.gif)
OnRampers Persevere
Cross-Posted from Mothers & More Loop Discussion:
Thanks to the Mothers & More members who shared their personal stories about work and family. Your situations and experiences may be different from each other, but many of us see ourselves in one or another of you. I fully recognize that significant hurdles still exist and pay inequities are very real. Some of you are frustrated with the lack of OnRamps you are finding, and others with the fact that it essentially costs you money to go to work, but we have to believe that a shift is on the horizon. This sea change will only occur if we keep pressing onward. Your consciousness raising discussions are an essential element of that progress.
Some of you are pioneers in IT; OnRamping is very new in that segment. The Center for Work-Life Policy just released their Athena research which addresses the roadblocks in career progression for women in science, technology, and engineering. Companies in this industry often come from a very outdated framework and image of the workplace and women are not putting up with it. To stem the leak in this pipeline of talent will take significant adaptive change.
I am sitting at LaGuardia airport, invigorated from a day with OnRampers and corporations eager for their talent. Every OnRamper was looking for something a little different – pay, geographic area, hours worked, location of work, type of work were all variables. They each came with their unique skill set, experiences, and knowledge. But EVERY one of them believed in the value they can contribute and want it on their own terms. Individuals are willing to make different tradeoffs to attain their goals. Some women will work full-time to establish themselves and gain leverage for flexibility requests. Others will commit only to part-time and are willing to make the tradeoffs that come as a result. Neither of those is ideal. Very few get exactly what they want on their terms. That is reality of today’s workplace. However, there is a difference in giving up and making tradeoffs. Most of the women believed there was a better, smarter way to work and remain sane. They are committed to making that happen for their daughters. The Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) discussed in this Mother's Day loop is a model that will tempt others.
The companies present at today’s event were really trying to understand how to attract and retain the OnRamp talent pool. Their efforts may not be as radical as ROWE but they are working to see things differently, advocate for workers with gaps on their resumes, and change. OnRamp recruitment programs and re-entry internships show that they recognize that tomorrow’s work force and work place will look different. I met amazing women in leadership roles that are charting that course. Their efforts indicate hope to me.
If we, as individuals, accept the belief system of ROWE and begin to call others on it, we may be able to facilitate this adaptive change. Despite the fact that we are not in a position to dictate that change, our beliefs will aid the consciousness raising of what metrics should be used to determine the success and productivity of workers. Ellen Cooperperson, formerly of NOW, states, “Consciousness raising provided free space to talk about ourselves as women, to find out we were not alone, and to get the support and encouragement we needed to step into the unknown.” That is what today’s event was all about.
For more information on Mothers & More, go to: www.mothersandmore.org
Thanks to the Mothers & More members who shared their personal stories about work and family. Your situations and experiences may be different from each other, but many of us see ourselves in one or another of you. I fully recognize that significant hurdles still exist and pay inequities are very real. Some of you are frustrated with the lack of OnRamps you are finding, and others with the fact that it essentially costs you money to go to work, but we have to believe that a shift is on the horizon. This sea change will only occur if we keep pressing onward. Your consciousness raising discussions are an essential element of that progress.
Some of you are pioneers in IT; OnRamping is very new in that segment. The Center for Work-Life Policy just released their Athena research which addresses the roadblocks in career progression for women in science, technology, and engineering. Companies in this industry often come from a very outdated framework and image of the workplace and women are not putting up with it. To stem the leak in this pipeline of talent will take significant adaptive change.
I am sitting at LaGuardia airport, invigorated from a day with OnRampers and corporations eager for their talent. Every OnRamper was looking for something a little different – pay, geographic area, hours worked, location of work, type of work were all variables. They each came with their unique skill set, experiences, and knowledge. But EVERY one of them believed in the value they can contribute and want it on their own terms. Individuals are willing to make different tradeoffs to attain their goals. Some women will work full-time to establish themselves and gain leverage for flexibility requests. Others will commit only to part-time and are willing to make the tradeoffs that come as a result. Neither of those is ideal. Very few get exactly what they want on their terms. That is reality of today’s workplace. However, there is a difference in giving up and making tradeoffs. Most of the women believed there was a better, smarter way to work and remain sane. They are committed to making that happen for their daughters. The Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) discussed in this Mother's Day loop is a model that will tempt others.
The companies present at today’s event were really trying to understand how to attract and retain the OnRamp talent pool. Their efforts may not be as radical as ROWE but they are working to see things differently, advocate for workers with gaps on their resumes, and change. OnRamp recruitment programs and re-entry internships show that they recognize that tomorrow’s work force and work place will look different. I met amazing women in leadership roles that are charting that course. Their efforts indicate hope to me.
If we, as individuals, accept the belief system of ROWE and begin to call others on it, we may be able to facilitate this adaptive change. Despite the fact that we are not in a position to dictate that change, our beliefs will aid the consciousness raising of what metrics should be used to determine the success and productivity of workers. Ellen Cooperperson, formerly of NOW, states, “Consciousness raising provided free space to talk about ourselves as women, to find out we were not alone, and to get the support and encouragement we needed to step into the unknown.” That is what today’s event was all about.
For more information on Mothers & More, go to: www.mothersandmore.org
- betsyb's blog
- Login or register to post comments
