How to ensure women stay longer in your organisation?

Can you believe that around 60% of women in the Middle East don't go back to work after a career break? It's often because they lack the support, returnship programmes, flexible work options, and childcare facilities they need to rejoin the workforce seamlessly. Just think of the amazing potential organisations could tap into if they tackled these issues effectively!

By fostering policies that include flexible work arrangements, robust return-to-work programmes, and mentorship opportunities, we can ensure women thrive in their careers, no matter the pauses along the way. It’s about creating a culture where every career journey, irrespective of gender, is respected and valued, paving the way for a more inclusive and dynamic workforce.

In an exclusive interview with People Matters, Pooja Bhagat, Vice President of Total Rewards APAC & EMEA at Optum, highlighted the power organisations have in creating a supportive environment for their employees' diverse needs. She also discussed how benefits like CareNine and CareNine Beyond support expecting and new parents in their childcare journey, and emphasised that addressing the diverse needs of all employees through robust programmes can lead to better engagement and talent retention.

Here are the edited excerpts:

Initiatives at Optum support women as well as, expecting and new parents

“Helping employees during different life stages is extremely critical for Optum, and programmes like CareNine and CareNine Beyond focus on a very special part of one's life—getting ready to become a parent. These programmes provide personalised support for both mothers and fathers from pregnancy through the child's first year,” said Pooja. 

She explained, “CareNine provides comprehensive support from pregnancy through two to three months post-delivery. It includes a dedicated case manager to assist with physical, nutritional, and emotional needs, and a team of specialists such as gynaecologists, paediatricians, nutritionists, and counsellors. This integrated approach has been especially beneficial during high-risk pregnancies and in early identification of potential ailments in newborns, reducing risks through timely interventions. CareNine has proven extremely helpful for our employees, reducing stress and providing crucial support during this mixed time of happiness and anxiety. Whereas, CareNine Beyond continues where CareNine ends, supporting new parents during their child's first year. This 10-month programme, starting from the third month to the twelfth, includes physiological sessions, nutritional counselling, emotional well-being support, and physical support, all personalised to meet diverse needs. Through our Employee Assistance Programme, new parents experiencing anxiety or postpartum depression receive necessary support. The case manager coordinates nutritional counselling, fitness programmes, and other specialised support, easing administrative burdens. Parents receive reminders for vaccinations and tests and are educated on newborn care, ensuring they feel confident and supported, especially when returning to work. This comprehensive support fosters a healthy post-pregnancy experience, demonstrating our commitment to their well-being, and strengthens the bond between the employee and the organisation, leading to higher motivation and retention.”

Becoming employer of choice with robust pregnancy and childcare support 

Creating a supportive, safe, and healthy working environment for women employees throughout their pregnancy and childbirth journey, as well as extending support to expecting fathers, is crucial. Pooja explained, “The phase of expecting and new parenthood, especially for first-time parents, is extremely stressful, filled with both happiness and anxiety. As family dynamics have evolved over the recent years, new parents have become more reliant on external support systems. Providing the right kind of support and forums where employees can express themselves, ask questions, and feel psychologically safe is a game-changer. These programmes can help more women return to the workplace by creating a comfortable environment for them. Organisations need to acknowledge that each employee's needs are unique. While a generic programme might exist, what each employee leverages from that programme can differ.”

Sharing some of the effective initiatives, she added, “Creating an inclusive environment that considers every employee's unique situation is essential. We have young parents as well as those choosing to have children later in life, and all should feel respected and valued in a safe environment. Programmes focusing on raising children and parenting send a clear message that the organisation is inclusive and maintains a dialogue with employees about the support they need during different life stages.

Flexibility is key, whether it’s remote working, flexible hours, or allowing early leave for doctor’s appointments. It’s about intentionally creating an environment where everyone—from leaders to supervisors to colleagues—is supportive. Policies and programmes like these signal to employees that the organisation is here to support them through this life stage. Such an environment helps remove biases and stigmas associated with returning to work after motherhood.

Women often hesitate to return to work due to these stigmas, and by addressing them, we can help them come back and thrive. These programmes not only cover pregnancy but also provide support beyond that, forming a stronger bond with our employees and demonstrating that we are there to support them through significant life stages. This makes employees feel valued and cared for, leading to higher motivation and retention. Programmes like CareNine and CareNine Beyond are ways in which organisations like ours support our employees and their families, ensuring they feel valued and want to remain a part of our organisation.”

Breaking gender stereotypes surrounding maternity and paternity leave.. 

“Our programmes, CareNine and CareNine Beyond, support all expecting parents, including those pursuing adoption and surrogacy, not just mothers. By doing so, we challenge stereotypes and encourage both parents to share caregiving responsibilities, promoting gender equity and inclusivity,” shared Pooja

• She also highlighted some of the key programmes in supporting this effort saying, “Our pregnancy care programmes combat biases traditionally associated with parenthood, focusing on both mothers and fathers. 
• We actively encourage participation in these programmes, including our gender-neutral Parental Leave policy. This policy offers 26 weeks of paid leave for primary caregiver and 10 weeks of paid leave for secondary caregiver, covering childbirth, adoption, and surrogacy.
• Building awareness among managers and team leaders is crucial in breaking stereotypes. We have created a Parental Leave Manager Toolkit to help managers guide their team members through their parental journey. This toolkit includes resources for parental support, conversation guides, checklists, and links to training websites, fostering a culture of inclusivity.

Additionally, we offer flexible work arrangements and other parental support programmes that transcend traditional gender roles. This comprehensive approach ensures that all employees, regardless of gender, feel supported and valued throughout their parental journey.

Promoting awareness and participation in employee benefits initiatives

Pooja mentioned that the way these programmes and initiatives are communicated and implemented becomes a key success factor in ensuring employee awareness.

She added, “Our employees or their families who benefit from these programmes reach out to us on their own. For that outreach to happen, there needs to be proper awareness.”

Adding some of the crucial factors for ensuring awareness and participation in these programmes effectively, she added, “We run a comprehensive communication effort through email newsletters and our Viva Engage platform to keep employees informed about new and existing policies, providing easy access to information and support services. 

• Managers play a key role as points of contact, equipped with toolkits and educational materials from our manager effectiveness training. This ensures they understand their team’s needs and can provide or refer to the appropriate support.
• Our resources support employees before, during, and after pregnancy, creating a safe and supportive work environment. Peer support networks help spread the word, and we continuously seek employee feedback to improve our programmes and increase awareness.

Supporting women employees holistically for long-term workforce participation 

Often, women do not return to work after taking a career break, whether it is for childbirth and care, family responsibilities, or self-care. This is largely due to a lack of support and the social stigma associated with their caregiving career breaks. In this context Pooja highlighted some of key features of Optum’s programmes like CareNine and CareNine Beyond. She said, “these programmes are designed to support women’s holistic well-being, encompassing emotional, mental, and physical health. We offer health checks tailored to women’s specific needs and provide nutritional consultations considering factors like lifestyle and age. This customisation extends to our broader initiatives.

• Parenting is incredibly challenging, and our programmes include expert-led parenting sessions to help parents navigate the overwhelming information and find the right approach for their unique situations. 
• We offer resources for physical and emotional well-being, including yoga and meditation sessions, and expert-led discussions on child and mother care. These are available to all employees, addressing relevant topics. 
• Our comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme provides confidential counselling, appreciated by many employees and their families.
• Our programmes are customisable to individual needs, covering lifestyle, physical fitness, emotional health, and family structure. They provide a supportive space for addressing parenting or pregnancy challenges and debunking common myths. Emotional and mental well-being is crucial, and extended support from the start of a family journey is essential.”

How HR can attract and retain top talent in today's competitive market in line with current trends and challenges of employees..

In today's competitive environment, prioritising employees' needs is essential for attracting and retaining top talent, said Pooja. She added some of the key strategies that HR professionals can employ to attract and retain skilled talent within an organisation: 

“HR strategy should be data-driven, using insights from hiring, development, engagement, and retention to set priorities and measure progress, often through regular employee surveys.

Designing recruitment practices to bring diverse communities into the workforce, inclusive of all genders, various age groups, college graduates, and people with disabilities. Implementing programmes like SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results) supports gender diversity through returnships, and we have initiatives for hiring veterans.

For talent development, offering a range of learning solutions to upskill internal talent and providing various learning pathways across different roles and geographies. Career enablement programmes, focusing on themes like accelerating change and mindfulness, foster both functional and leadership growth. In addition, providing career pathing and coaching services, especially for women leaders, to support long-term careers with organisations. 

For effective talent management, initiatives that promote mobility and leverage technology platforms to support teams across different locations. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) create supportive communities based on shared characteristics or experiences, like our Targeted Leader Career Pathing ERG for developing women leaders.

Using comprehensive employee benefits to drive engagement and retention, including maternity support, daycare benefits, comprehensive health insurance, and gender-neutral parental leave. These benefits are continuously updated to address real-life situations, aiming to be an employer of choice. Employer branding helps in continuously informing and engaging employees through various platforms, including social media. This includes employee stories, leadership interviews, and videos to create awareness of benefits programmes.”

“Our approach focuses on attracting, developing, and retaining diverse talent to support our strategic growth. By supporting our workers' well-being, we build a culture of care and innovation, driving new technology solutions and creating a high-performing, healthy environment for everyone,” concluded Pooja.