One of the great privileges of doing what we do at People Recruitment is getting to know our candidates before we refer them for a role. Given the importance of “work” and “career” in the lives of these candidates, the screening and interview process allows them to openly share their experiences, talk about their personal circumstances, their strengths, weaknesses and aspirations.

One of the really common questions we’re asked relates to the likely impact a “parenting break” will have on a career. The pragmatist in me always offers assurance that family should always “trump” career. The reality is, regrettably, often different.

According to recent data from the Human Rights Commission 21% of complaints under the Sex Discrimination Act received by the Commission related to pregnancy discrimination and family responsibilities. Women are reporting discrimination while they are pregnant, on maternity leave and when they return to work, with lost opportunities for promotion, training and continuing their careers.

It’s the “lost opportunities for promotion, training and continuing their careers” which resonates with me and reflects a common theme when we discuss career goals with female candidates.

Australian labour force participation data also shows a significant decline for women between the ages of 25-34 compared to men. But participation rates alone don’t mean much if most of the women working are working mostly in low-paid jobs with little prospect of advancement.

Career development theory suggests the “establishment” years are the mid 20’s through to mid 40’s where a person secures a niche in their field and advances within it; while “maintenance”, typically 40’s through to early 60’s, preserves the gains. Biology, of course, plays its hand as these “establishment” years also happen to be the peak childbearing years for women. It’s a double whammy where a woman puts family over career.

The real issue here is that work is often measured by hours not output, and taking leave to focus on family responsibilities is not acknowledged as having a high value to the employer. So much talent is being lost, tossed aside and underutilised.

That pragmatist in me (some may say optimist) believes simple adjustments to our thinking can bring about change.

RM – People Recruitment Group