“I encourage flexible working but there must be a balance to ensure you’re in the best environment to learn and develop”
Amit Champaneri says, far from causing concerns, parity in paid parenting leave and having a hybrid working model based on balance provides more opportunities for learning and career development
I still remember the day my daughter was born just over five years ago like it was yesterday. Almost immediately after, we went into lockdown. It was a strange time for me – like it was for many in the world – our newborn, my wife (who was on maternity leave) and myself, albeit working, spending every minute of the day together in our house due to restrictions in place on social distancing.
What it did mean – beyond the three weeks paternity leave (two weeks included and one of annual leave) I had while at my previous employer PwC – was that I spent so much time with my daughter in those special early weeks and, working from home, was able to experience many of those key first moments.
Fast forward to today, many parents who are not on any form of significant parenting leave will likely miss these time. So, with my current employer Deloitte announcing a new industry ground-breaking parental leave policy of 26 weeks’ fully paid family leave for all its new parents, I can only applaud this as a father. It means parents will see some of the most important milestones in their children’s lives, as well as demonstrating commitment to equality.
The opportunity for both parents to have vital leave with children not only means you can support each other but also ensures you can both share precious time together and be able to take the lead in parenting a newborn. I only hope may other firms adopt a similar policy to allow both parents to experience and share those important times.
Ways of working
The Covid pandemic changed many things forever, including ways of working. In most firms, working from home (WFH) was once relegated to the odd Friday; pre-pandemic radically changed this, as trust and productivity in teams dramatically increased with continued WFH polices and remote working initiates being implemented.
Like many working in professional services, I operate in a hybrid/flexible working model at Deloitte and have seen significant benefits for both me and those working around me. Being able to balance home life with work not only means you can be more productive but also allows you to get enough time for your own wellbeing to support yourself and others.
This, of course, can revolve around childcare duties for parents, supporting family members (so many people are carers) and being able to follow a passion. For example, if you have a day of calls back-to-back where it is unlikely you will see anyone in person, saving on the time commuting into an office makes complete sense. With that time being better directed towards your own learning, development, wellbeing or health and fitness. Saving on travel costs by working from home in a hybrid setting is also a factor in these tough economic times.
“As a people team leader, I am always encouraging flexible working in line with my firm’s policy. However, there must be a balance to ensure you are in the best environment to learn and develop in-person, as well as getting noticed and making an impact.”
Empowering flexible working and finding a balance
Much has been made in the news recently of introducing mandated days in an office or notions that WFH is ‘not really working’. As a people team leader, I am always encouraging flexible working in line with my firm’s policy. It empowers your team members to be the best they can and ensures they are motivated. Choice is so important when it comes to motivating your people’s working patterns, and trust comes alongside that.
However, there must be a balance to ensure you are in the best environment to learn and develop in-person, as well as getting noticed and making an impact. I always encourage person to person connections, if there is an opportunity to meet a client directly, seeing your team members, working collaboratively in person, coming into the office, or attending a client meeting.
Having started my career in an office environment five days a week, I know the importance of learning from others in person, working in teams to progress initiatives and campaigns and seeing clients to build that rapport, so it’s always good to allow for travel into an office where you can make the most of direct contact with colleagues and clients.
It’s also important for your wellbeing to be around people both in work, socially and to progress your career, whether that’s catching up over a coffee or networking with your peers and key stakeholders to develop communication and influencing skills, especially when in a sales and marketing environment.
There is a concern of a gap of fundamental skills for anyone working exclusively in a virtual setting, and it is the role of people leaders like myself to support a vision to create a working environment that not only promotes flexibility, but also showcases the importance of adding value, and the benefit from being in a team and that should include in-person working. If that balance can be found, hybrid working not only supports high performing teams but also significantly improves career development.