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We call them superheroes. We call them multi-taskers. We call them working moms!
And we are lucky to have not just one or two, but many of them within our global CleverTap team. And on this occasion of Mother’s Day, we would like to celebrate them and have them share what brings them satisfaction in both their work and home lives.
A mother’s work is equal to two and a half jobs.* And yet…
What makes women come back to work even when they have a full-time job at home?
Research across 100,000 men and women across 29 countries suggests that girls raised in homes with working mothers are more likely to grow up to have successful careers. Whereas, the sons of working mothers spent more time as adults caring for family members.**
Isn’t that a good enough reason to be a working mom?
Sure it’s not easy leaving behind a child and spending 8 hours away from home, but if you talk to a mother, you will understand that sometimes it is just as tough to spend 24 hours a day with a baby and not even be able to glance at your phone or sit quietly with a cup of coffee before it gets cold.
On a serious note, every working mom out there has her own reasons to choose to work. Some do it for financial reasons, some for career progression, others want to feel the adrenaline rush of work responsibilities, and some work to simply to have more adult interaction!
We surveyed the working mothers in our company, and got some interesting insights around what pushed them to return to the workplace:
“My desire to keep learning and to use the knowledge & skills I have, pushed me to get back to working.”
– Divya Trivedi
“I gave my entire focus to my little one in his early years, and now that he is a bit more independent, I would like to focus on my career..”
-Poonam Chokshi
“To continue being good at what I do, and perhaps become a good role model for my son, when he grows up!”
– Pooja Sriram
We’re proud to have team members who give 100% to their roles at work but are equally supportive of them doing their best in their families. We asked them: “What is the best thing about being a working mother?”
“You are able to manage time like a pro and get things done faster and better. It provides me with an inclusive opportunity to manage both responsibilities (family & work) well.”
– Almitra Karnik
“For a working mom, your kid becomes a stress-buster after a long workday; and suddenly you get to enjoy both worlds!”
– Priti Karekar
It was nice to get a few fun responses too; about how it keeps them sane to be at work and deal with adults rather than argue with toddlers; or how they have a nice place to vent out their frustration and go back to peaceful households; or (best case scenario), how this arrangement has made the dads chip in more with chores!
There is a famous quote by Jami Gertz: “Being a working mom is not easy. You have to be willing to screw up at every level”
Our superheroes were brave enough to make some candid confessions about what they deal with behind the scenes on a daily basis. It’s heartwarming to see that, in spite of these hiccups, they make a conscious choice every day to do their best.
“Finding the time to engage with my children creatively on a regular basis, becomes quite challenging.”
– Shruti Shanbhag
“Taking care of an unwell child, exactly when you are required at work, has been a challenge.”
– Priti Karekar
“You don’t get to bond with team members after hours, as much as you would like to because of commitments they may never understand.!”
– Pooja Sriram
If you’ve ever heard the saying:
“We expect women to work like they have no children and raise children as if they have no other work!” then you know it’s challenging being in their position.
Fortunately, at CleverTap, this saying will never be true. Working moms are given a lot of flexibility and have the support of their teams to make life easier – at least on the work front.
“There are so many working moms at leadership roles in CleverTap. It feels great to see that you don’t have to take a step back in your career as a working mom.”
– Almitra Karnik
“The work-culture at CleverTap allows for flexi-timings and the option to work from home, which is well respected by the team. It supports a good work-life balance.”
– Poonam Chokshi
Ask a mother what she needs and she will give you a laundry list of things (including actual laundry) just off the top of her head.
Moms need all the help they can get, and when asked what they couldn’t live without; in a full-fledged research study, the top three responses were: a constant supply of coffee, the ability to nap, and being able to put on an effective angry voice!
When we dug deeper with the mothers here at CleverTap, we found out the top 4 things they are looking for, in order of priority, are: flexible work schedules, an understanding manager, a good support system, and close proximity to the workplace.
Here’s what our supermoms have to say to each other & every working mother out there…..
“The sleepless nights are hard. But, if we get through them, it’s definitely worth it.”
– Shruti Shanbhag
“Try to find a work-place which respects the rigors of being a working mom.”
– Poonam Choksi
“Build a support system that you can trust at home and at work. It will help keep your mind at ease in both places.”
– Pooja Sriram
“You can never be the best at all that you do. But you can be better than yesterday in whatever you do. Move on with a never give up attitude.”
– Divya Trivedi
“When you are at work give your 100% there. When you are at home give your 100% there.”
– Swarali Pankar
We are proud of this lovely community within our organization, who stand by each other and whose positive attitudes to life and work greatly impact the work culture of the entire company.
This Mother’s Day, CleverTap salutes & celebrates working mothers everywhere, and promises to continue supporting them in the best way possible.
