Learning From Our Clients, Edelman Launches Maternity Buddy Program

Agency life is demanding. The work doesn’t fall from the sky in neat 7.5-hour packages, as a colleague often says. There are weekend conference calls, issues that arise just as you are about to step out the door, projects that are finished in three-day marathons. For parents, it’s a tricky juggling act, particularly if your kids expect to eat three meals a day, to get picked up from day care before the doors are locked, and that you procure Bristol board for tomorrow’s project on a moment’s notice.

The daunting task of just figuring out how to make it all work from a logistics point of view means the “career path” sometimes takes a back seat to just getting by. Other women (and we are primarily talking about women, here) decided to leave agency life altogether, in search of a job that fits more neatly inside a box. But Edelman pays a price when women leave our firm. We want women as senior leaders around the world. Our CEO, Richard Edelman, recently set a bold and ambitious target – 50 per cent of those on our Strategy and Operating Committees, global relationship managers and practice leadership will be women by 2016.

To achieve that goal, one of the pieces (and it really is just one piece) is making sure that women feel Edelman is a place for mothers to work and thrive. Drawing from client McCarthy Tétrault’s brainchild, the Toronto office recently launched Edelman’s take on the Maternity Buddy program.

Our hope is that women get the support they need before, during and after their maternity leave to continue pursuing their career in the way they want, and remain here at Edelman. The program is simple in structure – partner a mom on leave with a colleague to help them stay in touch with the office as much as desired, provide support and share tips about transitioning out and back in again, and be a sounding board if (when) it all feels a little overwhelming.

It’s a simple idea that’s virtually free (a lunch here and there), and is based on something we know instinctively to be true – personal connections provide invaluable support in our world. In this case, a mother on leave has someone who can advocate for her if needed, keep her up to speed with client developments, share the news on new and departing team members, and help her feel connected on her terms.

We’re thrilled to have the support of our McCarthy Tétrault friends in this endeavour and three women to launch the program. Stay tuned for their updates.