Two weeks ago, I was highly motivated to resume working at #Tektit after 16 months maternity leave. I began, full of anticipation of regular contact with my colleagues #Tektitans again and ready to immerse myself in exciting #problemsolving. But then the start was rather sobering.
Not much was prepared for my restart and my tasks were unclear. But Tektit wouldn't be Tektit if my colleagues hadn't acted directly. A few days later a proper re-onboarding was prepared and I left the meeting with the first themes I will work on and a good feeling.
It also gave us the idea to publish a checklist that companies - but also moms and dads - can use to give colleagues, returning back from parental leave, an appreciative restart and a warm welcome into working life.
Stay connected during maternity leave
For me personally, the re-onboarding process started already during maternity leave. The first few months with a newborn are a magical time and my brain - namely the career part of it - was totally blocked with baby care, overwhelming emotions and hormonal chaos.
The hormonal and emotional fog clears over time and the time comes where you think about getting back to work. Staying in touch with some of your colleagues during this time is good advice, in order to stay up-to-date with major company developments and not to feel like a stranger when you are back.
When daycare is set and care work distribution has (hopefully) been clearly discussed with your partner, decide on your actual starting day and communicate it to the persons responsible at your company. Then plan an appointment with your superiors to talk about working hours, expectations and projects you will be scheduled for, so that you have a good start. Use our re-onboarding checklist:
A trustful environment relieves working moms
The first days at work are accompanied by mixed feelings. Does everything work well with daycare and do kids' illnesses still take a while to start? Will the cotton in my brain be replaced by intelligent content and exciting problem solving?
What you can wish for every mother is a well-functioning work environment. Tektit’s 4 day work week with a flexible non-work day - as long as projects allow it - is one of these new work benefits, which leaves you enough flexible working hours to shift work when your kids' itinerary interrupts yours, from time to time.
A trustful working environment in which no distinction is made whether you are a full-time male worker or a part-time working mother is also very valuable. It relieves stress if you don't have to put a lot of effort into overcoming prejudices against working moms and if you don't have to constantly renegotiate that meetings in which you have to be present take place before midday.
Set small goals for the first few weeks after parental leave
Your colleagues will tell you “take your time” more often than you want to hear it, but listen to them. Be patient with yourself. It will help you get back into the effective working mode that you are used to.
During your first weeks, clarify your professional expectations for the first months especially with yourself, your team and your superiors. Then break down these expectations into small goals, which will show you over the next few months that you are on the right track.
Look out for a mentor you can completely trust. A colleague, who has time for you to respond to all your questions - also the stupid ones - that arise during the first weeks and who has an open ear when you are overwhelmed by managing your job and family life at the same time. These doubts will come sooner or later.
This mentor will also be very valuable to fight against arising FoMO feelings (Fear of Missing Out), especially if you are working part time. Organize regular check-ins with your mentor to update you on topics you missed during your non-working hours.
Prepare re-onboarding for working moms
Let’s look at the company side: What can companies and colleagues do for their returning mothers or what can new mothers expect and if necessary demand. It's actually pretty simple, make her feel welcome again and show her the appreciation she deserves by being well prepared:
Make sure your colleague has access again to all relevant tools and information so that she doesn’t face “access denied” anytime she wants to start with updating herself via different tools.
Introduce your colleague to all new tools that your company started using during her absence.
Organize a re-onboarding session for your colleague and make a short time travel back to the last one to two years. Give her an update about major company developments, decisions, projects and the current financial situation.
Provide a small reading list with links to all important documentation that your colleague can refer to in the next few weeks.
Have a plan - even if the intended plans end up not being adhered to - with to-dos for the first two weeks and projects your colleague will be staffed on.
Provide a coworker for these projects who will accompany the colleague until she is completely onboarded.
Our new work environment at Tektit fortunately creates a comfort zone for mothers and fathers in many aforementioned aspects. But we also learned about new aspects from my return. We are happy to pass on these experiences and a checklist that gives you food for thought on how you can organize re-onboardings in the future.
💬 How about you? Did any of the experiences I mentioned sound familiar? Do you have further ideas to put on the re-onboarding list? Leave your comment or write to us.
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