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Open conversations can help new mothers with career progression
Empathy is a core skill that enables leaders to navigate conversations around career progress with mothers who return to work after maternity leave, according to a legal tech provider.
Malavika Santhebennur
Angela Johnston, director of InfinityLaw and Softdocs (both owned by LEAP), spoke to Lawyers Weekly ahead of her panel session at the Women in Law Forum 2022 next month about how workplaces could assist employees on the cusp of promotion with maintaining momentum in their career after returning to work from maternity leave.
“Leaders who possess empathy can use it to navigate a myriad of issues, including how to help mothers fresh from maternity leave progress in their career.”
Ms Johnston said the key to helping new mothers progress in their careers is to have honest conversations, and encouraged others to adopt a similar approach.
“In these conversations, you could ask the employee what they want right now from their career and job,” she said.
“Some may be ready to give 100 per cent to their role because it’s the right time in their lives. Their children may have grown up, so they’re ready to assume more responsibilities at work. Or they’re hungry for the next challenge.
“For others, they’re looking for a job that provides balance so they can pursue more in their personal time — whether it’s raising a family, or working on a project, side hustle, or hobby.”
Regardless of the employee’s circumstances, Ms Johnston urged employers to listen actively and understand what they are seeking and the pressures they are juggling at work and home.
“Don’t be afraid to ask if you’re unsure,” she emphasised.
“Try new initiatives. Don’t be afraid to be the first to try a new approach. That’s how progress occurs.”
Encouraging diversity at every level is equally important, according to Ms Johnston, who suggested adopting a blind-hiring approach or recruiting and promoting staff purely through merit.
“This can help foster a thriving meritocracy,” she assured.
“But as our leadership team recently told Lawyers Weekly, support and momentum are needed to keep progress moving at a pace.”
Following the launch of the Women in Law Forum, a number of female executives at LEAP (principal partner for the event) told Lawyers Weekly that while there has been a noticeable “shift towards gender equity” within the legal profession in recent years, more needs to be done.
For example, client product manager Chantal McNaught said the Australian legal profession needs to focus more on equity and diverse policies.
“This may be a controversial opinion, but to have equity, having parental policies which apply regardless of gender and to all genders is an important step,” she said.
“There is no meaningful gender equity if we continue to reinforce gender stereotypes. This kind of policy would work to alleviate the social expectation on women to do an unfair share of domestic labour.”
Parental leave a major factor to glass ceiling
Ms Johnston also pointed out that parental leave is a systemic inequity that often flows to parents who wish to share the responsibilities and joys of raising their children equally.
The stigma around parental leave could often be exacerbated by an unhealthy workplace or industry culture, and the managers.
As such, the key to eliminating this stigma is to talk about it, Ms Johnston said.
“That’s why I agreed to be part of a panel on our first-ever Women in Law Forum,” she said.
“Talking diminishes stigma. So, let’s have a conversation. No small talk — only real talk. That’s what I expect our panel to do. After all, our session is titled Real Talk: Wellness and progressive workplace policies.”
To hear more from Angela Johnston about how workplaces could ensure that gender, pregnancy and family planning do not impede career progression, and how organisations could help dismantle the systemic disadvantages and stigma associated with motherhood, come along to the Women in Law Forum 2022.
It will be held on 24 November at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne.
Click here to book your tickets and make sure you don’t miss out!
For more information, including agenda and speakers, click here.
