Monday, February 13, 2006

 

Opting Back In

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (Employers Step Up Efforts to Lure Stay-at-Home Mothers Back to Work by Sue Shellenbarger, 2/09/2006) brings some hope for moms and those up and coming executives—our daughters!

The private sector is finally getting on board with trying to recruit and retain female talent. According to the WSJ article, of mothers who return to work, only 5% even consider their former employers. Four companies profiled in the article (Booz Allen Hamilton, Lehman Brothers, Deloitte and Touche, and Merrill Lynch) want to change that statistic in their favor. They are using a smorgasbord of approaches to win back their valued employees including: flexible schedules, short courses in recent industry developments, and assigning internal recruiters to make sure that resumes with gaps due to caring for children are not summarily dismissed. Yay!

Maybe opting out has almost been like a grand, unorganized strike by mothers. According to Mother Jones magazine, 42% of female executives over 40 don’t have children (lots of other fascinating stats on this site, too—check it out). If this new mom-friendly approach works, more women with children will be able to continue climbing that executive ladder.

--Kelly & Melanie

Comments:
Wow. The Homeward Bound article
by Linda Hirshman REALLY pissed me off. Interesting facts and good point about the workplace, but so insulting to me, an educated (MS) SAHM.
 
Yes, it spurred a lot of commentary and debate when it first appeared.
--Mel
 
I find the insinuation that I stayed home because I was conditioned to terribly judgemental - which interestingly enough, she tried to anticipate and negate by acknowledging. Still, even though she does so, doesn't make it so. What is even more frustrating to me in the article, is that that "tone" obscures a lot of valid points and interpretation. I stay home because my husband and I agreed that ONE of us should. That it is me, isn't a patriarchal decision made through ignorance by him and me. He makes more money than I do so I stay at home. The fact that he makes more than I IS to an extent, patriarchal, considering I have two degrees and he a high school diploma. But those are two different points, not one conglomerate ball.
 
I'm in a similar situation, and I guess we're all muddling through the best we can (at least I know I am!)

And even though some parts of the essay were offensive, I think Hirshman had some interesting points in an almost evolutionary biology sort of vein, as when she talks about finding a spouse who will keep the home fires burning if you're a female with big career plans.
--Melanie
 
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