Return-to-work coaching
Is manager support consistent for all maternity returners? What's your retention rate like? How quickly does it take them to reintegrate? If you've answered negatively to all these questions, it's likely your organisation would benefit from our programme.
Here’s an outline of our Return-to-work coaching programme, designed to help you address inconsistency in support, improve retention, and give your returners a positive experience.
Why coaching?
The challenge of returning to work after a long period away isn't deterioration of skills, it’s a lack of confidence - fear of not being as good as you once were, of change, of your identity-shift, of reintegration and belonging.
A return-to-work coaching programme gives someone protected space to process what’s changed, rebuild self-belief, and translate that into an actionable plan, one that can benefit the returner and their manager.
Who is it for?
Key beneficiaries
Individuals returning to work after a long period off (6-12 months), such as:
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maternity leave
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adoption leave
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shared parental leave
Indirect beneficiaries
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Managers that struggle to understand returner challenges
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Organisations where policies exist but practical support and manager consistency vary
What's included?
For the returner
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Two 75-minute coaching sessions (or equivalent across three or four shorter sessions) before returning to work. All facilitated virtually and bookable online; evening slots provided to accommodate baby bedtimes.
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Two 60-minute coaching sessions, 4-6 weeks apart, after returning to work. All facilitated virtually during working hours and bookable online.
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A 90-day plan, scoped throughout the pre-return sessions, to facilitate a confident return, with clear needs and a proactive reintergration plan.
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Access to their session notes within the 'Members Area' on the ClarityAhead website.
Before
Planning to return
Exploration of concerns, increasing confidence to return, creating a practical 90-day return plan based on their needs, and practising manager conversations
Confidently settling in
Navigating blockers, concerns, and self doubt; exploring next steps, beyond coaching
After
For the manager
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One 45-minute briefing on what to expect when someone returns, the role of the coach in supporting them vs their role in facilitating a positive return, and how to use the 90-day plan effectively.
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A conversation prompts guide to enable constructive and supportive conversations with returners, exploring their readiness to return and ongoing support needs
What's the 90-day plan?
A practical tool that:
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aids clarification of their return needs as a parent, such as changes to their work pattern, flexibility for health appointments, a place to pump etc.
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facilitates a smooth re-onboarding and reintergration through a structured guide of what needs to be checked, planned, and organised within the first 30 days.
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structures manager conversations and priority setting at 30, 60, and 90 day intervals.
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ensures readiness to return and to take on additional duties is checked throughout the 90 days.
Who benefits?
Returner
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Confidential soundingboard to share their concerns and barrier to return
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Regained self-confidence in their skills and experience
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A practical approach to identifying and communicating their reutn needs
Manager
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A 45-minute briefing to manage expectations and explain the programme
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A practical 90-day plan and conversation prompts to aid their conversations with and support of returners
Organisaton
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Increased retention rate of returners
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Quicker reintegration within teams and the business
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Consistent and practical support
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Less pressure on managers to "get it right"
