McKinsey Tries to Recruit Mothers Who Left the Fold
McKinsey & Co. wants its moms back.
The big consulting firm is quietly reaching out to female employees who left some years ago—presumably to start families—to see whether they are ready to return.
Details of the initiative, still in its early stages, are sketchy, and McKinsey offered no further information, except to say it isn't a companywide policy. But the effort is one small signal that at least some companies are re-examining some of the most basic terms of women's working lives.
The issue of lost women workers remains a delicate one for many companies, particularly in highly skilled professions, such as consulting or banking. After spending their 20s in high-intensity jobs, many women leave or switch to part-time work when they have children.
Most companies simply acknowledge the departures and move on, but some of them are starting to recruit talented women who are ready to resume work.
McKinsey has publicly grappled with the issue of recruiting and retaining women. In a 2011 interview with The Wall Street Journal, McKinsey managing director Dominic Barton acknowledged that women accounted for just 25% of the firm's "intake," adding that "if you look at the numbers, we're not where we need to be, so we're losing on the talent side."
According to its website, McKinsey has 8,000 active consultants in the field and 24,000 members in its alumni network.
The other Big Three consulting firms have their own programs targeted at current and former female employees. At Bain & Co., a group of partners oversees women's initiatives, staying in touch with female alumni and promoting flexible work options.
February 19, 2013, 7:36 p.m. ET
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323764804578314450063914388.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews
2 comments:
This is a very interesting perspective of women and their status in the workforce. The article mentions that the women were once employees, and their schedule may allow them to work and raise a family. I wonder how they are reaching out to many past employees who are out of the workforce. It is good to see firms - reputable and successful - institute programs to recruit and retain skillful and valuable female employees.
They are able to reach out to their past employees through their large network. I also feel that it's good that they are reaching out to past employees. In the future, McKinsey may make it more attractive to for married female employees to work through certain benefits like childcare services in some form or the other.
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