Why employing pregnant women pays off.
As Cynthia Gut found out that she was pregnant between her verbal job offer and signing the contract, she was sure that she wanted to tell us. Have you ever been in a similar situation? What to do? Use it as an excuse to withdraw the job offer? No! You now have the opportunity to employ a first-class candidate.
While other candidates might give you a confident demeanour, coming across as friendly or attentive, a pregnant candidate gives you top skills as an automatic bonus. In her application, Cynthia showed much more than her qualification for the job. She showed courage. She showed spirit. She showed passion and motivation. A pregnant woman looking for a job takes risks and doesn’t shy away from a challenge. Top skills that aren’t so easy to recognise during the application process.
If a candidate is brave enough to inform her future employer about her pregnancy, which goes against the advice doled out in most blogs, this shows honesty, forbearance and conscientiousness. So she really brings with her all the soft skills that every team urgently needs. To this applicant, doing what’s right is more important than an employment contract. ‘Punishing an applicant for honestly would have gone against our values,’ says Eliane Hofer, Head of HR at HR Campus. We promise you that these soft skills will also stand the test in your business.
Even Cynthia was advised against telling us about her pregnancy by those around her. The fear of not getting the job is not to be underestimated and, sadly, not unfounded. Here at HR Campus, we believe that pregnancy should not be a hinderance on the job market. All too often, employees stay in jobs that make them unhappy as prospects on the job market are gloomy for pregnant women and women looking to start a family. ‘Isn’t it better to have a happy pregnant employee than an unhappy employee that’s not pregnant?’ asks Cynthia. Definitely! See our "Employee Wellbeing " post to find out how important it is for staff to be happy.
We all know how it feels to hide something, maybe from our childhood. Keeping a secret even though you know you should speak up. It’s not a good feeling, and often leads to uncertainty and guilt. If a candidate feels forced to conceal a pregnancy, this can lead to a huge psychological burden. As a forward-looking company, we should take responsibility. So, if an applicant has suitable qualifications and has the courage to tell you about her pregnancy, don’t miss your chance to employ a first-class applicant.
Published: 7. May 2020
