Nothing new: More girls than boys graduate from high school—and with better grades. Young women also achieve better university degrees in a shorter time compared to their male peers. In trainee programs and young talent pools, women are represented just as much as men. Yet, between the ages of 30 and 35, many of these “high-achieving daughters” seem to disappear from companies. Employers and recruiters rightly ask: “Where have they gone?” They haven’t all moved abroad, suffered from burnout, or become self-employed. The answer is as old as humanity itself: Most companies lose excellently trained women simply because they have become mothers.
Talent Shortage Due to Part-Time Work After Parental Leave
As if that alone didn’t worsen the talent shortage enough, there’s another sobering truth: Many mothers return to work only part-time after parental leave—currently, 73%. Some don’t return at all. Especially when there are no family-friendly measures: one third of mothers do not return to their employer after parental leave, according to Prof. Grunow in a 2019 study from the University of Frankfurt.
Opportunities for Smart Companies
Smart companies don’t fall into problem hypnosis at this point but recognize huge potential: On the one hand, to retain well-educated mothers during parental leave and create a successful return together. On the other hand, to go a step further and recruit those mothers who have been lost by other companies.
Work-Life Balance as a Cultural Attribute
What do smart companies do differently? They invest in excellent leadership and holistic HR management. Because work-life balance doesn’t just start when employees have children—it’s a cultural attribute.
Action Areas for Employers
This means, concretely, several fields of action for employers:
- Work-life balance must be an essential part of leadership work.
- It should have a fixed place in the employee journey.
- It starts already in recruiting, with open conversations about family and career, and how family-friendliness is lived in the company.
- Concrete measures are needed, such as internal mentoring programs, parent networks, or modules in leadership development programs.
- Work-life balance is part of employer branding, communicating the added value of mothers and showing appreciation.
- The topic concerns everyone—not just mothers, but also fathers, leaders, and the entire team.
Work-Life Balance Is a Matter of Mindset
For all employers who say, “That all sounds logical, but we just don’t have the money for it!”—the good news: Work-life balance is above all a question of mindset—of leaders, colleagues, and parents themselves.
- Employers and leaders must take responsibility, prioritize the topic, and make it a leadership issue.
- Leaders should maintain stable contact before and during parental leave.
- Mothers must openly communicate their challenges so that suitable solutions can be found together.
Win-Win for Companies and Female Employees
A close and trusting relationship between leader and mother is needed for work-life balance to succeed. This investment—primarily time and prioritization—always pays off, as it helps retain or even attract talented female employees.
Win-win: A work-life balance mindset leads not only to a more fulfilling working life but also to noticeably greater business success.
