In this episode, I talked to Dara Levy, Vice President, Channel Partners at The Mom Project, a digital talent marketplace and community that connects professionally accomplished women with world-class companies. We talk about how parents often struggle to return to the workforce, why mothers are crucial to successful companies, and how you can start recruiting more moms today.
Delohery:
Welcome to the Staffing Show. We’re here with Dara Levy from the Mom Project. Thanks so much for joining us today.
Levy:
Thanks for having me. Hi, Caitlin.
Delohery:
Hey, so I just wanted to launch right in. And can you tell our listeners a little bit about the Mom Project?
Levy:
Sure, of course. So, to introduce the Mom Project, I always like to share a little bit about Allison Robinson, our founder and CEO. So, she was on maternity leave with her first son Asher when she discovered that 43% of new American mothers do not return to the workforce after starting their family. And so, she imagined a future where women would not have to choose between parenthood and their careers, and she could not stop thinking about what a real solution might look like. So, the Mom Project was born. And that was almost five years ago.
Levy:
And now, the Mom Project is the leading career destination for moms. And we are on that mission to build a better workplace for women, parents, and the businesses they support. So yeah, it’s been a busy five years.
Delohery:
I’ll bet.
Levy:
We’ve built a community of over 300,000 moms, dads, and allies at all stages of their career journey. And we’re part of over 2,000 companies from startups to Fortune 1,000 to provide talent solutions that can help attract and retain the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that they need to propel their businesses forward.
Delohery:
And this is such an interesting time for us to be meaning and talking because even the role of moms is changing in the home, and the role of everyone is changing in the workplace. But before I get into all of that, I just wanted to ask you a little bit about how you personally got involved in the Mom Project, and what drew you to your role?
Levy:
Sure. And yes, it is a crazy unprecedented time, and the world we’re living in now is only a greater catalyst for what drove me here, about a year and a half ago. So, prior to joining the Mom Project, I spent over a decade with a global recruitment company. So, always within the staffing ecosystem, and they had a more traditional staffing agency model. My most recent five-ish years were spent managing and expanding channel partnerships, and leading tension workforce solutions. So, I was attending staff and conferences, and this wasn’t specific to any industry, but just general staffing.
And I was energized by the innovation taking place within the staffing ecosystem, particularly, the rise of the contingent worker, and how technology was being leveraged to improve the candidate experience, and really reimagine what that third-party staffing vendor relationship meant to enterprise organizations. So, that’s one side of my excitement around the Mom Project, but of course, my energy impact towards D&I is really what drove me to join. I had been one of the few female leaders in my last sales organization, and had regularly met with executives, customers who were trying to solve for the decline in female representation in their workforce.
So, really just emboldened to be part of the change that I would see, and looking to accomplish that at the Mom Project. So, my role here is VP channel partnerships, where we empower industry leaders and partners to team up with us driving innovation, and diverse solutions for our customers.
Delohery:
So, much in that that I want to talk to you about. I’m so interested in this idea of how technology and the DEI initiative interact with each other. So, I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about what you saw at those staffing conferences, and what you’ve seen in your experience about how technology can really revolutionize the way people work in the staffing ecosystem.
Levy:
Sure. I think all of us in staffing probably look at automation and digitization being an enhancement for both customer and candidate experience. And here at the Mom Project, we’re no different in that. I think what’s unique to the Mom Project is really around a talent first mindset. And everything we build is solving for mom, and solving for mom’s experience. And we’ve really worked to re-imagine that job search experience for women and mothers. And so, we are a tech company. We raised our Series B back in July.
Levy:
And a lot of those investment dollars are going back into the product so that we’re enhancing features for that talent community. I can share a little bit more about the community with you as well, but as talent engages more meaningfully with the fast pace of seeking work, meaningful opportunities in the contingent landscape, we want to make sure that our platform is supporting them no matter where they’re at in their career journey.
Delohery:
Yeah. And can you give our listeners a little idea of what your community looks like?
Levy:
Our community looks diverse. Our community is growing fast and furious. We’re adding about 25,000 members every month. Much of our growth today is still organic, moms telling other moms about their great experience with the Mom Project. So, 300,000 plus, about 90% female, 40% ethnically, racially diverse, and we really are an equal opportunity platform. So, invite anyone to join who shares in our mission of building that more inclusive workplace. I think it’s important to recognize how much household has changed in the last several decades, and how different the American family looks today.
86% of women become moms by the age of 44 here in the U.S., and working moms are the majority. It’s just not working is not an option, financially, for most moms. 72% of moms with children under the age of 18 work, and 40% of moms are raising children as single parents. So, we are acutely aware of the importance of the work-life integration. And are wanting to support mom in that journey, whether she is returning to the workforce after a caregiving pause, whether she’s opportunistically looking for an employer that provides a more family- friendly fit. So, looking to provide resource and support throughout.
Delohery:
So, and this leads into my next question. And I actually wanted to share this quote from Serena Williams, who’s one of your strategic advisors who said, “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a team of one or 100,000, if you’re hiring, are you considering moms?” And this seems like such a crucial question exactly because of what you’re talking about, or what we’re leading into, that there’s a hidden assumption among many hirers. And I would think that includes some staffing agencies that perceive moms as less competent than women without children. And so, I wanted to look at that, and maybe just open up and talk about why moms? Why should hirers be looking at moms?
Levy:
Absolutely. Well, you should look at moms because Serena Williams is telling you to. She’s the greatest
of all time champion mom. So, why moms? First of all, we tell our partners, and our customers, and we’re consulting around, when you solve for mom, you really are solving for a meaningful part of your D&I strategy given the stats I just shared that 86% of women become mothers. We released a report recently, actually, a study from WORK Labs, which is the research and insights division of the Mom Project. And it underlines exactly what really the country and our businesses stand to lose as the mom exodus continues from the American workforce.
And the presence of moms in the workplace, particularly, in managerial and C-suite positions, not only result in greater inclusivity within the organization, but creates a more positive employee experience, heightened productivity, and an increase in retention outcomes. And this research is one of the first quantitative studies of its kind to highlight the true impact of moms in the workplace. So, work labs surveyed over 500 professionals, female employees with colleagues who are mothers, and they reported a 23% more positive workplace experience than those without.
And additionally, female employees with colleagues as mothers rate their anticipated productivity for the next year 12% higher than those without mothers as colleagues. So, some really great stats to unpack there. Notably, 81% of women surveyed who have managers who identify as mothers ranked their manager as approachable. So, then we can really lean into how do moms in the workplace support in retention, and how do they provide for just a really positive employee experience?
Delohery:
So, these are staggering results, like this data. There’s no denying that this is crucial for businesses to pay attention to. So, how has the Mom Project brought so many moms into the fold here or become such a leading career destination for moms?
Levy:
So, I think a lot of it comes back to Allison’s background, and how she’s really set up the organization. And it does feel for someone who’s spent their career in staffing to join a company with a leader whose background was a brand leader at Proctor & Gamble. She was leading innovation for Pampers. And her role was to get inside the hearts and minds of millennial consumer moms. And that shows itself throughout how we’ve been built and really putting mom first. We have a chief community officer who leans in to nurture the talent experience no matter where they are at, and what they’re looking for.
Levy:
So, I think that how we’ve been built and really in our DNA, and fostering inclusion within the Mom Project as we’ve grown organically, and how we’ve attracted our talent as well as the authentic connection that we create, our talent … And when I say talent I’m referring to our candidates. Our candidates, we don’t take for granted that they’re coming to us for a trusted experience. And so, really elevating the customers as a great place to work, family, friendly brands. Asking questions that other suppliers may not lead with around corporate culture and inclusion. These are all actions that gain the trust of mom.
Delohery:
And so, zooming out a little bit, Staffing has reported on this, like in the most recent jobs report, in September, over 865,000 women left the workforce just in September, which compared to just a little over 215,000 men. It’s this huge difference. And as you said, this isn’t new, this has been going on for a long time. Over 40% of skilled women leave the workforce when they become new mothers. But the pandemic puts new burdens on women. And so, I was wondering as our listeners are mostly staffing executives and recruiters. What can our listeners do to help build an environment that prevents this mass exodus? And what can companies in general do in 2020 to encourage working mothers to stay in the workforce?
Levy:
That’s the million dollar question. That is some powerful stats there, absolutely, and scary stats. So, if they’re not alarming to anyone listening, they certainly should be. And at the Mom Project, we are trying to drive the narrative that the time to act is now. Now, while there’s no silver bullet. I’d like to share three buckets or three categories of actions that the Mom Project is recommending as we speak and work through this with our partners. So, the three are embraced flexibility, lead with compassion, and invest in D&I. And I can unpack those a little bit more if you’re interested.
Delohery:
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.
Levy:
So, embrace and implement flexibility, the shift to more progressive work policies should not be limited to Bay Area tech companies. All companies will benefit from a more flexible workplace. I think we’ve all heard in the news as the pandemic progressed, some of those big tech firms were the first to announce remote work for an extended period of time. Early adopters. But it should be embraced more broadly throughout, and cross sector. So, professionals who are limited by rigid in-office requirements can really thrive in remote work. And the Mom Project sees this firsthand with our applicant response rate.
Levy:
Pre-pandemic, we had five times the applicants for jobs that included even just one day of work from home. And we see that remote work improves employee engagement and significantly expands customers talent pools, right? Allowing reach to untapped talent. We talk with customers about revisiting job structures and innovating beyond the 40-hour work week. So, considering four-day work weeks, 30-hour schedules, which are shown to improve productivity. And of course, considering what’s best by team department. What’s right for sales might not fit for your team of engineers.
Levy:
So, really to get a pulse from your leaders and employees to find a plan that is optimal by team case. The second bucket around leading with compassion, and this has been a really key learn I think for a lot of leaders, myself included, through the pandemic. But one that should not be understated. And that’s as the world has shifted overnight, our teams need us to lead with respect and compassion, and we must gain their trust that we are there on a human level. So, training managers on how to support teams who are juggling ever evolving challenges of work, family, anxiety, isolation, the list goes on. Consider offering new benefits that help employees calm these challenges.
Levy:
Increasing the frequency of communication touchpoints. Leading by example. Showing your team you’re committed to building a more human centric workplace by taking days off yourself, and assuring that they’re supported, and bringing their whole self to work. The last is investing in diversity and inclusion.
Delohery:
Go ahead.
Levy:
The last is investing in diversity and inclusion. And that is just to quite frankly expand, don’t pause, or restrict inclusion, diversity initiatives, and hiring. Act now, seizing the moment to reaffirm your commitment to I&D will position your business to win, and drive that employee engagement, strengthen your reputation. And lastly, which has been one of the greatest learns for myself as a sales leader is stay flexible. Be cognizant of how your internal stakeholder groups needs differ, and the extent to which business critical decisions impact diverse employee groups differently. So, Kaitlin, as I was sharing that with you in terms of the three buckets to support your listeners, I’m also reflecting just how much I’ve taken on each of those components over the last number of months myself. So, thank you for that moment of reflection.
Delohery:
Yeah. Can you speak a little bit to that? Like how did they show up for you on the ground?
Levy:
Well, they show up everywhere. I work at the Mom Project. We’re walking the walk here at the Mom Project. So, speaking candidly, I’m in the minority at the Mom Project, not yet being a mom myself. I certainly am passionate about driving gender parity and inclusion across the future of work. And I want to build a future where I won’t have to choose between work and family. But not being there yet, and leading a team of moms in this pandemic, and in this crisis, in this childcare crisis has been a mass …
Levy:
I’ve always taken pride on being an empathetic leader. But this has, I think, stretched all of us. And has taken what we felt in our comfort zone, and now, we’re just all operating outside of our comfort zone. So, for me, it’s been an exercise of much more active listening, and patience, and asking questions, and just creating a safe environment, and empowering our team to take the time that they need, and to show up as authentically as they can. And that means babies on Zoom calls.
Levy:
And that means saying hi to the kids. I have a funny story that it warms my heart that one of the moms on my team, her two-year-old, he’s now three, her three-year-old knows me by my voice now through our Zoom call. And he runs into the room saying, “Is that Dara?” And I’m like, “Come sit on her lap and say hi.” And it’s just become part of our team meetings, part of our interactions. And it’s definitely evolved my leadership style to certainly continue to lead with empathy, and create a safe environment, but also to be patient, and to be actively listening, and be flexible.
Delohery:
Yeah. It seems so much of what I’m hearing in these conversations that I’ve had during the pandemic, there’s been a huge shift from before the pandemic. So, who can remember before the pandemic? But that these barriers between work and life have come down so much. And there’s a real opportunity it seems to me to include the whole person in our work lives. And the simple shift like out of the office and into Zoom, and the home had facilitated that a lot. But it sounds like so much of what you’re speaking to is hallmarks of a new culture that we’re developing in which the whole person is embraced, not just because it is the good and right thing to do, but also because it makes good business, that it leads to success.
Delohery:
It leads to happy employees. It leads to certainly happier moms. It’s so much easier to work for a company that opens arms to the three-year-old on the lap than one in which you have to worry about pushing the kid out of the room. That’s a huge, constant difference in a mom’s life. So, it sounds like very much you guys are positioned as leaders in this new culture that we’re making up as we go along in a lot of ways.
Levy:
Absolutely. It’s not possible to compartmentalize anymore. So, we have to allow our ourselves to bring our whole authentic selves to work. And that is certainly something that we work to solve for at the Mom Project, but absolutely that doesn’t need to be unique to a D&I focus company too. That’s just general best practice for leadership and culture. So, but yeah it’s interesting.
Delohery:
You mentioned D&I initiatives a lot. And I want to spotlight all the problems that we’re talking about in terms of gender equality are exacerbated for women of color. Especially, black women it’s been particularly hard for them. In 2020, they faced one of the highest unemployment rates of any group, 1.6 times higher than white women. So, can you talk a little bit about the work you do to bring, specifically, more racial diversity into the workplace?
Levy:
Yeah, that’s a great question. We get asked that a lot because we want to represent all moms. And women of color to your point, continue to be hit the hardest, not only in the job types affected, but also due to their childcare responsibilities at home. Of that 865,000 you mentioned, the women who left the American workforce in September, 342,000 were Hispanic women, and 58,000 were black women. To help combat this while creating more opportunities for women of color, we introduced a program called Rise. And it’s our first initiative from our not-for-profit 501(c)(3).
Levy:
I always get those mixed up 501(c)(3), the Mom Project org, where over the next three years Rise will elevate 10,000 women of color by providing scholarships to highly sought after technology certificates, such as Google and [inaudible 00:39:55]. Really looking to boost their earning potential. The model is built from the understanding that while upskilling, moms need to also be able to earn income and provide for their families often as a primary earner. So, you’re spot on, the disproportionate effect of the pandemic has only exacerbated the Mom Project’s focus on, what does total workforce inclusion look like?
Levy:
How do we make sure that we augment the organic growth that happens, from moms telling moms about the Mom Project to also really intentionally supporting through this re-skilling program of Rise?
Delohery:
That’s a great point because it seems like organic growth through word of mouth is a beautiful thing. But the only downfall that I see, that I think about in terms of that is that it can often create a modernist community. So, it’s fantastic that you guys are aware of that, and actively mitigating that in a way that seems to be on the pulse of what can create those disparities, or segment.
Levy:
And, you know what? Caitlin, that makes me think of while today the Mom Project is really quite myopically focused on getting moms jobs, we attribute our success to being more broadly around unlocking the potential of our female workforce. And that might be through other services that we support. So, I did want to share a couple of programs that we launched through the epidemic. One is a program called Rally, which is a peer-to-peer mentoring program through the community, where moms can sign up to give a boost or receive a boost. And we’ve supported connecting over 400 women through that mentoring program. Resume Rev is our resume builder.
Levy:
So, we may be supporting moms who are returning into the workforce, and we can help them bolster that resume. And then they may go on to receive work experience outside of the Mom Project. Lastly, our Unity Hours are weekly webinars that feature key issues being faced at work or at home. And these Unity Hours are just fostering togetherness during a time where we’re otherwise quite isolated. So, really continuing to support throughout that journey of working parenthood, and having that talent first mindset in order to unlock, and untap the potential of mom in the workforce.
Delohery:
Sorry. We’ve touched a lot on the pandemic, and the effect of the pandemic, and what you guys are doing for your community. But I’ve been really getting interesting answers talking to guests about how they’re coping specifically with these new challenges, and these new normals, such as they are. But so, during the pandemic, have you developed any new beliefs or habits that have improved your life or the way that you work?
Levy:
I probably haven’t changed as much as I should. I’ve been fortunate to work in a more distributed workforce as a sales organization. We’ve been remote first. So, it’s been less of a drastic shift for myself in terms of not going into an office everyday, although, I certainly miss traveling to see customers and colleagues. But over the last, what is it? Six, seven, eight month, years, it’s been a social experiment. I think for myself a habit that I’ve implemented, and hope, at least plan at this point to continue is a mindfulness practice.
Levy:
I think while we would rather fast forward to a new year in a future time, I think remaining present, and grounded, and centered so that we can wake up every day, and do our best work. And for me, that’s to build a better workplace for women and parents. And so, for me every morning, taking that 15 minutes to engage in a mindfulness practice and I know there’s a handful of different meditation apps out there. We’ve all got our favorites, but listening, and breathing, and working as hard as it is to clear your mind before I open my email has been a game changer.
Levy:
And I think, hopefully, a silver lining is removing that stigma of mental health through merging work and life. I’ve been part of more company webinars where there’s actually a segment dedicated to a quick mindfulness exercise. Kicking off ERG meetings with a quick, three-minute mindfulness of this. So, I’ve brought that into my own team meetings. We do three-minute mindfulness, where we all turn our Zoom cameras off, and listen to a guided practice for a few minutes to bring us back at whatever has distracted us from our day.
Delohery:
That’s awesome.
Levy:
Yeah, I hope that that continues, but that’s a habit I’ve picked up.
Delohery:
Okay. And what’s on the horizon for the Mom Project?
Levy:
Wow. We are building quite a bit. We feel, humbly speaking, quite fortunate to meet this moment, right?
I mean, companies are looking to solve for D&I. We are operating at the convergence of these two macro trends. The first, largely, what we’ve spoken about today, the rise of diversity and inclusion initiatives, or as an imperative. Right?
Levy:
And then the increased appetite for sourcing innovation across enterprise, and mid-market organizations. So, we can really solve for that. So, what’s on the horizon? We’re going to continue to build solutions on the product side for customers to build that top of funnel access for diverse talent that may be untapped or underrepresented. So, certainly, looking to solve for our partners’ D&I priorities. And then, you’ll continue to see this on the community experience. It’s why mom trusts us, and we do not take that for granted.
Levy:
And so, continuing to build out those solutions to solve for the pain points of working parenthood. I think I could give you a little bit of a sneak peek. But we’re building fast and furious. One of our upcoming features is called Lounges, where our community of moms, dads, and allies will be able to interact with one another on the platform. So, really communities within the talent community. So, it may be something as simple as virtual interview advice, or contributing to posts and these thematic Lounges throughout. But just driving and fostering that community for our parents and allies. So, we’re really excited about that continued community build.
Delohery:
We’re very excited to see where you guys go. It seems like you’re exactly innovating where the workforce in general wants to head, that nexus of the right technology, and the right mission that always here at Staffing Hub we always get super excited about. So, thank you so much for joining me today. I really enjoyed talking with you.
Levy:
Thank you so much. I enjoyed it as well.
