When I married the man of my dreams and he swept me off to Paris to propose under the Eiffel tower, I never thought life would surmount to this. Here we are seven years later, getting through life with two kids, a house to keep up, social obligations to meet and of course our vows to uphold. So his end of the deal was to keep me sheltered, clothed, fed and happy which all equals to him going out of the house to work a twelve hour, ‘stressful’ job in an air-conditioned office while his beautiful secretary brings him hot steaming coffee every two hours. My end of the deal was a little different – we never quite agreed upon the terms because I was too busy being wined and dined in those sugar-coated days. Those were just a pure scam.
Today my day began at 6.30 in the morning with my trainer whose name is ‘Dharmendra’ if you please or ‘Hitler’ as I like to call him, making me do my toughest workout of all time; the only thing which kept me going was imagining his face on the cushion he was making me kick-box. I like to workout in the morning before my kids get up because it helps alleviate the guilt I carry around all day because of the time I sacrifice with them to work my full-time job. Although my employers call it a flexi-time position – it is definitely a full time job, made very difficult by the constant interruptions I have all day to pay bills, deal with the garbage man, change diapers and of course chat with my grocer with whom I now have an intimate relationship thanks to our communication five times a day. And then people dare to question how much I actually work from home? Do they not realise that my hours get longer because of the inability to get actual work done in normal nine-to-five hours.
Anyway, back to my day. Work out ends at exactly 7.30 when my son bounds into the room and launches himself on top of me demanding breakfast. I get the hint, say goodbye to the God of Fitness and head into the kitchen to put together an all-food-groups breakfast of cereal, milk and bananas which I then dish into the three year old’s mouth while we discuss Dora’s antics for the millionth time. In between all this, my trusted nanny escorts in my 11 month old daughter who has just started moving and so cannot be left unattended for a minute and plonks her in my lap. All this while, hubby dearest is still in bed because poor chap, he was up half the night on conference calls with the States (or maybe too busy watching Splitsvilla on TV?).
Get number one dressed, get number two dressed, get myself dressed and send number two to drop number one to school with the nanny while I skim through the papers, wallop down my papaya and sit down at my desk. Ah! What a feat – three hours of almost uninterrupted work today. Feed number one and put him to bed for his afternoon nap, feed number two and put her to bed, feed myself lunch and get back to my desk. Hubby calls from work and makes his requests – could I send his red tie (he doesn’t know where it is) for dry cleaning and pay that bill lying on his dresser (of course honey, I have all the time in the world).
I shutdown my laptop at five, marinate pork chops for dinner and head out for soccer practice with my three year old because hubby believe it or not, wants to retire on his Premier League salary when the kid is ten. It’s really nice sitting out on the grass and playing ‘soccer mom’ with the other moms, comparing notes and sharing issues if only I didn’t have the office sending messages every three minutes which mean I have to sit and type out essays on my blackberry buttons which are tinier than my baby’s nails. Following soccer I have to calm down my three year old’s tantrum which is caused by his bike not being available when his best friend is riding his; he just does not understand that there is no air in the tires. Eventually, for the sake of peace, I take the bike, the kids and the nanny to the petrol pump to fill up the tires after which he declares he doesn’t want to ride it anymore. It takes all I have inside me to keep from ringing his neck – after all, he is my flesh and blood and I’ve got enough gyan on good parenting to know ringing your own child’s neck pretty much kills all chances of your picture reaching the parents hall of fame.
We struggle home, bathe and feed both the kids and manage to pacify them both so that I can have a few minutes to cook our own dinner. Voila! I’m quite pleased with the results as I’ve managed to throw together a meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes and rocket salad in a matter of twenty minutes. Hubby should be thrilled today, I think. We’re every man’s dream – the kids clean and settled down, dinner on the table cooked by the lovely wife who works a day job as well – all that’s missing is my little black dress. He comes home, we sit down on the table and dig in. I take a deep breath, ready for that big pat on the back and watch him chew on his first bite. ‘Isn’t this pork chop a little overcooked?’ asks my husband, the man of my dreams as if to chide me gently; after all, what had I been doing all day?
Anika is a supermom who works virtually with the Mahindra Group. The gharkamai team is proud of Indian companies like Mahindra that recognize the value of professionals like her and provide her the flexibility to be a terrific professional and a great mom. Tell us your story…
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Hiring the Sequencing Mom
Women who choose to leave their jobs and stay with their children for a few years are frequently refered to as “sequencing moms”. Employers are increasingly willing to hire these sequencing moms despite gaps in their work history. In fact, according to a US study by Corporate Project Resources Inc., more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies say they would be likely to hire a “sequencing mom” on a contract or short-term basis.
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For the office itself you will need –
1. A computer. Your computer should have decent specifications (unless your work is based solely on your computer for example a graphic designer). You should have ample storage and a good processor. You may find a laptop is more convenient if you take up assignments that involve travel. Good anti virus software and a reliable system to manage your mail are also recommended.
2. Phone connectivity. A dedicated phone line, used for work purposes only. In addition to this, an answering machine or service is useful for the times that you are out of the office. An up to date message indicating when you will be available at that number again and perhaps a mobile phone number that you can be contacted on is also useful. Also try and have inter-state and international dialing services activated on at least one (if not all) of your numbers, it could be embarrassing and even counter productive if you cannot make that call. Also ensure that your phones are never disconnected for any reason, if there is a fault with one line, have your calls re-routed to another temporary number, so as not to miss calls. Potential employers and clients will find it very frustrating of you are not available during work hours.
3. Internet connectivity. A steady internet connection is imperative to running a home office. It should also be fast enough to handle downloads. Your internet connectivity (or lack thereof) should never be the reason work does not get done. You may find that connecting to your router via a LAN cable is more reliable and less likely to have glitches than if you use a wireless router. Setting up a firewall is a great filter and many clients will feel more secure sending you confidential information if they know that your computer is protected, as they will see your home computer as the weakest link in their companies’ security. It may also be a good idea to get a USB data card that you can take with you, when you are on the go. Reliance, Airtel, Tata and a host of other companies provide this service at an affordable price.
4. Printer, Scanner & Fax. All of these are optional but border on requirements for a small home office. In terms of a printer, a simple black and white printer is the most cost effective way to go. Avoid Bubble jet printers, as the cartridges are more expensive (although the printer itself may be cheaper to buy). Fax machines still seem to be in high use in Indian businesses. The use of your fax machine will depend on how much your client uses theirs! Software that allows you to send and receive faxes from your computer is an inexpensive way to get around purchasing a fax machine. A scanner is another option, but if your client has not got one, you may still need a fax machine to receive information from them. A multi device, scanner, printer, copier and fax is a good space saver and allows you to stay contacted in lots of different ways, however having all functions in one may mean that if one aspect breaks down, you are completely out of commission! Local markets across India, have a small print shop that can take care of your colour printing, binding and other such needs.
5. Desk and chair. As you are going to spend a large part of your time working from this space, it should be as comfortable and appealing as possible. A comfortable chair is a must as is a desk at the right height. There is no point compromising on this aspect as to do so could result in health risks like RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). You should also try and set up a space that you enjoy being in, as an uncomfortable or dark, pokey corner may mean you spend less time in it than you should!
Day to day office protocol –
6. Office timings. Make it clear to your clients what your office hours are. You are working on projects in order to be able to utilize the flexibility that they offer. You should try and have a few hours a day that overlap with your employers or clients regular office hours to provide time to interact with them. However they should know what your work pattern is like, so they know when to expect a response from you. Likewise, in the case of family members, staff, neighbours and friends, you need to make it clear that you are working and that you cannot be interrupted. You have chosen to work from home or to have flexible work hours to allow you to balance your work and personal life, so just like you set your work hours around the needs of your family and friends, they too should be aware of your work timings and work around you. Working from home does not mean that you are available to run errands and do chores. Make sure those around you are aware of that. Also be careful not to volunteer your time too freely just because you have the luxury of adjusting your day. Make exceptions wisely. Those around you will come to see this as the norm.
The other pitfall of working form home is that you can end up working very long hours because you are at home and thus able to connect to work. Colleagues and clients may call and ask you to step into your office, as they know its just a few steps away. Be sure to end your day and not let work drag on beyond the hours you have laid out.
7. Your space. Set up your office in a space that is not a heavy traffic flow area. The dining room table may not be the best place for you, as any and everyone will be able to disturb or distract you. Likewise the bedroom is not a suitable area, as it is hard to then separate your work life from your private life. Where space permits, a separate room is ideal. A room that is a little removed and has minimal use during your office hours can double up for other functions when needed. Try and keep other distractions like the TV out of your home office as well.
8. Open or closed door policy? Once your office is all set up, you need to set a few parameters that family, domestic staff, friends, neighbours and even pets are aware of! If the cook needs money for vegetables or a child needs assistance with a homework assignment – make sure that these matters are seen to before or after work. If, for some reason, you do need to be disturbed it should be an exception and not the norm. Make it clear that once you close the door, you are at work. Having a place to call your own, sets office boundaries for both you and the people around you. An open door policy could mean a stream of constant distractions all day long.
9. Routine. Although your hours are flexible and may be varied, establishing a routine helps not just those around you but you yourself. Get up, get ready and go to work, even if it is just down the hall! Sitting around in your pyjama’s may mean that you end up being a little lazier and get a little less done each day. A fresh start to each day also provides a small but clear divider between your personal time and your work time.
10. Household chores. If there are impending tasks that need to be done. Do not make the mistake of mixing them into your workday. Keep a clear parameter between house work and working at home. It is all too easy to get distracted from work with the dishes piled up in the sink or dinner looming an hour or two away. Working from home means you have to be more organized and divvy your day up. It also means that you have to stick to the routine that you set for yourself.
11. Taking calls. Make sure that your room is clear of people and that you can provide the caller your undivided attention. Barking dogs and crying children do not come across as very professional. This ties in again to your open or closed-door policy. It may be worth putting a do not disturb sign up when you need to take important calls. You will find what system works best for you, but it is worth noting that it requires a bit of thought and the patience to stick to your routine to make systems like these work.
Interacting with your employer
12. Institute a clear filing system. Such a system is a case of each to their own, only you know what system works best for you. Again, this boils down to being organized. Whether it’s a virtual filing system on your computer or a hard copy system set up in your home office, it is best to know where everything is. This way you can prove a point when you need to as you always have the proof available in writing! It also helps you ensure that you are keeping your facts and information straight as documentation is at hand. There are all sorts of systems available online to help you organize your workspace, your work time and to help you store your work in an easily retrievable manner. After a bit of trial and error you should be able to find a system that works best for you. Simply put, being organized helps being more productive.
13. Set and remain focused on your objectives. If you are able to do this, then all the other aspects seem to fall into place. By setting objectives you are breaking down the task at hand and by adhering to them you are essentially nearing your final objective, which is completion of the project. Make sure that deliverables are on time. If there is going to be a delay, you need to inform your employer as far in advance as possible.
14. Stay connected. Remember that by recruiting you for project-based work an employer is giving you the luxury of balancing your personal life with your private life. In return, you are expected to remain as professional as possible at all times. Request a regular phone call to discuss issues, details and problems of the project that you are dealing with. Don’t forget to provide them with positive feedback too! Another way of staying connected is to have more than one way that your project work colleagues and clients can get in touch with you, like IM, email, video conferencing, phone and mobile phone. If one goes down they can get a hold of you through some other method.
15. Clear parameters. Be sure to understand exactly what is expected of you both before you start and while you are employed on a project. Document. Document. Document. At the risk of sounding suspicious and mistrusting, it is worth getting everything in writing. This is especially the case when working with a team and having to get input from / provide answers to more than one person.
16. Professional demeanor. We have touched on this above but by putting your best foot forward, (whilst on the phone, in your emails and through any other type of interaction) you are coming across as a professional. Which is exactly why these employers selected you in the first place. Do not let the casual environment of your home creep into interactions with your professional world.
17. Set the pace from the outset of your project. If you agree to work 60 or even 80 hours a week, you will be a very stressed individual. While this may be feasible for a week or two, in the long run it will catch up with you. You are working from home, or working flexible hours in order to enjoy a balance, so be sure that you maintain this balance. Make it clear to your employer from the outset that you cannot work weekends for example and then stick to it. Take mini breaks during the workday, the way you would if you were working in a regular office, and make sure that you have a lunch break.
18. Ask for feedback on an assignment when it is done. This will help you understand what your shortcomings are and will also help you fine-tune your skills for future projects. Remember that part of what you are selling is your professionalism, better understanding your shortcomings helps you develop skills for future use
19.Interaction. Sitting in your home office, with little face-to-face interaction with people from one week to the next can be very isolating. Schedule a lunch date. Try and get out for meetings or into the clients office when possible. Mix your routine up a little so it does not get monotonous and remember that when you are done work, you should make the effort to get out of the house and interact with people as much as possible, creating a good balance
20. Don’t feel guilty! If you are working hard while at home, getting the job done and still managing to obtain some sort of balance between work and your personal life, then you are probably much busier than many people that put in a full days work! Don’t let anyone make you feel like you are getting by easy by being at home! You work hard and so sit back and enjoy the benefits of flexible, project based work when your day is done.
http://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/netsysm/article.php/3517041
http://mobileoffice.about.com/od/getmobilized/qt/mngtips.htm
http://mobileoffice.about.com/od/getmobilized/qt/evaluations.htm
http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,24124238-5012427,00.html
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The key is providing a balance between authority and autonomy. How much a remote worker is being observed and managed and how much they are left to their own devices to get the job done.
1. Set clear performance objectives. Specific tasks and objectives that need to be achieved should be identified. Objectives should also be prioritized at this point. Always outline these objectives before work commences.
2. Criteria by which the professional will be measured, needs to be clearly defined. For example will it be by the number of projects or the piecework that is completed? Also outline whether changes are expected during the course of the project, as this can be very frustrating for someone who has worked hard for a long period of time, only to find that extreme changes are required. Changes are not so daunting if you are asked to expect them!
3. Deliverable and deadlines should be put in place in advance, ie. Break down the project into smaller bits or sections and have deadlines in place for each part.
4. Keep your parameters as equal as possible for both on site and off site workers, that way there is little room for bias to creep in from either side. This applies to the guidelines you provide or the communications hardware that is installed at their desk, all aspects should remain as consistent as possible.
5. Involve the off site workers in the office culture to provide them with a tie in and make them feel part of the work community. Where possible, have them visit the office. This is especially the case for people working on lengthier projects.
6. Recognise that people working from home will have distractions like the phone, children, pets, neighbours, domestic staff etc. This leads to two pointers. One being that when you interview the person, try and gauge how much of an independent worker they are and whether they can stay focused on the job, when there is nobody there to manage such situations. The second is to lay down certain criteria about working conditions at home. For example, candidates should have a separate room, with a dedicated phone line and dedicated internet connectivity. (see top 10 tips on setting up a home office)
7. Look for candidates with clear communication skills in their area of expertise. By ensuring that they can communicate feedback, information, requirements etc properly you are one step closer to ensuring a proper flow of information through the course of the project.
8. Touch base regularly. Although a project-based employee is working on a time bound assignment and is not a permanent member of the team, productivity goes up if the person feels they are being kept in the loop. An employee with an active and supportive manager is much more likely to be productive. Remember at the first sign of a problem – take action! Whether this directly involves the project worker or not.
9. Allow for more forms of communication than just email. For example IM, teleconference and on site visits etc allow for the person to interact in ways that are not bound to written text. Email reduces the ability to read body language and non-verbal communication that come across in day-to-day interactions. By providing the ability to interact in numerous ways, as well as software that allows people to remain clued in and on the same page as the rest of your staff, you are allowing for your project based professional to work as part of a team. Even though they are not in the office.
10. Be willing to spend that extra penny. This again is two fold. The outcome to the project may not be what you expected, but if all your criteria have been met and your project working professional has kept their end of the bargain, then you must too! Second, by spending on visits to the office every few weeks for your professional; or ensuring she has the right hardware / software through which they can communicate effectively with the office – you are providing that extra support to your project worker to get the job done. An additional bonus is that you could also be reducing the ability for people to easily hack into your system if extra technical support is provided to your project based professional.
Always remember that your project working professional knows that they are blessed to be in a position where they can work from home, so with the right support and cooperation, the sky is the limit!
http://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/netsysm/article.php/3517041
http://mobileoffice.about.com/od/getmobilized/qt/mngtips.htm
http://mobileoffice.about.com/od/getmobilized/qt/evaluations.htm
http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,24124238-5012427,00.html
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Aruna’s article in todays Mint Careers highlights how through out India “employers seek out stay-at-home moms” She notes that flexibility is a key attracting force for the many women who are torn between home and earning a livelihood. But even in flexibility commitment is key whether it is fulltime, part time or project based work.
If your child needs caring for or a family member needs to be taken to the hospital understandably you, the mother/ wife / bahu, will drop your work commitment do to so. But slowly that line blurs. Do you put your commitment on the backburner when relatives are visiting or when your mother-in-law wants to go shopping with you? Where does that leave your employer? I saw this happen so much as an employer that eventually I toyed with the idea of not hiring women.
Then I noticed those few women who had got it right. These women only took on important but not urgent projects, ones where they were sure they could deliver in terms of quality, cost and time commitment. They built impressively organized work plans that included buffers for their family needs. They were also very clear about sifting through their priorities on the home front, the things they could do and the things they could not. These women understand even with flexibility you still have to ensure commitment!
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Sue Shellenbarger in her article “ Stay-at-home Moms Fill a niche”, Mint Lounge Satuday May 31st 2008, writes of the ever-elusive professional moms on the playground or PTA circuit. Groups of women who can network and put together professional teams ready to handle the likes of high volume investment portfolios or extensive ad campaigns at the drop of a hat. Is this strictly an American or Western phenomenon? What then of the Indian professional woman, mother, daughter, wife, bahu?
Middle and upper class Indian families have long stressed the importance of an education for their children. In Britain, women of Indian origin are the only ethnic minority to have as much or more education as their Caucasian counterparts. With more Indian professional women in the workplace than ever before and a massive economic boom, we seem on the verge of looking for new solutions to problems that our western counterparts have already been dealing with for a while.
The question of how to balance our professional identity with our cultural past arises. In-laws or parents that need to be cared for and children that need to be tended to are a universal component of family life. Where the Indian professional differs from her western counterpart is in the options that are available to her. The fact still remains that no matter how far the Indian professional has come in having her own career and independence, there are still cultural expectations that keep her linked to the home. Recent legislation in Mumbai requiring day care facilities are clearly reflective of an increasing demand for new alternatives, although it could be argued that this legislation is piecemeal, and too little to have any real effect. With higher expectations to be at home to care for her family and with much less support in the form of day care or housing facilities for the elderly, than her Western counterparts enjoy, professional women at home are quite common in India.
As Sue Shellenbarger indicates in her article, women are happy to work for a reduced fraction of their previous salaries to keep their skills current and in return to have the flexibility to work on their own terms. Avtar in Chennai has been providing professional women managers for a while now and Tata’s second career pilot program saw demand far exceed what was expected. And more recently, gharkamai.com is filling the gap by developing an online portal where employers can find home base professional women who want to do high quality project based work. Indicating that there are many women out there looking for alternatives to the standard Indian shift work that involve not just lengthy work hours but that seems also to have become the norm.
Why not then consolidate this playground mum network? Project work for stay at home professionals seems to be a feasible solution. By providing women with time bound work they do not become bound to any specific organization longer than they wish to be. They are also able to network with varied organizations and broaden their skill base whilst doing so. All the while managing to maintain a work life balance. On the flip side organizations are able to tap professionals for a fraction of the cost than when the same individuals were working for large consultancies, without having to compromise on quality. Growing organizations or departments also stand to gain when deciding whether a new role is the right fit for them; or when deciding where to allocate limited resources.
As the Indian economy continues to grow, the question of where to find quality skilled labour is a constant battle. The ability to offer flexible work options can well mean gaining a competitive edge as a result of having employed skilled professionals. As such the niche area that Sue Shellenbarger writes about is an area of impending growth in India. It is also possibly a more culturally specific solution to women who wish to juggle the demands of pursuing a career and fulfilling other duties expected of them within the Indian context.
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Sue Shellenbarger’s article on “How stay-at-home moms are filling an executive niche” tells the story of how human resource agencies in the US , similar to gharkamai.com in India, are helping employers to find “cheap, temporary teams of seasoned pros” to help them out by tapping into this recently discovered pool of experienced qualified professionals- stay-at-home moms.
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Welcome to Gharkamai.com
Gharkamai.com is an online portal dedicated to providing Indian businesses access to a pool of tallented professional women for project based work.
Keep reading if you want to learn how… or check us out at www.gharkamai.com
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