EXPERT’SVIEW NEW Horizons
Make Single Moms Your Secret Weapon Five ways to unleash their full potential
W
hen Dr. Carol Greidner, a single mother and molecular biologist at John Hopkins School of Medicine, received the call that she had won the Nobel Prize, she was folding laundry. Later, when asked what she would do with her prize money, she said: “Right By Nancy Krawczyk, now, my kids are in school and I have to Network of make them lunches and dinners. All that Executive Women will keep me grounded.” Greidner’s response resonated with all working mothers, but especially with often-underestimated single working moms. Consider these eye-opening stats: • More than 10 million U.S. families are led by single mothers. • About two-thirds of single mothers work outside the home — that’s slightly greater than married mothers. • The median income for families led by single mothers was about $26,000 in 2013 (the latest figures available). That’s about one-third of the
Convenience Store News is pleased to continue this series of exclusive educational columns by the Network of Executive Women (NEW), coinciding with the annual CSNews TOP WOMEN IN Top Women in Convenience CONVENIENCE awards given out each fall. More than 60 female managers, executives and directors who work in the convenience store industry were honored in our 2016 program. In addition to being a presentation sponsor for the Top Women in Convenience program, NEW
80 Convenience Store News | MARCH 2017 | WWW.CSNEWS.COM
median income for married couples. Yet despite these challenges, single moms — often the family’s sole breadwinner and caretaker — are some of the most committed, productive and career-minded employees the convenience store industry has. In response, farsighted companies in the retail and consumer goods industry are changing their workplace policies and talent development strategies to better support their single-parent employees. Here are five ways the most progressive companies support single working moms:
and CSNews have partnered to develop this series of columns directed at helping corporate leaders drive more inclusive company cultures. Sponsored by: