TheLadders Reveals What Working Moms Want For Mother's Day

NEW YORK, May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Mother's Day on May 13th, TheLadders released a new survey today revealing that working mothers care more about having flexible hours after returning to work than spending more time at home while on leave. In fact, when asked to prioritize six "work situations" as a working mother, the majority (44%) chose flexibility as most important versus only 5% who said they would opt for longer maternity leave. TheLadders, the most comprehensive job-matching service for career-driven professionals, surveyed more than 250 women who are, or soon will be, working mothers.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120507/NY01603 )

In addition to flexible working hours and extensive time off, working mothers ranked the scenarios as follows: ability to work from home (29%), convenient working hours (20%), on-site day care (2%), and generous paternity leave (0%). The female professionals surveyed are in the following industries: construction, education, engineering, finance, human resources, law, marketing, medical/science, operations, real estate, sales and technology.

"Since launching almost a decade ago, we have seen a growing desire for job seekers to work in – and return to – an environment that understands and supports their personal values," said Alex Douzet, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of TheLadders. "It is clear from our Mother's Day survey that working mothers are eager to return to the office when it is a comfortable and rewarding transition. Employer sensitivity for the unique needs of working mothers will help drive employee satisfaction and retention."

TheLadders Mother's Day survey also revealed other key learnings:

• She works hard for the money. The number-one reason respondents returned to work is for "financial reasons," although resuming employment because they "enjoy their career" is a close second. Needing benefits (health/child care) and just wanting to "get out of the house" were less motivating rationale.
• You like me, you really like me. When asked how having a child impacts the way that working mothers feel they are regarded by coworkers, almost half (42%) felt their colleagues are "supportive and understanding," while 18% believe that others "behaved the same." Almost a quarter (24%) said their coworkers are "supportive, but don't understand my situation" and a frustrated 16% said their teammates are "resentful of my competing priorities or schedule."
• It's a balancing act. Balancing a career and a family is a huge struggle for 87% of respondents with 55% admitting that "excelling at both is overwhelming," 13% "struggled at first, but now it's under control," 16% "always put family first and work has suffered for it," and 3% "always put work first and family has suffered for it."

On an ongoing basis, TheLadders conducts primary user-experience research and analyzes quantitative data provided by its more than five million members to gauge current behavioral trends in the job-search process. TheLadders uses this research to gain valuable insights, which it uses to improve the customer experience and provide expert advice to the marketplace. An infographic illustrating TheLadders Mother's Day survey can be downloaded at TheLadders Blog.

About TheLadders

With more than 5 million members, TheLadders has been committed to finding the right person for the right job since 2003. With a unique suite of personalized products and resume services, this career-focused online service helps job seekers connect with employers and recruiters more effectively and efficiently. Given its heritage as the leader in the $100K+ job search, TheLadders is dedicated to the science behind the job search and optimally positioned to help all career-driven professionals in finding the right jobs. Expanding services to include sub-$100K+ positions allows recruiters and employers more options when looking to hire professionals at other stages of their careers. TheLadders is headquartered in New York with offices in London. For more information, visit TheLadders Blog and theladders.com. Your career is our job.™

SOURCE TheLadders

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