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Majority of Women Believe Parents Make Better Managers; Ajilon Office Survey Shows How Women View Parenting Skills & The Workplace

Business Wire, May 4, 2005

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. -- With Mother's Day right around the corner, it's a time for many women to celebrate being a mom. With families across the country paying a special tribute to their mothers, Ajilon Office conducted a survey to explore women's perceptions on what kind of role parenting skills play in the workplace today. According to the survey results, 77% of American women believe that being a parent helps prepare one for being a more effective manager.

The following are highlights from the survey:

--The challenges of work/life balance still exist. 63% of women believe that work/life balance is just as or more difficult compared to five years ago.

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--Keeping the lines of communication open. The top parenting skill that helps out the most at work is communication according to 50% of women.

--Juggling multiple tasks at once. Whether it's being constantly on the go with children's extra curricular activities or working on three different projects at once, women rank the ability to multi-task as the second most important parenting skill that helps at the office.

--Balancing between the office and home - who wins? Women claim that moms (45%) have a slight edge over dads (42%) when determining which parent has an easier time maintaining a balance between work and family.

"Many companies now realize that in order to retain their best employees they need to provide more work-life flexibility, ensure that they are feeling valued, as well as have continuous opportunities to grow professionally," said Neil S. Lebovits, CPA, president and COO of Ajilon Office. "By having policies that will help employees stay engaged and challenged while at the same time being able to be a parent will allow companies to better retain their top performers while maintaining a more productive and happy work environment."

More than a third of women decided that learning to be flexible as new projects arise and priorities shift is the workplace skill that's refined most at home while parenting. Another 23% of women believe that the ability to handle workplace conflicts, whether it's between co-workers or with clients, is the top managerial skill that comes from raising children.

"These everyday skills that parents use both at work and in raising children are constantly being fine tuned and can make you a better employee and parent," said Lebovits. "Employers need to be more aware of their workers being pulled in two directions, the demands of work and family."

For employers looking to better integrate working moms into the workplace, Ajilon Office offers the following tips:

--Provide flexibility with work hours and time-off needs, especially since school hours are not compatible with office hours of 9 to 5. Flex schedules allow working parents to know it's okay to have other important commitments.

--Throw assumptions out the door. Just because an employee is a working mom doesn't mean that she isn't as ambitious as her male counterparts or can't take on added responsibility.

--Ensure that women are challenged and growing professionally. Women are more likely to leave a job that isn't providing them with intellectual stimulation and professional growth.

--Make telecommuting a viable option. Technology advancements allow employees and clients to stay connected even if they aren't sitting at their desk in the office. Telecommuting allows moms to juggle both family and work responsibilities.

--Communicate with your working mom employees. Find out their career goals and aspirations and what skill sets they want to develop. Once you are aware of their goals, you can better align them with projects and responsibilities that will keep them on their career track.

Survey Methodology:

The current results are based upon telephone interviews with a representative of 1,012 adults, 18 years of age or older, who are employed either full- or part-time. Participants included 509 men and 503 women. Opinion Research Corporation's Caravan conducted interviews between April 21 and April 24, 2005. The margin of error is approximately plus or minus five percent. A copy of the survey questionnaire can be provided upon request.

ABOUT AJILON PROFESSIONAL STAFFING, NORTH AMERICA

Ajilon Professional Staffing is a leading specialty staffing and recruiting services firm and is part of the Adecco Group (ADO) - the world's largest human resource solutions provider. The North American professional staffing division has three focus areas: Ajilon Finance, Ajilon Office and Ajilon Legal. Ajilon Finance - previously AOC Accountants On Call - specializes exclusively in the temporary and permanent placement of premier accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. Ajilon Office, previously Millennium Staffing, offers clients executive administrative professionals on a temporary and permanent basis. Ajilon Legal, previously Co-Counsel, places highly qualified candidates in a wide range of specialized positions including attorneys, paralegals and legal support professionals.

Business Services Industry

Majority of Women Believe Parents Make Better Managers; Ajilon Office Survey Shows How Women View Parenting Skills & The Workplace

Business Wire, May 4, 2005

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