Zillow’s Post

I read an article about the best sales deck - and the main takeaway was that you have to get people to see “the old world” vs. “the new world.” And then, let them decide: do they want to move into the new world now - or later? Because eventually they will have to move into the new world. It’s just a question of when, not if. Gosh this resonates. OLD WORLD: Employers offer paid parental leave as a way to attract and retain talent. NEW WORLD: Paid parental leave is everywhere (yay!) … and now, employers’ ability to support the broader coverage team, the manager, and the new parents’ experience as they go on and return from leave is the real differentiator ... not to mention, the MOST important thing for driving positive business results 💪🏽

What makes a company GREAT in your opinion? Sure, buzz words like "culture" and "growth" are always appealing and at the top of our lists- but what about the things that make our lives outside of work better as well? Like Parental Leave, or flexible PTO packages? As a first-time expecting mother- This has been heavy on my mind lately, thinking mostly "what would I do if my company didn't offer parental leave?". Thankfully, GM Financial offers 12-weeks of paid parental leave for new parents & that is one less thing I need to worry about during this special time in life. 👶 💕 12-weeks of learning how to be a mom; 💕 12-weeks of firsts, fails, and so much love; 💕 12- weeks on interrupted bonding; 💕 12-weeks of not having to worry about anything but my little one. And after I return to work? Flexible PTO time, Personal-time packages, sick-days & more- All to be used for doctors appointments, post-natal care & those days you just need a little extra time with your baby. For me, that is just one of the incentives that makes GM Financial a great place to work. What perks do you look for when considering a new employer/company? I'd love to hear your thoughts! #Hiring #LifeatGMF #GMFinancial

Impact Innovators When a company elevates every single person and every square inch, they create stories worth sharing. We like to highlight these companies that help make a difference. Today we want to share NVIDIA Corp. Did you know that according to the National Partnership for Women and Families, about 44 percent of workers are not eligible for FMLA-supported leave? There are many different reasons given for this but we all know how important that time is, regardless. Birth mothers employed at NVIDIA are entitled to at least 22 weeks of fully paid leave, while non-birth parents may take up to 12 weeks of fully paid leave. This kind of policy is proven to create stronger families while increasing employee retention and satisfaction-increasing employee retention and satisfaction. Want to read more about them? You can check them out here. https://conta.cc/3ycQUdy #ImpactInnovators #InvestInValues #TransformTheWorld #FinancialPlanning

I'm starting to work again, after about 7 weeks of paternity leave. And by paternity leave, I meant I just stopped working on my startup 😅 The majority of my time was spent those three boys crammed on the scooter with me. A few thoughts that have been bouncing around from these last 7 weeks: - I'm learning to appreciate the things that frustrate me, because one day I'll miss them. The dead patches of grass under the tree swing, the broken dishes, the constant yelling and noise, the seemingly endless questions. These boys are at such a formative (and exhausting) age and I know one day I'll want this back (theres a country song about this... I know) - Life is truly about seasons. Seasons of rest, seasons of work. Seasons of great joy and seasons of great hardship. I always look ahead to whats coming next. But it really is about the journey, not the destination. Working hard to apply this in both parenting and work right now. - Finally, I know I'm incredibly fortunate, but wow do I appreciate the flexibility to be with my kids. These moments are so fleeting. I take my role as 'dad' just as serious as any work related role I have, more seriously in fact. I don't ever want to let my work become the thing that takes time away from these boys. So - you'll probably start seeing me post more about meeting science, startups, and other things I'm finding interesting. But just know that behind all the business stuff is a dad who loves his boys and is trying to enjoy the journey of it all. :)

I’ve been on parental leave for the past 2 weeks and it’s given me a chance to reflect on the past 5 months since joining Workzone. (Never knew sleepless nights with a newborn could also lead to opportunities for self-reflection). As someone who has been a hands-on operator over the years, I’m beginning to realize the importance of working “on” the business instead of “in” the business, especially in the CEO’s seat. What’s the difference? ON the business versus IN the business: - Working on the product vision vs getting too hung up on shipping the next feature - Getting our market positioning right vs spending all the energy fixing marketing - Building the foundation for long term revenue growth vs obsessing over the current month - Aligning expense structure to drive long term sustainability vs factoring a penny here and there to meet monthly budget - Establishing strategic alliances that activate the flywheel versus obsessing over getting the one customer in the door - Getting the tech stack sorted for the next couple of years vs obsessing over deployment frequency - Investing in developing future leaders for the business vs managing direct reports - Getting the right people in the right seats, so they can take care of “in” the business stuff. While we operators take immense pride in rolling up our sleeves and getting shit done, it’s important to note that the same inclination in the CEO’s seat could prevent others from getting “their” job done. Additionally, it could paper over major skill gaps on the team and lead to some unscalable practices. A fellow CEO recently quipped, if you are spending time doing someone else’s job you are not doing yours well - that landed hard! That of course does NOT mean, you shouldn’t help an AE close an important deal, or help your Head of Product simplify and prioritize items on the roadmap. You’ve still got to be on the frontlines with your team (my personal belief) BUT remember the CEO’s role is really the only one in the organization fully incentivized to work “on the business.” It’s a privilege and honor that deserves due attention!

Think about the best time to make a career transition. Did before or during parental leave come to mind? Probably not. And here’s why: Parental leave is often seen as a time to stick to the “usual routine.” But what if you instead approached it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? An opportunity to… 🔥 Prioritize big, important and impactful projects 🤩 Build a role that gets you EXCITED to come back to work 🙌 Give your team the stretch opportunities they’ve been craving We need to normalize looking at parental leave as an opportunity for career (and business!) growth rather than a disruption.

⁉ Ever wondered what it's really like to return to work after parental leave? 👶 As someone who has built my business Work Life Mother Ltd around guiding individuals through the process of returning to work after parental leave, I've had the privilege of peeking inside the what this transition actually feels like — the amazing highs, the challenging lows, and everything in between. Many describe it as a 🎢 ride, and rightly so! But there's no point in me having all of this intel. I firmly believe that valuable insights are meant to be shared. Too often, important discussions around this topic remain in the shadows, and I see more and more LinkedIn posts saying, "Why aren't we talking about this more?" Well, I'm here to change that narrative and open up the conversation on the diverse experiences of returning to work after parental leave. So behind the scenes I've been chatting with a variety of individuals about their genuine, unfiltered experiences of returning to work. Over the next 8 weeks, I'll be sharing these conversations on LinkedIn. My hope is that you'll find insight, inspiration, and a sense of belonging within our supportive community. Kicking off with Dahlia Stroud who returned back to her role as a senior manager at ASDA after having her two children just 18 months apart. Stay tuned for a series of posts aimed at inspiring, informing, and reassuring you that your journey back to work is valid and shared by many. #TheOneThing #ReturnToWorkCoach #MaternityLeave #ParentalLeave #LeadershipCoaching #TalentRetention

The Overwhelm is Real: A Mother’s Journey Back to Tech Returning to work after maternity leave feels like entering a battlefield no one prepares you for. Except this battlefield is filled with shifting deadlines, complex technical challenges, and the expectation to “hit the ground running.” All while managing two small children, endless laundry, cooking, cleaning, and somehow staying sane. Let me be real: it’s hard. ➡️ Hard to focus on Kubernetes strategy and business outcomes when you’ve had three hours of sleep. ➡️ Hard to go through 1.5 hours of cloud architecture when your toddler is teething, and your mind is elsewhere. ➡️ Hard to reconcile being a nurturing mom and a high-performing professional in tech. And yet, every single day, I show up. Because I know this: 💡 Tech needs mothers like me. 💡 We bring resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills honed by managing the ultimate chaos: life at home. 💡 We represent a future where the tech industry values not just our output but the strength it takes to create it. To all the mothers returning to work, especially in demanding fields like tech: You are seen. You are powerful. You are enough. Let’s talk more about this. How can companies support working moms better? How can we shift the narrative around “having it all”? I’d love to hear your experiences—let’s start a conversation. Min-Kyung Chung Peggy Guyott Patrizia Underwood Women In Technology (WIT) #WorkingMom #TechMoms #CareerAndFamily #ResilienceInTech

A subject that is close to my heart, the reason for my career change at the age of 40 and the thing that still haunts me every working day.... I have set up an internal 'parental leave' working group within Essex County Council, spurred on by my own awful experience returning to work (in a previous organisation), and after seeing the amazing work being done by Jessica Heagren and her Careers After Babies report and accreditation. My group is looking at how we can explore what is already happening, and provide the right support to those thinking about going on, taking and returning from parental leave. We are looking at all types of parental leave and have both men and women in the group. We are currently working, with HR colleagues, on a survey which will go out organisation wide to gain intel into experiences, including those of line managers who are expected to support this leave. We are also setting up a buddy scheme, an idea mentioned by Jessica during a talk she gave at ECC earlier this year. This idea is that people will be matched with colleagues who can help support their return to work but also for those who are thinking about taking leave and want to get the planning right (and believe me, apart from actually trying to conceive, the process of planning your maternity leave is a full time job... annual leave, pension, finances, forms.....the list goes on) So my question to you is do you have any experience of buddy schemes, or other ideas around supporting parental leave that you would be willing to share with me so I can make sure we are offering the best support we can? I would be happy to receive this via email eve.calderbank@essex.gov.uk or happy to jump on a call to discuss... Any intel gratefully received! Thanks in advance x

Two questions to ask yourself before taking leave: 1️⃣ What things would make me excited to return to work after parental leave -aka what is energy-LIFTING? 2️⃣ What things am I dreading when I return to work after parental leave - aka what is energy-DRAINING? Most expecting employees want to dive right into coverage planning, but taking a step back first will allow you to plan for parental leave with intentionality. This exercise is so powerful because it'll help you build a coverage plan that supports your career vision and a more meaningful return. #parentalleave #career