Wednesday 4th Nov 2020
My name is Catherine Davies, Internal Communications and Engagement Manager for Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance. As well as being a new mum (Oliver was born on 26 June 2020), I am passionate about employee engagement. So as someone who is experiencing becoming a new mum and maternity leave for the first time, I am learning first-hand how maternity leave can be an opportunity for organisations to have a positive impact on their employee engagement.
Below are my top tips to maximise employee engagement during this important time in your employee’s life:
-
Celebrate it
Whether it’s a congratulatory letter when they confirm their pregnancy or a bunch of flowers when the baby is born; acknowledging this special time in your employees life will mean a huge amount to them.
-
Talk about it
As well as being exciting, it can also be an anxious time. Your employee might be worrying, amongst other things about what will happen to their career while they are off. Keep them included while they are still at work and get in touch as often as they feel comfortable with while they are off.
-
Get to know them
Whether it’s talking about flexible working or understanding when your catch up call has to be rescheduled due to a screaming baby; appreciate that your employees life has changed and as a result what was important to them may also have changed. Their ambitions, what drives them and how they feel about work may be different or maybe not. Have an open discussion with them and get to know them all over again.
-
Don’t forget the dads
It’s not just new mum’s whose lives go through a massive change. New Dads usually only have two weeks off with their little one and then have to head back to work while dealing with a whole host of emotions and of course the sleepless nights that go hand in hand with babies. So don’t just apply the above to the new mums in your organisation!
Please feel free to get in touch on LinkedIn, if you’ve got any further tips or any questions about anything I’ve shared here.