Let us call her Myra. A topper in a reputed engineering college, she starts working in an MNC – a world leader in the segment. She starts doing well and then gets married. Her husband is supportive of her career. But she soon has to move to a new city as he gets a promotion. Myra and her husband both have what Claudia Goldin (Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics last year) calls a ‘greedy job.’
Goldin in her book Career and Family – Women’s Century-long Journey Toward Equality says, “As aspirations for both career and family have increased, an important part of most careers has become apparent, visible, and central. Work, for many on the career track, is greedy. The individual who puts in overtime, weekend time, or evening time will earn a lot more.”
Work is Greedy
As they begin a family, they hire a caregiver to take care of their child and Myra continues to pursue her ‘greedy’ job. One day she comes back home early from office and finds the door locked from outside. Her daughter is inside and crying, as she has hurt herself. That day, she decides to resign and spend her time bringing up her child. When the daughter starts going to middle school, Myra tries to get back into the workforce. But suddenly it seems incredibly difficult to do so.
There are many stories like Myra’s. There are three main reasons for an unseen barrier which women have to navigate as they want to get back.
The first is external. It is often difficult for women to digest the fact that their batchmates and ex-colleagues have gone farther ahead in their careers. It is also not easy to accept the fact that their bosses maybe several years younger to them. India is hyper-conscious about position and status.
Confidence Deficit
The second reason is internal. After having been out of a corporate career for a reasonably long time, there is a huge confidence deficit that builds up inside. In the corporate world, the worth of a professional is measured largely in economic terms. Her skills are dated and she needs help in simple tasks. So she ends up seeing herself as a ‘failure’ all too quickly and this reflects in her conversation and body language.
The third reason, however, is completely organisational. Given the low labour force participation of women in India, organisational ecosystems are full of men whose wives are taking care of their homes. They are often unsure of how to treat women returning to the workforce. They end up being too harsh or too kind – both of which do not help.
Return to the Economy
We believe strongly that the returning women need to be brought back to the economy – they are talented and eager to prove themselves. If the organisation is welcoming, they are usually fiercely loyal to those who took the risk on them. All that they need is a gentle slope to acclimatise themselves back to work. And, a family which encourages them every day.
Many organisations are today encouraging women to get back to the workforce. Some are opting for paid internship opportunities which offer a few months of a ‘trial period’ for both the returnee and the organisation. Some organisations are sensitising the hiring managers, recruitment teams and business leaders to ensure empathy for this talent pool. Yet others are inviting them over to their offices through unique day-in-the-life of options. Forward-looking organisations are also taking a ‘talent-first-role-later’ strategy where they are laying little emphasis on the earlier roles and compensation structure and crafting the ‘best possible role’ around the talent.
As for Myra, she joins a community of returning women, finds herself an amazing mentor and burns the midnight oil in getting herself a global certification in cloud technology. The community opens up placement opportunities through a job fair and she finds herself struggling. This time it is different though. Her struggle is to choose between the three job offers she has got!
The author is Founder & CEO, Aspire For Her
