New figures released on Parent Mental Health Day on January 30th confirmed the hunch many already felt that working parents are feeling the strain more than ever. (We wrote about the findings, here).
But it can be tricky for employers to know how to support working parents, and how involved to get. The fear of being accused of interfering, or showing favouritism, is real.
Today’s podcast guest is trailblazing HR professional Carly Stanley, Chief People Officer at outdoor advertising company, JCDecaux.
You can listen on Spotify (link below) or wherever you get your podcasts
In this episode, Carly talks us through – with her trademark honesty – how her company shifted its culture from being an “incredibly hierarchical” one, where presenteeism was common, to one where employees feel psychologically safe to speak up about parenting struggles. She uses her own story of her difficult pregnancy to illustrate the point.
Culture shift through listening and trust
As she explains, this culture shift starts with listening, building trust with leaders, understanding the business and using data plus coaching to unblock difficult conversations (something she believes employers who want to effect real culture change must embrace, however uncomfortable).
She emphasises there is no ‘magic pill’ but shares her experience openly, and the actions she’s taken, including a raft of progressive benefits. As she makes clear, not everyone will always be 100% behind initiatives that support employees on their parenting path, but that doesn’t mean that they are not valid and worth fighting for.
Timeline of conversation
00:00 Welcome to Leaders Podcast
00:44 Working Parents Under Pressure
01:29 Meet Carly Stanley
04:29 Building Trust First
07:33 Listen Then Use Data
09:15 Coaching for Safety
11:15 Support in Practice
13:27 Policy Versus Culture
16:29 Fertility and Pregnancy Benefits
21:38 Return to Work Program
23:26 Milestones and Impact
24:16 The Alien Budget Question
26:07 Wrap Up and Subscribe
Supporting Working Parents Through Culture Change at JCDecaux with Carly Stanley
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