Do working Mums make better employees?
We all know mothers are great at multi-tasking, but how do they stack up in the productivity stakes compared to their childless colleagues?
A recent study released by the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis revealed that over the course of a 30 year career, mothers outperformed women without children at almost every stage of their working lives.
Interestingly, mothers with at least two kids were the most productive employees of all.
The study found mothers of babies and toddlers were 15-17% less productive than their childless colleagues, however despite this temporary dip, mothers were still more productive over the course of their careers.
Employment Office Managing Director Tudor Marsden-Huggins says it’s no surprise employers are starting to realise the value in hiring mothers.
“There has been a definite shift towards mothers becoming a highly regarded candidate demographic in the last few years. Employers see how great working mothers are at getting work done well in a short space of time. They are also very resourceful and know how to keep a cool head in a crisis. Becoming a parent provides a wealth of life experience,” he said.
Domestically, a report prepared by Ernst and Young for the Workplace Gender Equality Agency found women in flexible roles (part-time, contract or casual), largely made up by mothers, are the most productive members of the Australian workforce.
Women in flexible roles only waste 11.1% of their working hours, compared to an average of 14.5% for the rest of the working population.
In an average year, these women effectively deliver an extra week and a half of productive work, simply by using their time more wisely.
Based on these figures, Australian and New Zealand businesses could save at least $1.4billion on wasted wages by employing more productive employees in flexible roles.
Marsden-Huggins says employers need to be adaptable if they want to position themselves as an employer of choice for working Mums, implementing flexible working hours or working from home options where possible.
“The relationship between a working mother and her employer is a two way street. There will inevitably be days when a Mum needs to leave early to pick up a sick child or attend the school sports day. But in the vast majority of cases, if an employer is flexible in their approach with not only working Mums, but parents in general, the benefits they receive in terms of employee loyalty, dedication and engagement far outweigh the investment in flexibility,” he said.
