If you’re a working mother or if you were raised by one, you know personally what a challenge it is to balance motherhood with a career. Since 75% of today’s mothers are employed full or part-time, working mothers are now the norm. While gender roles certainly have loosened up over the years, the truth is, the balance of managing the children’s needs and running the household still falls overwhelmingly to the mother, whether she works or not.
According to a study by Zippia that looked at the effect of the coronavirus on working women, 46% of working mothers claim they are carrying the brunt of childcare versus only 31% who feel the work is evenly split with their partner. Further evidence shows almost half of women who are working from home due to social distancing requirements say their job performance has decreased because of the demands of simultaneously working and raising children. What’s more, women make up approximately 90% of the frontline of our health care system. The impact of coronavirus on women, and more specifically on moms at work, is notably straining.
We understand that working moms are superwomen and deserve an extra special Mother’s Day, especially during these unprecedented times. So, we decided to conduct our own in-house (non-scientific) study of working mothers. We hope this helps the partners and children of these hard-working women get a heads up about what working moms really want this Mother’s Day (you’re welcome)!
Since 75% of today’s mothers are employed full or part-time, #workingmothers are now the norm. Here are @IQTalent’s tips to celebrate them: Click to Tweet
90% of our respondents claimed that gifts are not important. They did not want flowers, jewelry, purses, or shoes. What most of these women wanted was time and attention.
One IQTP recruiter/mother explained it like this, “Gifts are not especially important to me, but I do enjoy a little extra attention from the hubby and kids. I love planting my flower boxes on the porch; the kids have always picked out or contributed to the array of flowers we plant each year!”
50% of our in-house moms wanted to be left alone to sleep or read (guilt-free) or to have the opportunity to go out to lunch with girlfriends.
Pro-Tip: Call some of her friends (or the friends’ partners) and arrange lunch and a group pedicure for them! It’s a little more work to plan this outing, but the working mother in your life will be thrilled.
Bonus: Download your copy of our Remote Recruiting and Interviewing Checklist
Coming in a close third in our survey was a day at the spa. Every woman loves to be pampered, but working mothers hardly ever find time for self-care.
Want to make her spa day even more special? Don’t just pick up a gift certificate (too easy); schedule the day for her. Put in on her calendar and handle the childcare yourself, so she has nothing to worry about.
@IQTalent knows the value the experience of #motherhood has on an #employee. Here’s what their internal survey says moms actually want this Mother’s Day.Click to TweetWhile every mom loves those homemade gifts from her kids, the more personal you can make it, the more special it will be. Consider creating a survey with the children about what “they love most about mommy” or filming a video of the kids acting out what “they think mom does for work.” Make a thankful list: “We are thankful for mom because..” or write lyrics to a song that’s all about mom’s awesomeness. Rather than a t-shirt with a family photo screened on the front, working mothers love to be complimented and to be told that their hard work and selfless actions really matter to their family.
If you’re in an area with strict social distancing, you can still make moms feel special. An uninterrupted zoom date for brunch, drinks, nails, or just chatting are a few easy ways to give her the attention she deserves.
We have an office full of working mothers, and we’ve recruited even more. We know the value the experience of motherhood has on an employee. These women are incredibly efficient and fantastic multitaskers. They are compassionate and nurturing, but also know how to give tough love, making them ideal leaders. This mother’s day, be sure to provide the working moms in your professional and personal life the gift that they really want.
We know moms at work are superheroes. We don’t know how they do it! But what we do know is recruiting. Take this quiz to reveal your recruiting superpower!