'Most Career-Driven Woman I Know' Quits Job Due to COVID, Sparks Best Thread on LinkedIn

“Those that want to use the same hiring ‘template’ as in the pre-pandemic world will lose out on some great talent in the future, and their organizations will be weaker because of it.”

This senior recruiter's story of a mom of three quitting her job to deal with childcare nails why women are disproportionately screwed by the pandemic.

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With childcare centers and schools closed indefinitely in much of the country, it’s no wonder working moms are stressed out.

It's no picnic to take care of kids while working a full-time job—that is, if you've still got one. The United States is experiencing the highest unemployment levels since the Great Depression, and a majority of the jobs lost so far were held by women. All in all, it means working moms’ career ambitions are taking a big hit right now.

One recruiter took to LinkedIn with a story that shows just how much working moms are struggling in the COVID-19 era—and he kicked off an insightful discussion about how these challenges might impact women in the long run.

Steve Crider, a senior recruiter for Cigna outside of Philadelphia, told the story of a mom of three, who quit after more than 10 years at the same company and multiple promotions. He described the mom as “probably the most career-driven woman I know.” While some moms are being let go due to budget cuts, some are simply too overwhelmed to continue working, and they are leaving their positions to focus on their families.

“Working two high-level jobs and managing remote learning for the kids was becoming impossible for the family,” Steve wrote. “These are the choices parents...particularly women...are having to make right now.”

Unfortunately, this mom isn’t alone. A 2018 survey by the Center for American Progress showed that mothers were 40 percent more likely than fathers to have felt the negative impact of childcare issues on their careers. With the added stressors of the pandemic and the sheer lack of care available, many moms feel they have no choice but to put their careers on the back-burner.

LinkedIn users chimed in with their own takes on the issue, sparking a must-read thread on the now-viral post.

“Admire the courage and sacrifice the family made to do this. But can’t help but notice that seemingly yet again, it’s a woman who has to make these very tough sacrifices at the expense of career opportunity,” one woman wrote. “Now, I obviously don’t know the specific personal context here, and I’m making a lot of assumptions. And while we’ve made lots of headway on gender bias in the workplace, it still occurs and this post reminds me of that yet again.”

“I’ve always said recruiters need to understand that the resume of a Mom is often seen as choppy—I’ve made many ‘family first choices’ and job changes throughout my career that I’m scrutinized for,” another user wrote. “Even when I explain them and mention my kids are now ‘grown’ I believe it’s a penalty... but I don’t regret putting my family first. I raised fabulous humans as a result.”

“Now imagine the same scenario minus a high-earning spouse. Or a single parent. Or a parent responsible for managing remote education for a child with special needs,” one woman wrote. “Yes, these are difficult times and often, although not always, working women are faced with the decision that something has to give.”

“We invest in all types of things during our lives but investing in your children is the best thing that one can do —in the myriad of life they are our top priority. It takes sacrifice and courage not to mention bravery and tenacity,” another mom wrote. “I know I will never regret putting my child, family or health first yet have received negativity over my choices and questioned endlessly over the years.”

“I think several positive things may ultimately come out of this pandemic in the long run, and hopefully one of them is that recruiters, and perhaps even more importantly, hiring managers, don't focus as much on resume gaps,” another woman wrote. “While certainly worth a question during an initial screening or interview, it shouldn't be anything beyond that. I'd imagine there are many more like this person that if able, are likely making the same decision at this time. Those that want to use the same hiring 'template' as in the pre-pandemic world will lose out on some great talent in the future, and their organizations will be weaker because of it.”

The pandemic has forced countless working moms to make the impossibly unfair choice we never wanted to make: between our career and our family. Our kids will come first no matter what, but hopefully other moms will be among the first to hire us back in the future.