...And I don’t mean children! I mean Mums returning to work…

When is it a good time to rejoin the workforce after children?  Whether it’s a want or a need, wouldn’t it be good to find a workplace that enables you to truly enjoy a work/life balance, where you can use your corporate background without travelling hours to and from the city, and where your employer understands the demands of being a mum?  Well this employer understands.  I’m the owner and founder of Harvest Management (Australia) Pty Ltd, but I’m a mum first.

Can you relate to this?

My plan was to be a stay-at-home mum.  But what do they say about the best laid plans?  Life changed, and I changed with it. Returning to work was an unexpected blessing because it led me to a role making appointments with executives for a recruitment company which led me to the business I have today.  What was good about it was that I could work from home.  I was with my son nearly every day.  It wasn’t perfect, but it was close.  I wanted to make sure that whatever business I had, it was going to be a place that mums could feel valued, encouraged and proud. Harvest was born.

My first employees were mums. They’re still with me over 4 years later!  Why?

I have no doubt that those wonderful women would not have come on board if it meant sacrificing their roles as mothers.  Their children were beautifully taken care of by my mum (who gave up so much to support me).  One of these women is Elisabeth Kingman:
“I’ve been with Harvest since it began.  With a 2 year old daughter I was searching for a workplace with the flexibility to work the hours that would suit her needs whilst allowing me to enhance my skills and to stay in touch with the ever changing workforce.  In Harvest I found that opportunity.  With Ingrid Maynard, Harvest’s CEO, being the mother of a small child she was, and has remained, totally empathetic to my situation.  Now that my daughter is at school I’m able to work around those hours, which suits me perfectly.”

90% of Harvest’s employees are parents! Some of us are even grandparents! 

This is why I like employing mums:

• Experienced: many have already had a working life filled with success and accomplishments
• Mature: parenting broadens your outlook on your life, gives you perspective in the bigger picture
• Skilled: parenthood develops your negotiation skills, persistence, and accountability: all qualities we look for in our team members
• Reliable: with more to do, they’re impeccable time managers.  You can count on them.
• Values: working means more than just the money: they want satisfaction, flexibility, acknowledgement, and friendship. 

Gretchen Bugden has been with Harvest for 18 months now: “As a Mum with school age kids I found working full time meant missing out on the simple joys of life: catching up with a friend for coffee, walking my daughter to school  occasionally and feeling part of my community.  I have found a real work /life balance at Harvest.  It’s a fun supportive team of real professionals and is so close to home.  It’s been a great opportunity and I recommend Harvest to anyone interested in a possible Career change.”

Call us today to find out when our next group interview is: 1300 300 485.