McKinsey Targets to Bring Moms Back to the Workplace

Consulting firm giant McKinsey & Co. is targeting to bring moms back to the workplace. Many former female employees of the firm who were successful in their 20s but left the workplace to start their families are now being tapped by McKinsey. The reason? These women are a great source of untapped potential.

The firm has taken the initiative to reach out to its former female employees to see if they would like to once again join the workforce. While this may not yet be a company wide initiative, it is a good start and good opportunity for many moms who may be considering working once again.

This initiative is being called “returnships” since the former employees are being invited back to get their careers restarted.

Looking into the roster of alumni

For many employers, they simply move on to younger recruits when women leave to focus on their personal lives. However, other companies are starting to look into their roster of alumni employees. After all, these women have experience, are educated, have already proven their mettle in the past and may simply be ready to once again focus on their careers.

McKinsey has about 24,000 alumni employees, while there are some 8,000 employees that are currently working in the field.

Returnship initiatives in other companies

Seems like this trend isn’t exclusive to McKinsey.

Another top consulting firm, Bain & Co., maintains communication with its former female employees. The company also offers flexible work options to make it easier for their female alumni to reintegrate back to the workforce.

On the other hand, Goldman Sachs Group offer returning women employees short term jobs, specifically designed to attract individuals who have been out of the workforce for quite some time.

At Boston consulting Group or BCG, another top consulting firm in the country, the company makes the effort to push for the recruitment and retention of female employees. There are part time positions open, as well as professional development programs and mentoring programs.

Balancing act

While many women would love to continue their careers once they start their families, the reality is that it is quite difficult to do so.

A study by the Rutgers University Center for Women and Work in 2009 showed that nearly a third of those surveyed revealed that they were compelled to leave their work because they had a difficult time integrating their work and personal life.

For those women who decide to maintain their careers alongside motherhood, they experience tremendous challenges. Also, it becomes more difficult for them to get promoted to senior level positions due to the demands of their personal lives. This is called the “double burden syndrome”.

Reintegration a challenge

For those who opt to take on a returnship, there are some challenges to be faced. First, they must be able to adapt to a modified work place from what they are accustomed to. Returnees also need to update their skills, especially in the areas of technology. Finally, they need to rebuild their self-confidence in the workplace.

Photo Credit: Happy Mother