Everyone is different and maternity contracts can vary from 3 months to a full 12 months, making it hard for a business to know whether the employee on maternity leave will look to extend their time off or even if they will choose to come back at all. I recently recruited for a 6-month maternity contract for a retail client of mine and deadlines have never been more key. You usually know the date your employee is set to go on maternity leave and the chances are you’re losing a key member of your team and may be required to act quickly to get cover in time. As my client rightly said, ‘the baby is coming whether we have recruited for the maternity cover or not…’ Trying to organise maternity cover can seem a daunting task but having an effective plan in place and the help of a specialist recruiter makes it a much easier and less stressful process. As specialist recruiters, we take the time to get to know your business and understand your specific needs to find the right person for the job - quickly!
What should you consider when hiring maternity cover?
Before your employee leaves, make sure you have discussed how long they plan to take off so that you can be as clear as possible on length of cover you require. However, bear in mind that your employee is not obliged to make a definitive decision on when she plans return to work and has the right to tell you only when she is ready.
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Making the opportunity attractive
Due to maternity covers being short term contracts they may be less desirable for someone who is content in a permanent position. However, there’s still a huge market of job seekers that will find your opportunity very appealing; from candidates that are keen to get a foot in the door with your business or industry to candidates seeking flexibility through contract roles. When advertising the role or headhunting candidates, emphasise the particular skill set that can be gained in the role and the experience that the candidate will obtain during the time with your brand.
Make sure you are offering enough to make the opportunity attractive to the calibre of candidate you require. If this is a potentially risky move for a candidate, it’s likely that they will want the security of a comfortable salary. When you find the right person for the job, you need to be making an offer they can’t say no to.
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Getting the right culture fit
When you’re interviewing candidates, involve your current employee that’s set to go on maternity leave. No-one knows the job better than they do, so include them in the process and take their input on board when making the decision. This is even more important if the employee is a senior member of the team. For example, if a line manager is leaving, it’s important to keep the team happy with someone they will respond well to and get along with.
Once you have found the right person for the job, you need to be very clear on when they will start. It’s a good idea to arrange a handover period of at least a week where your temporary cover employee can shadow your existing employee and ask any questions they have about the role. Also, have your employee put together a handover pack with useful and need-to-know information about their job.
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Opportunities when the cover period is over
Many candidates would consider a maternity cover with a company and a role that they love but may be concerned about having their next role lined up. Make sure you communicate to candidates that if they do a great job during the cover period, there could be further opportunities with your company when the contract ends. If you have any maternity cover requirements that need filling as soon as possible, please do not hesitate to contact myself or a member of the team at Cast UK on 0161 825 0825 or 020 8185 5200.
