Can stay at home Mums return to corporate work?

I'm just on the cusp of returning after a 5 year career break, I have my final conversation Monday but I'm the only one left in the interview process. I havnt looked for remote roles but I'm looking at returning in a role which states hybrid (although that won't be until I've settled in). there are jobs out there, don't get disheartened. I found the job I'm nearly there with, through a HR recruitment agency who really helped me sell my CV and promote me. keep going :) it can happen x

Others will of course have their own experiences and views.

But I think a number of things "may" be at play here.

1) You are looking for a remote role which while they do exist are likely to be very competitively fought

2) Given you have been out of the work place for a while then employers "might" be seeing a disconnect between an entirely remote and reintegrating you into work and upskilling you

3) Associate CIPD is solid but its not a magic bullet and there is massive competition for roles at that level in HR. Your CV needs to pop

4) Coming back after a break is always harder than no break - accept that and help recruiters see your skills and experience

5) I would look at your entire application approach and see where you can improve it

Good luck

Wishing you all the best Olga. I’m returning to the workforce this summer after 2.5 years as a stay at home parent. Anxious to say the least.

Hi Olga I and welcome to our Community.

Another option might be to consider getting yourself a CIPD Steps Ahead Mentor to help you brush up your job-hunting skills after your break. 

cipdtrust.org/.../

Hello community!! I came across this post today and it's a question I'm really interested in. I notice that we're amost 1 year on from the original post and wondered whether anyone had any recent experience that they'd be happy to share? In particular, my expectation is that the majority of returning mums are looking for part-time/flexible/hybrid/remote roles or some combination of those. Is that the case or am I mistaken? And if so, are they being offered or is it coming down to a negotiation post-offer? Appreciate any insight.

Welcome to the Community, Elle.

I'm tagging Anna Meller who may have some recent insights.

Hi,
Same situation here Steve. I was out of employment for few years due to family commitment. I am an associate of the CIPD and looking to get back to the professions.
How would I be able to get a CIPD steps ahead mentor?
Many thanks
Wissam

Hi Elle,

I'm happy to share with you my own experiences, though they're probably a little dated.

1. When I had my first son (who is now 11!), I returned to work on a agreed 90% pattern but was made redundant pretty abruptly after I returned. I found myself unexpectedly seeking work after a year's maternity leave and the number of part time roles at the level I was seeking (HR Manager/Head of HR) were very few. I applied to everything locally possible and was lucky in being offered a part time HR project consultant role as a consolation prize for not being selected for a permanent role. I didn't share my wish for part time working until I was offered a job as that job was full time a I was desperate enough to consider it, even though it didn't suit me or my family. There were other roles where I stated upfront I was seeking a part time pattern. I'll never know whether that affected the likelihood of being selected for interview.

2. After my second son (7), the part-time permanent role I was employed in changed during my maternity leave and by mutual agreement, I didn't return at the end of that period. This time I had just over a year out of work including maternity leave to help son number 1 settle into school. It was pretty depressing to be in the same situation four years later, having struggled to find fulfilling HR Manager/Head of HR roles with any flexibility.

I applied for a full time role at a local council which was fixed term for a year. On my application form, I stated clearly I was interested in a flexible working pattern, and the job advertisement had indicated that could be possible. My manager didn't read that bit so was pretty flummoxed when I was negotiating on that aspect! I ended up on a 9 day fortnight which didn't really suit me or my family. After the initial year was up and my role became permanent, my manager would not consider reducing my hours to 0.8 (even though my key client supported me) so I ended up moving internally to a non-HR job with more flexibility and better pay.

3. I enjoyed the challenge of consultancy work, and it was really interesting to move out of HR and into change and project management. I had the flexibility I wanted and things went well. However, after a couple of years I suffered burn out and despite being clear about what adjustments would allow me to continue to work, my manager was not prepared to support me. So, after a short period of sick leave, I resigned and was once more looking for a role. I decided to move back into HR but because it had been a few years since I'd been a generalist, I didn't quite know what level to try and slot back in so I wasted my own and a few people's time initially in applying for roles that were more junior.

I applied to various full and part time roles, generally being upfront about my flexible working requirements. I was strongly encouraged by recruitment agents to conceal my desire for flexible working until I was made a job offer but that didn't feel true to me and I tended to give them the feedback that the sort of organisations that wouldn't consider flexible working probably weren't the right cultural fit for me! Post-pandemic, hybrid working was more common so that was a factor for me too. My experience was that the truly part time or fully remote roles had a huge amount of applications. Often this meant more rejections of a many layered selection process. Those with hybrid seemed to attract a still high but more locally bound number of applicants.

With the job I am in now (have been for 2 and a bit years), I ended up having interviews for some well paid project roles which involved more travels and the one I selected which is slightly less well paid but a mile from where I live. It was advertised as either four or five days a week (I work four) so it was a clear possibility from the start. I haven't regretted it. With two primary age children, the flexibility this role offers is just what I need. I still find it hard that it took me around 10 years to find a role at a similar level to the one I was initially made redundant from, but I wasn't prepared to compromise the flexibility I wanted, particularly when my children were young.

If you are in this situation, I think there are more options for flexible and hybrid roles than there were for me when I was first seeking them 10+ years ago. Some employers will be more accommodating of part time work, and hybrid/remote seems to be a key differentiator between different employers. I preferred being honest in my applications - I think it most likely meant I was screened out for a few but I didn't want to waste everyone's time by pretending I was interested in full time when I wasn't.

Thank you so much for your insight. It really is frustrating. It feels like very little progress has been made in that time. I'm glad you now have something that works. Am I right in thinking that your current role is a project role, rather than HR? And, if I were to wonder whether the HR professional community are well positioned to influence employers' attitudes towards working patterns, would that be accurate? Thanks again for your help?