I recently had the opportunity to moderate a parent-packed panel supported by Contentsquare, focused on fostering a family-friendly workplace culture, and had a wonderful experience. As we continue to grow and evolve as a company, it’s crucial that we create an environment where all employees feel supported in balancing their professional and personal lives. It truly made a difference that all the panelists are all Contentsquare parents who are navigating the balance of career and family life. We heard from:
- Sarah Deel, Senior Director of Brand Strategy (Based in the US)
- Eric Mistry, Strategy & Shared Services Operations Manager (Based in the US)
- Boris Schapira, Strategic Consultant (Based in France)
- Melanie Oberman, Global People Success (Based in the US)
For parents, those curious about the experiences of working parents, and those who want to support working parents on their teams, we hope that the content proves useful. Read on for the key takeaways!
We kicked off by asking the million dollar question: how do you do it?! What’s one tip you’ve implemented into your work life to maintain a balance and be a great working parent for your family?
Melanie emphasized the importance of setting boundaries, particularly establishing a firm start and end time for meetings each day. “I work asynchronously outside of those hours, but it’s crucial for me to be with my family during key moments—getting them ready in the morning and ensuring they go to sleep at night. I’m fortunate to have a great partner, and we have clear roles, especially when our child is sick, which is one of the hardest parts of parenting young children. I’m also grateful for the understanding and support of my team at work!” Melanie shared.
“Calendars are life,” commented Eric. “Review them often.”
When it comes to how personal experiences of how parents raised their families impacted their lives at work, the panelists had much to say.
Eric stressed, “Little moments add up, but don’t stress about it all. Separate life from work, but use spreadsheets and reminders to lessen the mental load.”
Emotions can come into play, as well. “Bring more empathy to work as everyone’s situations are different, “commented Melanie.
Boris shared, “It made me a better project manager. As a parent, you have to set the pace, define a framework, collect needs, share information at the right time with the right person… and at the same time, becoming a dad helped me detach from my work as a definition of who I am. It made me a better professional because, with the weight of my identity off my shoulders, I can make more rational decisions and bounce back faster when I fail.” That’s quite a statement to be proud of!
While the working parent role sometimes feels like a specific category or even a special club, companies must make parents feel good about their work, creating an inclusive workplace culture.
In the U.S., 1 in 4 employees (27 percent) in the private sector workforce have access to paid family leave. At Contentsquare, both birthing and non-birthing parents have access to 16 weeks leave earning their full salaries. This also applies to adoption and surrogacy. Contentsquare recently increased the leave for non-birthing parents to better support employees during these critical life transitions, as well as recognize non-birthing partners’ role in parenting and caregiving.
Sarah shared, “Having a flexible start and end to the day is great, but what would drive the most change is more paid parental leave (especially for mothers)! A childcare stipend would also be welcomed, especially in the U.S., where quality childcare expenses are very high.” In other countries, such as France, for example, this would look like a partnership with a private creche system.
Additionally, implementing a camera-off culture, async work, and even a wellness stipend dedicated to self-care and mental health, which Contentsquare provides. Comfortable rooms for pumping make a difference, too – at Contentsquare, all offices have lactation rooms available for nursing mothers.
Mel recalls, “At Heap, we received a care package when we became parents (a branded onesie, life support goodies, $250 to a grocery delivery service via Instacart, and even a two-week part-time re-entry (coming soon to Contentsquare!).
No matter what, creating an inclusive workplace culture must make it easy and special for parents. The panelists recommended celebrating them and training managers to do this for parents on their teams.
“Things like limiting phone calls, respecting daily family routines like we do for other important life events and sick days, and supported intermittent leave are all crucially important,” says Eric. “Help us do whatever we can to afford good daycare, too!”
Boris stresses the importance of making kids visible in our daily lives. “I believe that every employee should be able to bring their kids to work, physically or remotely, with a policy that optimizes the parent’s comfort and minimizes risks and disruptions. If we can do it for dogs, we can do it for kids.” Great point!
Company culture is a key factor in enhancing one’s work/life balance as a parent. However, an employee’s direct manager also has a role to play, especially when an employee returns to work after a major life event, such as having a baby or parenting a new child.
The overall consensus? When you return to work after parental leave, you are essentially starting a new job. Onboarding documents should be provided by a manager, output should be valued over hours, respecting boundaries and checking in regularly are all at the top of the to-do list for a manager in this situation.
For those who may be parents soon or in the future, the panelists had a few suggestions to kick off a new life as a working parent on the right foot.
As a parent to a 17 month old girl, I personally have had success in time blocking my days and really focusing on being productive during the times that I am on.
Eric recommends, “Make it personal! Take a million+ pics, write down quotes that your kids say, or start a blog with their stories. And at work, it’s ok to feel weird about being back at it after solely focusing on being a parent.”
“As you re-enter the workforce, learn what deserves your energy and what does not. Not everything will carry the same weight of importance,” said Sarah.
Boris shares, “I don’t think anyone is really ready for parenting until they’re faced with it, so if you try to be a good parent, you are a good enough parent. Drop the guilt, and build a support system. If you just have someone to share parenting challenges with, it’s already something. Once you feel supported enough to talk about it freely, talk to your manager and team about your needs and challenges: specific hours, workload, and emergencies. People can understand, and it will always be easier to communicate about it than to accumulate stress alone.”
Of course, it’s not all fun and games. Working parents not only have to balance working while parenting but also have to cope with the hard moments.
Sarah shares, “Context switching and living up to the expectations of everyone who depends on me. And reliable childcare. Those are the hard times.”
“Missing moments. Having no real village near us. The pressure of having it on me for more than just me. All of these and more are challenges we are overcoming,” said Eric.
While Boris copes with not being available for school-related events, Melanie’s challenge has mainly been the mental load and disruption when they are sick – “It upends my entire day!” she shared.
Yet the job of being a parent is as rewarding as can be. Parents become parents for so many reasons, but for those who are working parents, the best parts are stars in the sky.
Most panelists identified with having multiple identities and being on the journey overall. “Busy people are the most efficient people!” shared Melanie. “I’ve also enjoyed the forced boundaries and many moments to cherish when working from home. I like talking to my daughter about my job, too. She doesn’t get it, but she will in time.”
Sarah commented, “It’s a mental exercise for a different part of your brain! The privilege that it is to be the first strong female example my son sees and learns from is incredible.”
In conclusion, those who are working parents at Contentsquare in particular, in the technology industry, have access to a slightly more flexible working style compared to other industries. Parents are juggling it all and our kids are doing well, but there’s still a lot of actions corporations can take do help support parents even more. Employers need to be part of the village that creates the conditions to make it possible, and having open conversations like our recent panel help normalize the experiences and help those who are not parents but want to be supportive and learn how they can play a role.
So, when working parents are supported at work, they’re able to show up better for their families. And when they’re able to be more present for their families, they’re able to do their best work.
“Making things work better for parents and other groups (such as Contentsquare’s Abilities ERG) means they can work better for ANYONE,” said Eric.
On behalf of the Global People Success team, Melanie shared: “As we navigate our work together, it’s important to remember that everyone has unique personal circumstances, whether they are parents or not. To foster a supportive and inclusive work environment, we need to understand the individual needs of our team.
At our global company, which has recently integrated three distinct cultures, Contentsquare, Hotjar, and Heap, this awareness is even more crucial. We are blending diverse experiences and perspectives. Let’s be mindful that each person comes from a different background and has unique challenges. By appreciating these differences, we can create a more cohesive and empathetic workplace.”
Thank you to all the panelists for joining and sharing your truths!
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