraining challenges and knowledge leaks, all of which can have a direct impact on company performance. While the significant impact of this transitional period is well-documented in relation to new mothers, the effects on their organisation, as well those in their homelife are frequently overlooked. In failing to address this, we also fail to explore the ways in which those in the work and home arenas can support a new mother’s reintegration.

One potential intervention to support all those involved in this pivotal time is through tailored maternity coaching programmes. This evidence-based practice has been shown to play a positive role in assisting women, organisations and even spouses or partners in navigating life after leave.

Assisting New Mothers

The return to work after maternity leave is a struggle between demands at work versus demands at home. These compromises can sometimes lead new mothers to feel like they are failing to “do it all”. This in turn can result in a lack of confidence in their abilities, as a mother and as a professional. Furthermore, the transition from being a new mother to being a new working mother can be in conflict with one’s professional identity, often triggering questions such as “What kind of mother can I be?”, “How can I perform like I used to at work?” and “Who am I now?”.

Both lack of confidence and identity threat are two key challenges that can be tackled within maternity coaching. Through active listening, reframing perspectives and concrete behavioural strategies, coaches can help combat the negative emotional impacts and speed up the reintegration process, as well as help mothers prepare for logistical discussions and negotiations. For example, research has found that new mothers who received coaching were more confident to request flexible working conditions and to speak up about work demands than new mothers who did not receive coaching. Coaching sessions, especially when received before maternity leave, have also been shown to decrease anxiety related to both leaving and returning to work, as practical plans are created around handovers and reintegration.

Assisting Organisations

Often overlooked in this transitional process is the manager of the new mother who can play a key role in easing reintegration. It is crucial that managers are adequately educated on the challenges of returning to work from a psychological perspective. Close contact should be maintained with new mothers, before, during and after maternity leave, by offering supports like regular check-ins and peer-to-peer mentoring from colleagues who have experienced reintegration. These kind of supports create inclusive organisational cultures, which research has found can speed up the return to work after childbirth, as well as increase organisational commitment for new mothers.

Beyond the experience of new mothers, it is vital that managers should be informed on what help they can offer. While many organisations offer psychological and logistical support, such as part-time arrangements, remote working and job-sharing opportunities, the help policies are hugely under-communicated, often negatively impacting the work attitudes of new mothers. By adequately educating managers on how they can help, they can create more opportunities for the retention of new mothers within the workforce.

Assisting Partners and Spouses

Similar to managers, the partner of a new mother returning to work can be incredibly helpful in supporting reintegration. In many heterosexual couples, new fathers will have returned to work before new mothers, however the experiences and attitudes towards working fathers is still vastly different to those of working mothers. Therefore, men can often misjudge the unique challenges faced by their partners after maternal leave. For example, recovery from childbirth-related complications, breastfeeding struggles while working and increased separation anxiety are all distinct challenges experienced by new mothers returning to the office.

One of the most important types of support that a spouse or partner can offer is professional support, as well as practical and childcare support. This relates to supporting a new mother’s current work as well as their future career aspirations, which can take the form of flexibility towards her working schedule, her participation in work events and encouragement of professional development. Coaching sessions for spouses offer an opportunity to increase their understanding of the challenges that are unique to mothers, as well as securing their equal support for their partner’s career, as well as their own.

Final Thoughts

The return from maternity leave is a pivotal point in a woman’s personal and private life, as well as a crucial time for organisations to support their female workforce. Tailored coaching progammes can be incredibly helpful in successfully navigating this transitional time, not only for new mothers but crucially, for those closest to her at work and at home as well. This comprehensive approach can ensure a smooth reintegration, ultimately aiming to keep more women in our workforce.

Want to know is maternity coaching can help you? Prism can help you discuss and design coaching sessions for new mothers in your organisation and those around her.  Reach out to info@prismlcc.com today to help support your working mothers in the workforce.