Couples and Careers | #HRTea
Have you been anxiously waiting for the next episode of #HRTea? Well, the wait is over! Our newest episode is live on iTunes and Google Play! This episode is the final episode in our three-part mini-series on diversity and inclusion. In this episode Bethany interviewed Heather Cluley, who is a Visiting Professor in the Villanova HRD program to discuss her research in the area of couples and decision making. If you are wondering what couples and decision making have to do with diversity and inclusion, you will have to step outside the primary dimensions of D&I (race, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc.) to consider secondary dimensions that impact individuals and organizations.
This episode will explore several dimensions of identity for individuals within a couple and how that identity paired with their partner's identity impact choices they make for their family and will impact the organizations they choose to be a part of.
"Couples, depending on how they see themselves, were looking for a particular type of company to work for... and understanding those priorities helped them find an organization with the right policies to support those choices."
The take away from this episode could be personal: what is your couple identity and how has it impacted your career choices? But there is a lesson for organizations, too: the policies you put in place will impact the types of employees who are willing to work in your organization. Additionally, the attitude the organization takes on how rigidly to enforce policies that impact life choices for families, may hinder or create opportunities for different career paths that will ultimately benefit both the employees and the organization.
After you listen, be sure to connect with Heather and check out some of her research:
Connect with Heather on LinkedIn and Twitter. (She's just getting into the Twitter world, so let's increase her followers!)
Check out some of the research that Heather mentioned during the episode:
Care and career: A family identity-based typology of dual earner couples by Courtney Masterson and Jenny Hoobler
The Contemporary Career: A Work-Home Perspective by Jeffrey Greenhaus and Ellen Kossek
Read a few of Heather's posts from the Villanova HRD blog:
We would love to hear what you thought of the episode and how you plan to incorporate some of your ideas into your organization or own life. Share your thoughts here or through social media using #HRTea. Cheers!
