FAMILY “RAISING PHASE” Growth Chapter: CAREER ADVANCEMENT
While the choice to become a parent is separate from an employee’s professional career ambitions, there are often external pe rceptions of working parents that can negatively affect their career growth and advancement. Mothers especially are perceived as being less dependable and less committed to their careers after having children, which can create a “broken rung” in the career ladder to leadership an d limit their future career trajectory. This unconscious bias against caregivers leads to irrevocable damage. • Women are more ambitious now than before the pandemic, and flexible work is helping them pursue those ambitions without sacrificing personal lives (per McKinsey’s 2023 Women in the Workplace report). • Yet women are perceived to be 12% less committed to their jobs, 10% less competent , and less likely to be hired or promoted (per Harvard Gender Action Portal findings).
Challenge
Importance
GOOD
BETTER
BEST
Don’t assume that working parents can’t handle increased responsibilities or a promotion during this busy stage of life; ask directly and let them decide Support daytime alternatives to business development and networking, encouraging growth without sacrificing personal family time in the evenings
Ensure part-time employees are promoted in line with full-time employees
Support flexible career paths for employee growth, including options that are less deadline-driven (such as business development) or more compatible with schedule constraints (such as specification writing) Sponsor employee attendance at AEC industry women’s leadership events
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Antidotes
Develop performance evaluation protocols (including a refresher on FMLA laws just beforehand) and objective promotion criteria to guard against unconscious caregiver bias
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Many career advancement factors are tied to internal firm policies surrounding performance evaluations, promotion criteria and protocols, and leadership pathways. These internal policies are typically not publicly available to non-employees. Further discussion needed to identify those companies that are innovating in this category and leading the way. Read more: • Forbes article about “ One Simple Practice to Reduce Workplace Bias Against Mothers and Caregivers ” dated 5/8/2024 • Lean In digital workshop framework for “ 50 Ways to Fight Bias ” • AIA article on “ Closing the Architecture Leadership Gender Gap ” and AIA Guide for Equitable Practice, “ Chapter 7: Advancing Careers ”
Leading Firms
Additional Resources
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