In late March, LinkedIn announced that its dropdown menus for creating a profile will now include “Stay at Home Parent” and other designations to indicate that someone spent time away from the traditional workforce. The move came after recent criticism that some of the networking platform’s format requirements — such as the convention that every job title be followed by an employer — were insensitive to people who took breaks from paid employment. Following a pandemic-induced exodus from the workforce of more than two million women, this issue has never been more relevant.
Companies Should Do More to Normalize Career Breaks
A new feature on LinkedIn represents a cultural shift. But it’s just the start.
April 06, 2021
Summary.
LinkedIn recently took steps to make it easier for people who take extended career breaks to better represent that time on their profiles. This is one step on normalizing such breaks. But companies can do more — and one step they should consider is better promotion and categorization of return-to-work programs.
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HBR Learning
Attracting and Cultivating Talent Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Attracting and Cultivating Talent. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Discover how to attract, hire, develop, and keep talented people who will grow and thrive throughout their employee journey.