By Jasmine Browley ·Updated December 15, 2023
Moms are facing significantly more biases when they come back to work after time away to care for their families.
A new survey from Indeed found that nearly three-quarters of the mothers who participated that they have already encountered bias in the hiring process due to their parental status. Nearly all (93%) of the mothers anticipated bias as they prepare to return back to work, mainly because of anxiety around explaining the experience gaps in the resume. Other said they felt their experience was undervalued and had a hard time finding jobs with flex opportunities. others said they had difficulty finding a flexible position.
Kristen Shah, Indeed’s career trends expert said, “The workforce has changed significantly since the start of the pandemic, and employers and job seekers alike are adjusting their preferences with work and talent attraction,” per a Forbes report. “We see an opportunity for stay-at-home moms looking to re-enter the workforce to position their skills in a way that will resonate with employers. Being a stay-at-home mom is one of the most challenging jobs in the world; those unique and valuable skills belong on a résumé.”
Indeed points out that mothers focus on up-skilling to make themselves more attractive in the job search process, and brand themselves to stand out.
“Branding is how you market yourself—you already have the skills, but as the results from the survey suggest, prospective employers may be looking at your resume and interpreting your time away from the office as a gap,” Indeed said. “To successfully rebrand yourself, spend some time determining your objective. From there, you can target your efforts and highlight how your experience makes you unique.”
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