With the increased implementation of video conferencing during Covid 19, could the stay-at-home mom be the new untapped resource to the hiring challenges small businesses face today?
In 2013, I had my first child, and I was faced with the question of how to balance my career goals while being a mom. At the time, working from home was not even a consideration for my employer and my pay at the time didn’t out-weigh the cost of daycare, so I made the decision to put my career on the back burner until my husband and I could figure out the next steps. Today, I have a new baby (my third), two elementary school aged children and I just started a new job working from home with flexible hours and an attitude of “as long as the job is done right do it on your own time”.
Video conference platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and countless others have replaced the need for in-person meetings while still letting you connect on a more personal level than a traditional conference call.
The ability to collaborate on projects through google sheets and shared drives allow each member of the team to work on a project seamlessly without skipping a beat. They have all the benefits of having a conference room with a white board, allowing everyone to contribute on their own time.
Perhaps the biggest change has been the adoption of remote workers due in large part to the pandemic. We didn’t have a choice in 2020, the pivot forced us to see the humanity of our CEO’s, accountants, and managers. Now it’s more common to hear a child in the background or a dog bark and without thinking twice.
These changes have allowed businesses to open the door to a large pool of potential candidates, such as moms who can schedule work around pick-ups, feedings, nap times and homework but still have the skills businesses need.
Any business having a tough time hiring may want to consider thinking outside the box to get the resources they need get the job done.
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