Flip the script - support working parents

As the marketing euphoria and PR bandwagon for women’s day takes a break for the next 360 odd days…It is time to look at simple, sustainable and practical solutions to fix the inherent biases that exist in the interview process.

Last week I came across two posts highlighting how broken the interview process is for young women and parents.

First post was by a young jobseeker - who was unhappy at a recent interview at a foodtech unicorn - where the questions asked to her were more relevant to a tinder profile than a professional job interview.

The second post was by a young mother who was asked how she would manage her professional responsibilities along with her childcare responsibility.

Over the past year I have spoken to over a 100 women on their workplace experience.? Unfortunately the experiences of the two women are not outliers, nor are they unique to an industry or size of firm. As most job seekers face similar discriminatory and intrusive question. What was further worrying for me, was the fact that these insensitive questions are not asked only by men but also by women - showing a complete and utter lack of empathy.

Despite today's cancel and callout culture these biases can not be erased only by calling out people. Because for every woman who speaks up there will be innumerable others who endure this silently.?

Just like Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Flip the Clinic was designed to improve patient-doctor interaction - we need to reimagine the interview conversation by Flipping the Script between the recruiter and young women & parents looking for jobs.?

Here is my take on changing the narrative for the two most frequently asked biased questions - related to marriage and childbirth.

Are you married or do you plan to ‘settle’ down soon?

My response - thanks for your interest in my well-being. Even if I do get married, I am keen to retain my individual career identity. How does your firm support people who may need flexibility of working from a different location or a work from home role?

Do you have kids or are you planning to start a ‘family’ soon?

My response - Interesting question. Given the challenges most companies face in retaining women and since childbirth is an experience most women go through. What is your firm doing to help parents -?

• Do you offer return to work assistance to moms?
• Do you offer paternity leave to dads?
• Do you have flexible work options for both moms and dads?
• How do you ensure that managers & team leads are adequately prepared to support new parents in their team?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would urge not just young women and mothers, but also young men and fathers to ask these questions to recruiters during interviews.

If you are a mid/senior management professional looking at a career switch, I would urge you to ask these questions to recruiters.?

If you are a highly sought after tech/managerial talent I would plead with you to ask these questions to the talent acquisition teams enticing you to join their firms.?

We do not get anything without asking and biases can not be broken just by selfies of crossed hands. We need to register our needs by repeatedly asking and then asking again about what firms are doing to help people through life stages (marriage, childbirth) which most of us will go through.

Today every company or founder talks about culture, people first, diversity etc. Let us ask the interviewer what is the tangible proof of this.?

These are a few questions that I am aware of and my suggestions to flip the script to remove gender bias and bias against women, mothers at the workplace.?

Please feel free to add other questions and your version of a script that could help make the interview process more equal for young women and working parents.